Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.” (1 Samuel 17:45-47 NKJV)
As David spoke to the mighty warrior of the Philistines, he made it abundantly clear that he was going to defeat him, this huge champion of the Philistines, as well as rout his army. However, he also made it clear why and how he would do that—“the battle belongs to the Lord.” David still had to take his sling and a stone; he had work to do on behalf of the Lord, but he did that work recognizing that it was not he who would bring victory, but God!
We face the “Goliaths” that would destroy us and defy our God. Like David, we need to understand that we have a job to do, a fight to wage, but, ultimately, the battle belongs to the Lord! Our part begins with an unwavering faith in God. We must have conviction and determination that cannot be deterred. We must be in a close relationship with God. We must be prepared for battle.
