We know the devil is going to come against us in this life. The question is, “Are you going to let God be in control of the battle?” It’s easy to say, “The battle is yours, Lord”; but it is another thing to let Him be in control. When someone or something comes against you, it is human nature to rise up and retaliate; but that usually results in saying and doing the wrong thing instead of letting God handle the situation His way.

God wants you to trust Him so He can use you the way He wants to. When you really trust God, you will not lag behind or get ahead of Him. You will be in step with Him and follow His directions. The Holy Ghost will give you Heaven’s directions, so it is important to have the Holy Ghost living and dwelling on the inside of you.

When you yield to the Holy Ghost, He will prepare you for the battles ahead. When I look back on my life, I can see how God prepared me for each battle I had to face. Our battles are the Lord’s, and He uses us as we put our faith in Him.

David Killed a Lion and a Bear

God prepared David for each battle he faced. When he was just a shepherd boy watching his father’s sheep, a lion came by and carried off a little lamb. David went after that lion and killed it and then rescued the little lamb out of its mouth. David didn’t consider his own safety; he just wanted to save that little lamb. Shouldn’t we all be more concerned about others than ourselves? After all, God wants us to save as many “little lambs” as possible.

Later, a bear came and carried off another little lamb, so David went after the bear and killed it and rescued the lamb. Jesus is the Good Shepherd, and David had a heart like Jesus. In fact, God said David was a man after His own heart. I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will (Acts 13:22).

God could have prevented each one of those wild animals from coming in contact with David’s father’s flock, but He didn’t because He was getting David ready for the battles ahead. In the natural, you would think there was no way that a young lad could conquer a lion and a bear, but David didn’t rely on self; he relied on God. That is the key to having victory. When Jesus was on Earth, He took on a human body; and He had to rely on God to help Him do what His Father wanted Him to do. If you don’t rely on God, how can the battle be His?

God Chose David to Be King

When David was out tending his father’s sheep, God sent Samuel the prophet to Jesse, David’s father, to anoint one of his sons to be king. The oldest son came before Samuel first; and Samuel said, Surely the LORD’s anointed is before him [God] (I Samuel 16:6). Samuel thought that young man was a good fit to be king, but the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart (I Samuel 16:7).

Jesse had his sons pass before Samuel one by one, and Samuel let Jesse know that the Lord had not chosen any of them; so Samuel wanted to know if he had any more sons. Jesse said that his youngest son was in the field tending their flock of sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither (I Samuel 16:11).

All of this was done under the direction of the Lord; and when David arrived, the Lord let Samuel know that he was the one to be anointed as king. So Samuel anointed David with oil; and the Bible says, The Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward (I Samuel 16:13). David had the Spirit of the Lord to guide and direct him in every battle. God was preparing David for many battles to come, and he was going to be a leader of God’s chosen people.

David Had Confidence in God

God has ways of preparing us for different situations. Sometimes, He will prepare us to face an enemy who comes against us. At other times, He will get us ready to rescue a soul; but whatever the reason may be, God wants us to be ready for Him to use us.

When David was called upon by his father to deliver food to his three older brothers who were in the Israelite army and at battle with the Philistines, he was ready. I’m sure David wasn’t expecting to fight a giant that day, but that was what was going to happen.

The champion of the Philistines was a giant named Goliath. When he called out for someone in the Israelite army to fight him, all the soldiers were afraid, including David’s brothers. Even King Saul was afraid, but young David was ready to answer the call. He told King Saul, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine (I Samuel 17:37). God can’t work with fear; He only works with faith.

It didn’t matter to David that he was small in size compared to the giant or that he was young in age. It didn’t matter that one of his older brothers was jealous and giving him a hard time or that Saul had no confidence in him. It didn’t even matter that Goliath was mocking him because David knew the battle was the Lord’s.

David Prepares for the Battle

David had confidence in God; and he boldly told Goliath, This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give you into our hands (I Samuel 17:46,47).

David let Goliath know that the battle was the Lord’s. Do you have that same confidence in the Lord? David put his life in the Lord’s hands to be used however God wanted to use him when no one else was willing to do that.

Each one of the Israelite soldiers had an opportunity to step up and be used by God. The Bible says that the Philistine [Goliath] drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days (I Samuel 17:16). They had plenty of time to think about their decision, but fear prevented them from letting God use them. David was the only one who had no fear.

The key to David’s confidence was that he knew God was in control, and he knew God would bring the victory. All David had to do was be yielded to God’s thoughts and directions.

King Saul offered David his armor, and I’m sure it was the best armor man had to offer; but David didn’t need man’s best because he had God’s best. And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail. And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him (I Samuel 17:38,39).

David didn’t need Saul’s armor to protect him because God was going to protect him. He also didn’t need Saul’s weapons because the battle was the Lord’s. David had his staff, a sling and five smooth stones that he had chosen from a brook. The same weapons he used to protect his father’s flock were now going to be used to protect his heavenly Father’s flock.

Use God’s Armor

God prepares us to fight the enemy with weapons that we use every day. When we are working on the mission field, we use the Word of God to save souls and defeat the enemy. It only makes sense for us to use what we are trained to use. That is why we need to fast and live in the Word. Only then will we be prepared to face the battle just like David was.

The Bible lets us know that we are at war with the devil every day, so we always need to be prepared to fight. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand (Ephesians 6:12,13).

Do you have on the whole armor of God listed in Ephesians 6:14-17, or are you lacking a few pieces? Are you standing with the truth in righteousness and sharing the Gospel of peace with people? Do you have unshakable faith, and are you skillful in using the Word? You can’t have any of these attributes if you don’t first have salvation.

David Faces Goliath

David was God’s soldier, and he was prepared to use whatever God put in his hands. Even though David was skilled in using a slingshot, it was his spiritual armor that made him a threat to Goliath. He put just one stone in his sling and slung it at Goliath, and that stone was anointed with all the truth of Heaven. And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth (I Samuel 17:48,49). When you use something that God anoints and puts in your hands, you will always hit the mark and defeat the enemy.

God directed that stone, and it struck Goliath in the forehead with such great force that he fell to the ground defeated. Then David used Goliath’s own sword to cut off the giant’s head. God provided the sword to finish the job because the battle was the Lord’s. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David. Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. (I Samuel 17:50,51).

The difference between David and the Israelite army was that David believed the battle was the Lord’s. I’m sure all the soldiers in the Israelite army were trained to fight, but they were looking to themselves instead of to what God could do; and they weren’t equipped with the armor of God.

God Fought for the Israelites’ Freedom

When you know without a doubt that the battle is the Lord’s, God will move for you and take control of whatever situation you are facing. God let Moses know that He was going to use him to deliver the Israelites out of Egypt, but Moses had to believe that the battle was the Lord’s.

When you look at that situation from a human standpoint, an 80-year-old Moses was trying to convince the great Pharaoh to give up all his free labor and let the Israelite people go. That seemed to be impossible, but God is in the business of doing the impossible. The things which are impossible with men are possible with God (Luke 18:27).

I’m sure Pharaoh thought he could never afford to give up all that free labor; but after God had poured out the 10 great plagues, Pharaoh realized he couldn’t afford not to give it up. God hardened Pharaoh’s heart again and again so He could show both the Israelites and the Egyptians His great power, and it took 10 horrible plagues before Pharaoh was ready to yield to God’s plan.

The final plague killed all the firstborn of the Egyptians, both man and beast. What protected the Israelites during that time?—the blood of a lamb without blemish. God told the people to kill a male lamb of the first year and spread the blood on each side of the doorpost of their houses. The blood of the lamb protected the Israelites from the plague, and God fought their battle. For I [God] will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt (Exodus 12:12,13).

Put God in Control

Today, the blood of Jesus will protect children of God, and He will fight our battles. It doesn’t matter if you are facing sickness, a financial battle or any other kind of battle, give it to the Lord. People may be coming against you and persecuting you for the faith you have in Jesus Christ, but never forget that the battle is the Lord’s.

Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice when He came down to Earth and died on a cross so we can have eternal life and victory over every battle that comes our way. Jesus is the only one in Heaven who could have made that sacrifice, and God had so much love for us that He was willing to give up His Only Son so we could have eternal life.

Sinner, Backslider, there is a battle raging for your soul. The devil wants to destroy your soul in hell for eternity, and the mighty God wants to give you eternal life. Which side are you on? Will you let the Lord do battle for you? If so, you first have to give your heart to the Lord and become born again. Only then can you be a part of God’s army and have His divine protection. Say the sinner’s prayer located on page 6 of this magazine, and let the Lord begin fighting your battles.