I have always thought the idea of one size fits all was comical. I bought a terry cloth robe a while back, one size fits all. When I got it, it was a little short in the body and the sleeves but engulfed me around the waist. Maybe the sizing should be more like “one size fits most.” You see, human bodies are built to run the gamut. Tall, short, wide, slim, muscular, lean, and on and on. To think that one size could work for all is a rather optimistic sales pitch at best. But on the flip side of that, there is custom tailored. I have never had a custom tailored suit but one time I did go have a navy blue blazer tailored. I had lost some weight and couldn’t bear to part with my favorite jacket, so I decided to splurge and pay the money to have a tailor custom fit it to me. I stood on a little stage and he measured my torso, arms, shoulders, and waist and wrote it all down. A few weeks later I got the call, it was finished. When I stepped back up on that little stage and slipped it on, it was amazing. It fit, well, like it was made just for me. It fit perfect, felt fantastic, and looked great because it fit great. A real personal fit. Hold onto this object lesson for later.
Today we come to possibly the most famous chapter in God’s Word. And I say that from a popular world view. Even if someone has never cracked open a Bible, they more than likely know the story of David and Goliath. The story could easily be a Hollywood action flick. It has action, drama, great characters, war, death, and the good guy claims a tremendous victory over the bad guy. What’s not to like? The only way it could be better is if it had throwing stars and tacos in there somewhere. To keep the entire story intact, chapter 17 is the longest chapter in 1 Samuel at 58 verses. And what a story it is.
But the story is so much more than just that single moment where David slings that faith-filled stone. The foreground, narrative and details are where the gold is buried. There is so much great stuff in this chapter, you could preach and teach on it for months. Let’s set the stage.
The Israelites and the Philistines are at it again. But in this instance, they’re at a standstill. Basically, a war of words. Every morning they line up for battle and Goliath comes out to the front lines and tries to taunt someone to come out and fight him. The taunt is formidable. Beat him and the rest of the Philistine army will give up and be servants to the Israelites. Lose to him and God’s people are now slaves to the enemy. If you convert 6 cubits, Goliath was roughly about 9’4” tall. Some think this is poppycock for a man in the Bible to be this tall until you recall that the tallest man in modern history was Robert Wadlow at 8’11”. In 1940, he was only a mere 5” shorter than Goliath. (Although I hear that Mr. Wadlow had a much more pleasant countenance than Goliath.)
For 40 days, the Israelite men cowered in the presence of mean ol’ Goliath. Deathly afraid of the massive sword and spear that he brandished, both of matching gargantuan proportions. His hate filled words spewed anger and venom at the Israelites as well as their God. But all that changed on day 40 when young David heard Goliath blaspheme his God. David was a man after God’s own heart (1 Sam 13:14) and he was not about to readily stand by and listen to this man defame Almighty God. Something had to be done.
David boldly and publicly claims he can and will beat this giant. His bold words get him a front row seat in front of King Saul, the very king he would replace. Saul pretty much dismisses him as just a kid (which he was) but basically says, “hey, if you wanna go try to fight the giant, knock yourself out kid.” (this is clearly a case of poor adulting from Saul) And it is here in this moment that we will focus today. The preparation of David to fight the enemy of God.
Saul is going to give David all the tools he can to help him win, so he offers his personal armor. The armor of a king. This would have been the best armor in the entire Israelite nation. David would be well equipped indeed with the armor of a king. Let’s look at what takes place as David slips into that royal armor right there in the throne room of the king.
“Saul had his own military clothes and armor put on David, and he gave David a bronze helmet to wear. David strapped his sword on over the military clothes and tried to walk, but he was not used to them. "I can't walk in these," David said to Saul, "I'm not used to them." So David took them off.” 1 Samuel 17:38-39
I wish I could have been a fly on the wall to witness this moment. I bet it was rather comical. Kinda like in the movie Big when Tom Hanks finally becomes a kid again, the adult sized clothes hanging off of him like an ill-fit scarecrow. Recall that when we were first introduced to Saul that “from his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people.” (1 Sam 9:2b) Compared to David at a mere 15 years old, Saul would have probably seemed like another giant. And since Saul was king, his armor would have been custom made for him. And it was Saul’s very armor that was placed onto David.
David’s response and reaction to Saul’s armor holds unlimited value for us today. The armor was heavy, burdensome, and ill-fitting. David couldn’t move well, he wasn’t used to it and well, it was just all wrong. David said, take it all off, I’ll fight and defeat Goliath in the same way I fought and defeated the bear and the lion in the field. Through the power, protection, and provision of Almighty God.
Folks, today God has a custom set of armor for you. Made just for you. Tailored to you, your needs, your situation and your life. There is none better. You needn’t look to another for their armor, it won’t work the way your personal armor will. You see, there is one guaranteed truth in this life, if you stand for Christ, you will have to fight the enemy of God. It is an absolute, a given, a fact. And to fight effectively you will need armor and weapons, both offensive as well as defensive.
As you fight the enemy today, think of young David. God had equipped David perfectly. He had a sling, 5 smooth stones and a heart for God beating within His chest. His faith in God was bigger than any weapon he would face that day. God has equipped you to handle the battle that He has placed in front of you today. No matter what giant you may be facing today, God’s personal armor will do all that God promises. All you must do is believe. The armor is strong. The shield is true, it will deflect the flaming arrows of the evil one. The sword is double-edged and sharp, it will inflict damage that cuts to bone and marrow, exposing truth in this world. And best of all, this armor is yours. Made just for you. All you must do is pick it up and put it on.
Be strong in the Lord today as you fight the good fight He has for you.
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians 6:10-17
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