It takes courage to fight the Lord’s battles. Most are familiar with the record of David’s battle with the giant, Goliath. It took great courage for a young man to face a much larger opponent who was a trained soldier with only a sling and some stones. Yet, he did so, and he won the victory. David’s courage in this matter speaks volumes to each of us. His courage is inspiring, but there is more to it than meets the eye.
David’s courage was rooted firmly in his faith in the Lord’s person, presence, and protection. We would say that he had a conviction pertaining to his knowledge of God. First, he had no doubt that Israel’s God was the true and living God. Consequently, he took offense at Goliath in that “he defied the armies of the living God” (I Samuel 17:36).
His confidence in both the presence and protection of God was born in the fields while keeping his sheep. He testified how “there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: and I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth…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 17:34-36).
It was this unshakable conviction about his God that led David to commit to the battle. “David said to Saul, let no man’s heart fail because of him [Goliath]; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine” (I Samuel 17:32). David firmly believed that his God was worthy of honor and reverence and that this Philistine had defied this truth about God.
Likewise, David was thoroughly convinced that God was with him and would deliver him as he accepted the challenge of Goliath for the Lord’s sake. This truth carried him into the battle. “Then David said to the Philistine, thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou has defied. This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand…that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel” (I Samuel 17:45-46).
What was true for David then remains true for us now. David’s conviction of truth committed him to a path that honored and displayed that truth. That commitment disregarded the circumstances and persevered with accompanying courage. It belongs to us today as God’s children to be convinced of his truth and commit to following it no matter the consequence. The necessary courage arises when we trust the Lord. David may have had his encounter with Goliath in mind when he wrote, “Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD” (Psalm 27:14).
You cannot fight the good fight of faith without courage, and neither can you fight it without conviction and commitment. All three are needed. The Apostle Paul captured the proper sentiment as he concluded his first letter to the believers in Corinth. “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong” (I Corinthians 16:13).
From the Chaplain 