As David fought Goliath

A sermon segment:

Your emotions begin to tell you, “This is what’s real,” instead of what God’s Word says.

The Philistines are encamped against Israel and you know the story of David’s victory over Goliath. Saul couldn’t win; David did. But you notice why Israel was in the trouble they were in?

I Sam 17:1: [1] Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and were gathered together at Shochoh, which belongeth to Judah, and pitched between Shochoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim.

They had invaded Israel’s territory. They had no right to be there, so the whole battle, win or lose, was the fact that they had come into land where they didn’t belong and Israel had let them.

That was David’s whole point: [26] And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?

Paul says in Ephesians, “Don’t give any place to the devil; don’t let him start getting into the mind, because the purpose is to get a hold of your heart and destroy the proper functioning of your inner man.”

Now go to II Sam 17: [1] Moreover Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Let me now choose out twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David this night:
[2] And I will come upon him while he is weary and weak handed, and will make him afraid: and all the people that are with him shall flee; and I will smite the king only:
[3] And I will bring back all the people unto thee: the man whom thou seekest is as if all returned: so all the people shall be in peace.
[4] And the saying pleased Absalom well, and all the elders of Israel.

Ahithophel was David’s counsellor but now he’s abandoned David and gone over to David’s son, Absalom, and he’s going to help Absalom try and steal the kingdom from David. So he’s a turncoat.

Ahithophel knows that the only time he’s going to be able to attack David is when he’s weary and “weak handed.”

Psalm 144 is a psalm of David and David writes:

[1] Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight:
[2] My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me.

Ahithophel knew that God literally had taught David’s hands to fight and that when David trusted the Lord, and was depending upon what God was doing, he was not only not weary, but he was strong and knew how to fight.

But in II Samuel, David is distraught, he’s emotionally a basket case, he’s discouraged, he’s on the run. So Ahithophel says, “I’m going to get him when he’s down and when he isn’t depending on his resources God has given him to fight and I’m going to make him afraid.”

Literally what Ahithophel was trying to do was get David to abandon the throne on his own. He knew he couldn’t go up and get David off the throne by himself.

God had given a strong hand to have that throne, but he wanted to get David to abandon the throne. Abandon the position God had given him and Ahithophel knew that if he did, all those mighty men David had would be discouraged and leave too.

That’s just an illustration of how Satan seeks to attack. Now, in our situation, when the Adversary wants to attack, he’s going to try to draw you AWAY from who you are in Christ by focusing on the outward and then he’s going to attack by causing you not to stand in the identity, in the truth, of who God has made you in His Son.

By the way, in Matthew 4, Jesus said, “It’s written.” That’s what you do. Romans 12: [1] I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
[2] And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

(new article this evening before midnight)