I love when God brings these illustrations to mind…
After I had shared some of my testimony with the ladies at MAP (the mom mafia, as my husband calls us), this image of David fighting Goliath came to mind. This story is one of my son’s favorites, and we read it again before bed the other night.
I read to him from a picture bible, and there was this picture of little David wearing King Saul’s armor.
I realized that this has been me all these years. From an early age, I had been wearing someone else’s armor, which was far too heavy for me to function and fight properly. The sheer weight of it was too much to bear.
In the story, David quickly takes off the king’s armor, selects five stones, loads one into his slingshot, and hurls it at the giant. Here’s the application I found…
- David, Dawid in Hebrew, means beloved. I am also God’s beloved child.
- When everyone else was afraid to face the giant, David stepped forward, relying not on his own strength, for he was a young boy, but trusting in the name of Yahweh. King Saul immediately gave his armor to David, and David tried it on. King Saul and his army trusted in their armor, their shields, their spears, their training, just as society trusts in its knowledge, its weapons, its discoveries. I too, tried on that armor. I wore it for a very long time. It’s really, really heavy.
- David removed the King’s armor, finding that it was too cumbersome to be of any value to him. He chose instead to wear the armor of God–faith, righteousness, and truth. When I, too, began to let down the king’s armor, I found it much easier to maneuver and prayerfully plan my attack.
- He chose a stone, a rock, as his weapon. Christ is my Rock, the only weapon I need. He is Yahweh Nissi, which in Hebrew means “The LORD my Banner”. He goes before me, fights my battles for me, and defeats my enemies.
- David defeated the giant. The stone struck Goliath between the eyes, and the giant fell to the ground. Goliath’s comrades fled in fear, and the Israelites rejoiced in triumph. In each battle, as I, through Christ, defeat my giant, the enemy and his legions flee, and my brothers and sisters in Christ rejoice.
Come to me, all who are weary, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Here is what I believe He is telling us through this story:
My beloved child, don’t look to the world’s armor. It was not made for you, and it will only weigh you down. Put on My Armor, trust in My Name, and I will go before you, defeat your enemies, and blot out their name from the face of the earth.
So, the question…Whose Armor Are You Wearing?
