5 Lessons From the Life of Goliath

One of the most hated Bible characters, Goliath was a Philistine who ended up being defeated by David - that being his first war. However, as hateful as Goliath's character may seem, it is important for the Christian to keep an open mind and learn from his life so as to either make amends or prevent certain situations from occurring.

 

1. Goliath understood the principles of using his advantages to threaten his enemies.

1 Samuel 17:4-7 explains in detail, Goliath's appearance and apparel which, in themselves were enough to make his enemies cower before him. However, verse 8 says, "And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me".

As a believer, this showcased a character of learning how to put yourself at an advantage when facing an adversary. You have the Holy Ghost in you, the God who is bigger than the entire universe resides in you; so, when life's circumstances show themselves in your face, learn to take advantage of that stature and threaten it. Your boldness, in the long run, will make the devil waver whether to try you or not just as it cowered the children of Israel.

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2. See the opportunities in every problem you face.

The Bible in 1st Samuel 17:9 tells us Goliath's stance - "If anyone could fight and kill him, then the Philistines would become servants to Israel, but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us."

Imagine standing at the war front with no retreat, yet, the first thing that comes out of you is to negotiate terms with your enemy like it was just a simple scrabble game. If they had won, it was going to be another set of long years in slavery. However, this is a mindset that so many believers have failed to develop in themselves. They allow the circumstances of life to treat them anyhow and end up carrying a victim's mindset all around.

The children of Israel had no choice but to accept the terms and conditions, meaning that it was one-sided! As a believer, learn to gather so much breathe in prayers so that you can command situations, take opportunities and emerge victorious. You have the advantage, so make use of it.

3. He was Consistent

Goliath is probably one of the most consistent men on earth. How could one man make it a point of duty to terrorise people continuously for forty days every morning and evening non-stop? (1 Samuel 17:16). Yet, you as a Christian have only prayed about your situation for 4 days and 15 hours and you're tired! Goliath's attitude here has shown us that the devil does not rest until he has achieved whatever he plans by all means. It means that you cannot rest!

You cannot be jittery about whatever is going on in your life and decide, on that basis not to keep praying, not to keep applying for those jobs, not to keep reading or not to keep declaring the word of God. Keep at it, and stay with it until the mountain becomes a flat plain.

4. He understood the principle of actively involving the realm of the spirit.

Wars were meant to be fought with spears, arrows, guns and armour tanks but Goliath went for the spiritual. In 1 Samuel 17:43, we read that, "And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods."

This brings to thought what had actually been stopping the Israeli army from fighting just one man and thinking deeply, I discovered that Goliath's process of going out every morning and evening was not just to scare the Israelites with his stature, instead, he was rearranging the cosmos of the war ground such that the Israelites would never be able to raise their heads to fight. He was invoking the presence of the evil spirits who were his gods in a secular affair.

Imagine going for an interview and someone stands at the door and tells you that you have no chance to go in and you obey instantly - this shows that that person did not come to you in the fluency of language but with a force higher than human intellect. This was what Goliath did on that fateful day and he could have won if no man like David was present to counteract his power with the power of God.

Likewise, as a believer, don't be ashamed to slow to call upon God in all you do, no matter how tiny it seems. Let everyone who knows you associate you with the name of Jesus Christ.

5. The path of pride will always lead to destruction

Goliath ended up as a dead man with no intact body - that was the price he had to pay for being prideful of the things and affairs of God.

Today, we see many believers on social media insulting their men of God, "dragging" them on social media and spewing all sorts of trash about them in the name of "not agreeing with their ways". The believer needs to know that every man of God is a prized possession of God and whoever dares to touch either by words or actions will end up like Goliath, a dead man!

Bridle your tongue, walk in all humility and learn to have God take charge of your affairs. Only then, can you be said to have been corrected from the story of Goliath, the Philistine.