Jentezen Franklin - How to Slay the Giants in Your Family
I'm going to preach to you about how to slay the giant in your family. How to slay the giant that the enemy sends to every family. And I think there is a beautiful outline of what has to happen if you're gonna become a giant killer. Because when you look at what David did and what happened that brought the mighty victory that we all know as David versus Goliath, but really it was God using David to defeat Goliath. You have to understand that there were some very clear steps that he took that transformed an ordinary man into a giant-killer, and I want you to see it with me. And I'm just gonna begin reading in verse, let's go to 1 Samuel 17:20.
So David rose early in the morning, left the sheep with a keeper, and took the things and went as Jesse had commanded him. Jesse was his father. His father gave him a command. And he came to the camp as the army was going out to fight and shouting for the battle. The King James says going out. Coming out of the trenches, it says in some translations. As the army was coming out of the trenches, they went up shouting for the battle. Now I'm just gonna take that part, and then we'll... keep your Bibles open if you've got ‘em open because I'm gonna keep going back to scripture to make my point. So I want you to notice, I'm gonna give you some qualities that have to be real in your life if you're going to be a giant slayer.
Number one, the Bible said that David... notice what it said. His father Jesse told him to go down and to take some bread and some cheese. This is right in the previous verse before I read. I didn't take time to read it. But he said take some bread and cheese to your brothers and see how the battle's going. Now what's interesting about this is there's a little lesson in this. Because David had already been anointed to be king of Israel, but he had not yet been appointed. But when his father, who was his parent, his dad, said to him, go down, and basically, I want you to take some cheese and bread. Just, not a very important assignment. I want you to be a servant to your brothers. I want you to go down to the battlefield not as a king. I want you to go down there carrying stuff and giving them something to eat.
Notice that, the first point that I wanna make is this. Giant killers are submitted. Because at that moment, he had to make the decision. He could have rared up in his dad's face and said who do you think you're talking to. I've been anointed king of Israel. Who do you think you're talking to? The prophet Samuel prophesied that I would sit on a throne and it would never end. Who do you think you're speaking to? I'm too important to take bread and cheese. Somebody should be carrying me on their shoulders. What are you talking about? They should sound some trumpets. But notice one of the keys to being a giant slayer is you must be submitted to authority. His dad was his authority. I've never seen an unsubmitted giant killer. Giant killers are submitted.
You have to get under what God puts over you or you'll never get over what God wanted to put under you. And you don't know that you're unsubmitted until you have the opportunity to not be. And in that moment, I think it's something we race right over, but I've never seen an unsubmitted giant killer. You can have talent. ‘Cause David was a remarkable musician. You can have calling. He was called. You can have the anointing. But if you are not submitted to authority, such as parents, such as spiritual leaders, the Bible said let everyone submit themself to spiritual authority. Or to the higher powers, the King James puts it as. In other words, how you react to authority determines whether or not you will ever slay giants.
And it's so important to know that. Everybody say amen. So submit yourself, and the giants will fall. Submit yourself to the Word of God. Submit yourself to the authority of godly people that God has put you around and opened the door for you to sit under. Submit yourself. And if they're wrong, God will deal with them. But as you submit, it empowers you to slay giants. Watch how you talk to your parents. Watch how you speak to people that God has put in authority. Because the devil knows you just got weakened tremendously on the battlefield when you are not in submission.
Number two, I like the fact that the Bible said that they came up out of the trenches. You know that a giant can be nine feet tall, but the trenches would be like a ditch that they dug to defend themselves and have a safe place, and they would peep out to see the enemy. And sometimes even though a giant might have been nine-foot tall, if you're down in the trenches and you're looking up, he looks like he's 15 feet tall. Because when you're down, that's when... notice the enemy's coming of the giant is very strategic. He came when they were in the trenches. So when they looked up and they saw Goliath marching out, he actually looked bigger than what he really was because they were down.
There comes a moment where the trench, which is a low place, your enemy will always show up when you're at your lowest point. The enemy doesn't show up when you're high and full of faith, but he loves to get you down. And when you're down below in the trenches, that's when he shows up, and he's strategic at his appearance. The enemy was big because they were down. If you'll get up, you'll find that it's not as bad as you thought it was. If you'll get up, you'll find out the devil is not as big and as powerful as you thought he was. If you'll get up, you'll find out that that spirit that has your child is not as tough as you thought it was. Because God has not called you to be in that trench of depression. He's called you to get up. And giant killers are not only disciplined, and giant killers are not only submitted, but giant killers get up.
Aren't you tired of being down, looking up, seeing a big enemy? I'm gonna tell ya how you shrink the enemy. You start pulling yourself up by praising the Lord, and focusing on God, and declaring the Word of God, You're not some weak, down person. You're a giant slayer. Hallelujah. And pray in the Holy Ghost, and He'll lift you up. And as you go up, the enemy goes down. What you do when you are low and looking at your biggest enemy will determine whether you have defeat or victory. And the Bible said something significant. And when Goliath came out, they got up out of the trenches and started shouting for the battle.
If you're going to kill a giant, you can't be silent. If you're going to be a giant killer... I've never seen a silent giant killer. Giant killers shout. Giant killers praise. Giant killers say to themselves, I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise will continually be in my mouth. Giant killers lift their voices for victory in their family. For victory in their home. They lift their voices in prayer. They lift their voices in confession of God's word. They begin to shout the promise is bigger than the lies that the enemy's shouting across the field. And you are a giant killer.
I feel this now. I feel something coming. The enemy wants to silence us. The enemy wants us to sit back and take it, and take it, and take it. But I like what Joshua said. He said shout, for the Lord has given you the city. I like what Ezra said. He said shout grace, grace because God has already laid a foundation in whatever hell's trying to stop. It's already there. You just need to start shouting because giant killers are shouters. Somebody give God a shout. David said clap your hands, all you people, and shout unto God with a voice of triumph. I'm tired of people minimizing our praise. Lift your voice and begin to talk back trash to the enemy.
Notice something else, number five. I want you to see this in verse 25. So the men of Israel said, have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel. And notice what they say, and they're talking to David. And it shall be that the man who kills the king will be enriched with riches, and the king will give him his daughter, and give him his father's house exempt from taxes in Israel. Alright, everybody say that's one time. What did he just do? They just got focused off the battle onto the reward. What was the reward? Number one, you get to marry the king's daughter. And she was gorgeous. Number two, you get riches.
And number three, you'll never pay taxes again on all that you're gonna inherit being part of the royal family. OK, so that's in verse 25. Now watch verse 26. Then David spoke to the men who stood by him saying, what shall be done for the man who kills the Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God? Watch. And the people answered him in this manner saying, so it shall be done for the man who kills him. And they just repeated what he had already said. That's two.
Two times. Now watch this. It gets even more interesting. Then Eliab, his older brother, heard and spoke to the men. And he walked up to David, and he said, why did you come down here? Um, and who did you leave those, listen to this little put-down. Those few sheep that you are over. Stay in your place. You're nobody. You're not important. Why do you care about the battle? You're just the pizza delivery boy bringing cheese and bread. But notice what David does next. And his brother says, I know your pride. You've come down for the battle. And David said in verse 29, what have I done now? Is there not a cause? And you're not gonna believe this. Then he turned from him toward another and said the same thing.
What is the reward? And the same thing was answered as the first ones did. What am I trying to say? This is a big clue to a giant killer. Giant killers focus on the reward more than the risk. Giant killers are focused on the reward. Tell me, what will I get if I win this battle? You get the daughter, you get the riches, and you get a tax-free life. And then again. Why does the Bible take three verses to say they repeated it again? Because when you get in the battle, the enemy wants you to focus on the wrong thing. Focus on the reward. Focus on the reward. Get your eyes on the prize.
I'm telling you that the battle is worth fighting for our families. It's worth standing up to hell when it comes in. It's worth saying no to evil, and you're not gonna have my house, and you're not gonna have my marriage. It's worth it. I wanna preach for just a moment and tell you that streets of gold will be worth it. And gates of pearl will be worth it. And living eternal life in Heaven with Jesus will be worth it. There is a Heaven. Get your eyes on the prize. It's worth fighting for. It's worth living right. It's worth keeping your family in church. It's worth all the struggles and the things that we go through to get our families to Heaven. It's worth the fight. Focus on the reward.
Now watch this. Lemme give you number eight. It's in verse 39. So Saul clothed David with his armor and his bronze helmet. He fastened a sword to his armor, and he tried to walk out. And I like what David said. David said, I can't take this stuff. I haven't tested this. You know what he was saying? Giant killers have to be themself. I can't be you. God didn't anoint me to be something I'm not. And I know my little raggedy slingshot doesn't look as shiny and beautiful as your kingly sword, but this is what God gave me. Mm. This is the gift God gave me. And it may look like a riding lawnmower in a Rolls Royce showroom, but this is what God gave me.
And when the anointing's on it, it's powerful. I don't have to be Andy Stanley. I don't have to be T. D. Jakes. I don't have to... it's good ‘cause I can't do it. But I can take my little sling. This is what giant killers get a hold of. They say I can't be you. I have to be me. He will anoint you to be you, not a fake you. You don't have to be like them. Giant killers get that revelation. I don't have to be like them. I don't have to be like the world to reach the world. I don't have to be like them to win them. The enemy wants to make you feel insecure about what you've got. Just a sling. Everybody shout out loud right now, I am a giant slayer. Shout it again. I am a giant slayer. Shout it again. I am a giant slayer.
Lemme close with this. I might be one point short, but I'll skip one. In verse 40, it says this. Then he took a staff in his hand, and he chose for himself five smooth stones. And he put them in his shepherd's bag, and he drew near to the Philistine. Question. Why in the world would he get five stones? He's only fighting one giant. Because I believe the lesson in this is maybe the most important. Giant killers are determined. I believe he had the mentality... if I don't kill you with my first stone, I got four more, and I'm gonna get another one out.
And if fasting didn't get you, I got prayer and fasting. And if prayer and fasting didn't get this giant outta my house, that's alright. I got another stone. I'm gonna call up three Holy Ghost grandmas who know how to pray and talk in tongues, and I'm gonna get them behind this. And if that don't work, then bless God, I'm gonna give my tithe and offering like I've never given and I got all kinds a stones in my pocket here, and I am determined. I'm not gonna quit until you fall.
And I think the number five was the most he had ever missed trying to hit something. I think he took all that he had ever missed that many times, and he said you know what? I'm going. And if I don't get him with the first rock, and the second rock, and the third rock, I'm gonna keep on. But I'm not going to quit until this giant falls. You gotta have some backup stones. Are you determined to slay the giant? Anybody determined to slay the giant? Watch this. The Bible said that he goes out, and he throws that stone. And when he hits that stone, Goliath goes down. Because giant giant killers are submitted. They're disciplined. They're upbeat. They get up. Giant killers are shouters. Giant killers are the same character in the darkness as they are in the light.
Giant killers see trials as training, not trouble. Giant killers have gotta be themself. They wear and use what God gave them. Giant killers focus on the reward. Giant killers are determined. But lastly, giant killers take authority over the enemy and take it back to their house. Because I want you to see this. The Bible said that when he knocked Goliath down that he took Goliath's sword, and he cut Goliath's head off with his own sword. And he picked up Goliath's sword. And after he defeated him with Goliath's sword, he picked up Goliath's head and he took it back to his tent for a little while. It ultimately ended up outside of Jerusalem, which is so prophetic.
I don't have time to preach that. But he took it all the way back. This is in your Bible. He took the head of Goliath all the way, it was a public victory. All the people were shouting. All the nation of Israel was rejoicing. He broke the curse. He took authority over the devil for future generations. Because remember whoever lost or won that battle, it would affect generations. But then he does something strange. He takes the head and puts it on a spear in his tent.
I think he was saying the head represents authority. And he was saying devil, I fought out there on the battlefield. I fought for the ministry. I fought out here. But there's some devils in my own house, and I'm gonna take authority right here in my own tent. Right here in my own family. And I'm not fighting with flesh and blood. I'm fighting with the sword of the spirit. The power of Satan that has come in like a flood to destroy my family, I'm taking authority over it. I'm not gonna ignore it anymore. I am a giant slayer. I have the authority. I have big authority in Jesus name. And it doesn't just work at church. But I can take the authority over the giant in my home.
And can you imagine? Sitting over in the corner somewhere in that tent was the head of Goliath. And he's laying there saying to the devil as a symbol, you have no authority in my marriage, in my family, with my finances. I have a covenant business. And what you meant for my evil, God's gonna use it for my good. I need you to get on your feet, and I need you to put your hands together and give God a great praise if you believe He's coming today with authority for your house. Authority for every mom and dad and grandparent to say you cannot have my family.