Kenneth Copeland - Faith Faces the Devil Head-On
First Samuel chapter 17 is one of my favorite places to be in the Bible. Verse 12. "Now, David was the son of the Ephrathite of Bethlehem. Judah, who's name was Jesse, had eight sons and the man went among men for an old man in the days of Saul". In other words, he was an old man and he was an important man among men. The three eldest sons of Jesse. Now, you had to be 20 years old to be in the army. When you got to be 20 you were in the army. Unless there's some physical reason or something. If you're 20 years old, you're going in the army. So actually David could not have been 20.
Now I've, you know, I've just said it because of uh, because of joy that 17 year old boy, he was most likely 18 and maybe 19 could have been 17 there are people that think that, that he was. "And so, David went and returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep in Bethlehem. And the Philistines drew near morning and evening and presented himself 40 days. Twice a day for six weeks. And Jesse said to David his son, take for that brother an ephah this parched corn".
So he gave him big sack of popcorn and these 10 loaves and run to the camp to thy brethren. Carry these 10 cheeses under the captain of the thousands and look how the brother fare and take their plate or get a report from them. Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines. David rose up early in the morning, left the sheep with the keeper took and went as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the trench as the host was going forth to the fight and shouted for the battle. For Israel and the Philistines had put the battle in array, army against army. David left his carriage and left his stuff in the hands of the keeper of the carriage and ran into the army and came and saluted his brother.
And as he talked with him, behold, there cam up the champion of Philistine of Gath, and Goliath by name. Out of the armies of the Philistines and spoke according to the same words David heard them. All the men of Israel, when they saw the man fled from him and were sore afraid, and the men of Israel said, have you seen this man that has come up surely to defy Israel? Is he come up? And it shall be that the man who kills him, that king will enrich him with great riches and give him his daughter and make his house free in Israel or exempt from taxes.
David spoke to the men that stood by him, say, what will be done to the man that kills this Philistine and takes away of their poach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised? Who is this covenantless, Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God? The people answered him after this manner, saying, so shall it be done to the man who killed him. In other words, you get the girl, man, and you and your family doesn't have to pay taxes anymore.
The people answered him after this manner. Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke unto the men, Eliab's anger was kindled against David and he said, why comest thou down here. And with whom has thou left those few sheep in the wilderness. I know your pride and the naughtiness of your heart for thou are come down that thou might've seen the battle. What battle? And David said, what have I done? Is there not a cause? Now here's what he is. What he actually said. He's a, he's a teenager. And he said, what have I done? One translation translates that, wasn't that a good question? He literally said, what have I done? I only ask you a question. He couldn't say anything good around his brothers. They were very jealous of him. He was their youngest and the favorite.
Amen, so he turned from him, poured another and spake after the same manner. He just kept saying this, why don't somebody kill this guy? I'm, I'm going to get the girl, I'm going to get the tax freeze. And they just, you know David's word, the words were heard, which David spoken there rehearsed them before Saul and he sent for him. David said to Saul... You have to understand that Goliath was pressing for Saul. Saul's head and shoulders, head and shoulders taller than any man in Israel. He's a big man. He's the biggest man they had, so that makes him very tall. That makes him fairly close match to Goliath. Not near that big, but he's the biggest man around, and he's king, and he's famous for being a warrior.
Now you know the story. I want to get down to this area right here. David said to Saul, thy servant kept his father's sheep. There came a lion and a bear and took a lamb out on the flock. I went out after him and I smote him and I delivered it out of his mouth and when he rose up against me, I caught him by his beard and smote him and slew him. I slew both the lion and the bear. And this uncircumcised Philistine doesn't have any more covenant than that lion and that bear head. He has defied the armies of the living God.
The Lord dropped this in my heart. He had Samson on his mind when he killed that lion and that bear with his bare hand and the anointing came on him. David wasn't a big man at all, neither was Sampson, but there was a big God that came on him. Had he been this giant of a man, they wouldn't even have tried to time up with with with ropes. So he didn't look any bigger than anybody else because all it did, all it took, was for him to break his covenant and it made him like any other man.
Now then let's go on into this. You know about the armor and all that. David said to Saul, I can't go with these. I have not proved them, and David put them off, put them off. He took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones out of the brook, put them in a shepherd's bag, which he had even in a script and his sling was in his hand and he drew near the Philistine.
Now, faith is released by words and action. Amen. When the Philistine looked out and saw David, he disdained him, for he was about a youth and ruddy and of a fair countenance. The Philistines said, am I a dog that thou comes to me with stage and the Philistine cursed David by his gods. So the devil had something to say, didn't he? The Philistine said to David, come to me. I'll give your flesh unto the fowls of the air, and the beast of the field. Famous last words. David said, whoa.
Now, the Spirit of God is saying something. David said to the Philistine, you come to me with a sword and with a spear, and a shield, I come to the in the name of the Lord of hosts. When you see that phrase, you stop and you shout about it because the Lord of the host is Jesus and he is the Lord of all of the angelic forces of heaven, glory to God. And this young man knew that angels were involved in this.
Now just keep in mind, keep that in mind. Think about it. When you think about your ministering Spirit that God has given you are more, more than one angel, Hebrews 1:14 now, now watch it and watch it. The Lord of hosts, I come at you 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 the end of my hand? I will smite thee.
He's saying it. He believes this with all his heart and he's saying it with his mouth. I smite thee. I'll give your carcass to the host of the Philistines this day under the fowls of the air and of the wild beasts of the earth, he went worldwide. All the earth may know that there is a God in Israel and all this assembly shall know that the Lord saved not with a sword and the spear for the battle is the Lord and he will give it to our hands and it came to pass.
When the Philistine arose and came and drew nigh to meet David. Listen, here comes the action. He said it, now listen, David hasted and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. I remember the movie, and he went... No, no man. On the run, on the run, he goes into that bag and he slips a rock in that sling and he's running. I don't believe he just kind of jogging. He's running and that angel said swoosh, boy, it hit him like a rifle bullet right between the eyes. The only spot that that helmet didn't quite cover. And down he went, sunk it right in his brain. Angels! Woo. Glory to God. Oh, Hallelujah. Dear Lord, I love it. Thank you Jesus. Glory be to God.
Now listen, this even gets better. Remember, he's a teenager now, David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone and smote the Philistine and slew him. There was no short in the hand of David. Therefore, David Ran, stood up on the Philistine. This guy's huge, this guy, this guy, this guy is absolutely huge. He's almost 12 feet tall. Took the sword out of the sheath thereof and slew him and cut off his head there with.
When the Philistine's saw the champion was dead, they fled, and the men of Israel and of Judah arose and shouted and pursued the Philistines until they came to the valley, to the gates of Ekron and the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way, to Shaaraim. Even under Gath and unto Ekron. The men of Israel and Judah arose and shouted, pursued the Philistines until he came to the valley and to the gates of Ekron. Wounded the Philistines fell down by the way, even unto Gath. Goliath's hometown. Ya boy is dead.
Now, here's what I want you to get. He had that giant's head in his hand, teeth, hair, eyeballs, blood running down his arm and he said, I got it. Glory to God. And the children of Israel return from chasing after the Philistines and they s poil their tents. David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem. This thing is big as a basketball. He goes and he takes it to Jerusalem. He put his, he put the man's armor in his tent he's a teenager. He put it in his room. It's God's armor, man. He could hardly carry it. Probably took two to carry that thing.
When you read all the specifics about it, amen, he took it and put it in his room. And Saul saw David and so forth and so on, and the king said inquire whose son who's David is. And now listen, verse 57, David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine. Abner took him and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand. Teenage red headed kid come walking in there with this guys head. It's about this big. Um, here king. I told you, I told you I'd get it for you. Can you see it?
Now, Who was it that made David King? Goliath. Goliath made him king. Victory. The new creature is a victorious being. This is the victory that overcometh the world. Even our faith. Glory to God. Hallelujah. You got the hand of the giant out of your hand. Take the head off of that devil and take it to his hometown.
See these are types and shadows of the, of the kind of attitude we should have. We are not be running from the devil. We ought to be running towards him. 'Oh, but the devil is scary.' I know it. The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want making me to lie down in green pastures, prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemy.