I will share my thoughts and the scriptures in the comments below. I think there is just so much in these verses that we can likely never plumb the very depths of them. I would love to hear your insights as well so do reply and share your comments too.
The term Jehovah Nissi appears only once in scripture. It means the Lord is my banner, the Lord is my Victory. I believe the story of David and Goliath reveals keys to victory against the forces of darkness, not a ritualistic formula but elements that reveal why and how David came through this encounter victorious. As always, I encourage you to avoid formulaic thinking or creating a script out of what is revealed here.
Some things I see in this passage:
- God had provided everything on site that David would need to be victorious. The enemy provided some extra props that could have distracted David from God’s provisions and led to disaster instead of victory
- David’s heart was prepared for the battle by His time and well established relationship with the Lord. He was victorious in part because he saw Himself as an extension of God and His Kingdom. His confidence was in the Lord.
- David had no tolerance for anyone or anything that would defy God.
- David had so much confidence in the Lord that he refused to be intimidated and to take stock of how things looked in the natural.
Healing and Discipleship 
1 Samuel 17:1-55
King James Version
17 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 Ephesdammim.
2 And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines.
3 And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them.
4 And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.
5 And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass.
6 And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders.
7 And the staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam; and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him.
Isn’t it interesting how much time is spend on describing how big and menacing Goliath is. I have come to view Goliath as the assignment that proceeds most attacks… Confusion and/or intimidation are very often if not always at the forefront of any attack of the enemy on the body of Christ. Goliath is in so many ways the embodiment of intimidation. If you take the time to imagine the scene, you and very clearly see that his presence impacted them mentally and physically. Mentally the sheer magnitude and might of Goliath froze them in their physical tracks, actually paralizing them with fear so that they were unable to think of victory and unable to take action towards victory. The enemy wins without even lifting a sword if he can intimidate us into paralysis and passivity.
What does this look like in the natural today? For me, the first clue that there is an attack being levelled at me is my thoughts start to focus on the problem and not on God. Suddenly I am getting mental flashes back of my weakest, most painful moments, of my part shortfalls, and grim forebodings, mental images of how bad it could get if this thing expresses itself fully. If I am experiencing a digestive symptom, in my mind I will get flashes of the moments in my past when those types of symptoms landed me in the hospital or in deep physical distress. I have come to recognize that these are on assignment and trying to get me to lose track of the promises and realities of who I am now in Christ. The battle is often won or lost right here. Sometimes the attack begins with a physical sensation that triggers the mental onslaught and sometimes it is the mental onslaught that triggers physiological responses. I just want to stress that both of these can be induced by an external force. Most of us have experienced this when watching a scary movie or something similar. All of the music, lighting etc is designed to stir up your emotions of fear and very often our body responds with goosebumps, chill up our spine, general tension, that flight or fight feeling, that need to look over our shoulder and someone is watching us feeling. Physiological responses brought on my an external stimulus. Surgeons know well that people who have had limbs amputated still can feel extreme pain in body parts that have been surgically removed. The brain can be triggered to report pain in a limb that no longer is attached. The pain itself is very real.
In that moment, if I know who God is, who I am in Him and see things through the finished work of the cross, if I have marinated in these truths etc… then my knee jerk response is trained to respond as David did. So for me David represents the man who has spend the time and come to know the Lord and his faithfulness intimately. The Israelites represent those who know on a superficial level about God but who do not know Him or HIs promises intimately yet. Most of us likely fall somewhere in between. Basically this battle between David and Goliath was decided before the actual physical encounter began. David was going to win because He knew God. If David hadn’t showed up, the Israelites would have lost because they didn’t. This would mean that knowing God, understanding His promises rightly and truly and putting our confidence in HIM is THE most essential element to spiritual warfare and by extension to healing and remaining in His perfect peace. Even as I write, I have so many scripture passages popping to my heart and mind. This happens because I have invested a LOT of time in the WORD and increasingly, I spend time seeking to KNOW the Lord more.
“8 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. 9 If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us. 10 And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together. 11 When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.”
“12 Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehemjudah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons: and the man went among men for an old man in the days of Saul. 13 And the three eldest sons of Jesse went and followed Saul to the battle: and the names of his three sons that went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next unto him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. 14 And David was the youngest: and the three eldest followed Saul. 15 But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem. 16 And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days. 17 And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched corn, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp of thy brethren; 18 And carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand, and look how thy brethren fare, and take their pledge. 19 Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines. 20 And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and 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. 21 For Israel and the Philistines had put the battle in array, army against army. 22 And David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage, and ran into the army, and came and saluted his brethren. 23 And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words: and David heard them. 24 And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid.
25 And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father’s house free in Israel. “
“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?
27 And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that killeth him.
28 And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle. 29 And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause? 30 And he turned from him toward another, and spake after the same manner: and the people answered him again after the former manner. 31 And when the words were heard which David spake, they rehearsed them before Saul: and he sent for him. 32 And David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”
“33 And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.
37 David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee.”
“38 And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail.39 And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him. 40 And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine. 41 And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that bare the shield went before him. 42 And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance. 43 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. 44 And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field. 45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. 46 This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 47 And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hands.”
First point, there is usually someone or something telling us that we need something more than what Jesus has done to be victorious. I see this in this story very plainly with Saul offering David his armor and weapons. We will very often have to resist the temptation to “help” God by taking up worldly means of victory.
2 Corinthians 10:3-6 King James Version “3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.”
This passage summarizes how to resist and cut off the head of intimidation. If the enemy can get us taking stock of our own human capacities and factoring them in, he usually wins as we are in the natural simply not equipped to deal with the cunning and forces of the things raising the attack against us. On the flip side, if we only take stock of who God is and what Jesus has done, the enemy cannot win. David understood this and all of His language reflects this. He perceived Himself as an extension of God in this picture and therefore that there was no way he could lose. He was heart and soul coming to the battle “in the name of the Lord”. David had to take down Goliath who was exalting himself against God. He saw the honour of the Israelites as hanging on this and saw that it was a deep mar against them as a nation if Goliath was permitted to stand in His defiance against the Living God. I now personally all sin and sickness through this lens. They are attempting to stand in defiance against the finished work of Christ on the cross. They are trying to tell me and others that they are sovereign (greater than) God and that I must bow to them and accept their agenda.
But God says I MUST cast down everything that exalts itself against the knowledge of CHRIST. I am mandated by God to take down every Goliath that dares to exalt itself above God that crosses my path.
Also love the part about being to revenge disobedience and in doing so being obedient. We cannot tolerate what God tells us to disallow. Let us therefore do all we can to enforce the finished work of the cross. Isaiah 53 and 1 Peter 2:24 tell the facts.
1 Peter 2:24 King James Version “24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”
“48 And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came, and drew nigh to meet David, that David hastened, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. 49 And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth. 50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David. 51 Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled. 52 And the men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines, until thou come to the valley, and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even unto Gath, and unto Ekron.53 And the children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they spoiled their tents.54 And David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armour in his tent.”
Anyone else notice that this is actually a completely unfair contest. David is attacking Goliath with a long distance weapon and Goliath is attacking him with a sword and a spear. God actually equipped David with a weapon that he could kill at a distance with precision Goliath at from a safe distance. Had Goliath thrown the spear at that distance, David could have readily dodged (remember the story of Saul throwing the spear at David in a smaller space) see 1 Samuel 18:6-16.
This is also a picture of those who recognized the specific call and anointing upon Moses and supported that anointing by holding up Moses hands. They recognized that Moses was just a weak vessel that God was moving through . I feel this is a beautiful picture of the way the body of Christ functions together as a many membered Body each with their own function. Too often we exalt an individual perhaps seeing them as more spiritual or gifted than ourselves and therefore not in need but we clearly see here that they only prevailed when they came along side Moses making the burden or heaviness of holding them up lighter and possibleKC
Exodus 17:10-16
King James Version
“10 So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. 14 And the Lord said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. 15 And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovahnissi: 16 For he said, Because the Lord hath sworn that the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”
I absolutely love this passage. I get this mental picture of as long as Moses’ hands are up there is victory and when they are down there is not. The interesting thing here, is with his hands up in the air, Moses is almost entirely disarmed in the natural. Think about it, can you even defend yourself if your hands are extended upwards like this? This gesture shouts at me that he was entirely trusting his protection and the victory to Lord and not believing that what they brought to the table in ability, might, smarts and human capacity was the central issue in victory. One of the most significant messages I have heard from the Lord these last 2 years is Jesus plus nothing is everything. I will not fail and will be victorious because of who HE is, and because what JESUS has already done and not because of my perfect performance and human might/brilliance/wisdom. This takes all the pressure off of me and puts the full burden on the Lord and frees me to rest and remain in perfect peace.
My victory lies in submitting to Him and what He says about the situation and He says about me. He tells me:
Philippians 4:13 New King James Version “13 I can do all things through [a]Christ who strengthens me.”
James 4:7 New King James Version “7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
I personally ( I stress personally) feel convicted that the ya buts that bombard our thinking in intense moments are often pride in disguise. They are thoughts that lifting up the situation, or my human limitations, or magnifying something other than God as being the biggest factor on the scene. GOD IS SOVEREIGN. This simply means He is greater than anything else in the picture. In my weakest moments, what the Lord comforts me with is this thought over and over again ” Darling child, you will not fall/fail, because I will hold you up and I am faithful. I will make up the difference for everyone of your weaknesses”. And then rest and peace flood back into the scene.
Proverbs 3:5 New King James Version “5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;”
Inspiring thoughts Lisa. Thank you.
I note that God sent (allowed) a lion and a bear to teach/encourage David in preparation for the larger encounter.
We must learn to identify the lions and bears in our own journey, and see them for what they are…..
Sally
Great point Sally. Fighting bears and lions in any age would be a very intense experience , possibly even traumatic but to see them from the perspective of how the challenges , the scary and traumatic circumstances of our life can actually be equipping to live out our destinies in the Messiah is a wonderful paradigm shift!