Key scripture- “And Ishbi-Benob, one of the descendants of Rapha, whose bronze spearhead weighed three hundred shekels and who was armed with a new sword, said he would kill David” (2 Samuel 21:16).

Before he was king, David was a giant slayer. In 1 Samuel 17, Goliath, the giant warrior from Gath, taunted God’s people. Goliath, who stood over 9 feet tall, was killed by David, a young shepherd boy with just a slingshot and a smooth stone, and in that moment, David didn’t just defeat the Goliath, he conquered the Philistines.

But these longtime enemies of God’s people would not stay subject to David. Years after he became king, we read in 2 Samuel 21, “once again there was a battle between the Philistines and Israel” (2 Samuel 21:15). These people were David’s lifelong foes.

Even though David defeated Goliath, the giant Philistine fighters came back trying to defeat God’s people. These battles were similar to David’s fight with Goliath, because each side would send out a champion to represent his nation in a one-on-one contest and every time, God gave Israel the victory.

But imagine the exhaustion and frustration for Israel to continually face the same defeated but defiant foe. That’s a frustration I know well, and I bet you do too.

What giants in your life refuse to be beaten? Here is a list of just a few that come to mind: gluttony, gossip, laziness, pride, anger, unforgiveness, worry, fear, lust, alcohol, drugs, pornography, and materialism. You may have beaten them before, but they keep coming back. This side of heaven, we will battle sin and every time we let sin have even a small foothold in our lives, its power grows. “When a person is tempted, they shouldn’t say, “God is tempting me.” God can’t be tempted by evil. And he doesn’t tempt anyone. But each person is tempted by their own evil desires. These desires lead them on and drag them away. When these desires are allowed to remain, they lead to sin. And when sin is allowed to remain and grow, it leads to death” (James 1:13-15).

In order to defeat it you are going to have to remove yourself from situations where you encounter it, for example: Don’t spend time with people who gossip, or the giant will taunt you. Don’t shop excessively on the internet or you will begin to want what you don’t have and the giant will grow. Don’t surf the internet and give the pornography giant a foothold. The sin in us is always ready to threaten and challenge. But there is good news, in the midst of every daily battle remember this, your enemy has already been defeated. Jesus has conquered sin and the grave. Your victory has already been secured. “When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:54-57). You won’t die on this field. You’ll live to fight another day, and one glorious day when we see Jesus, we will lay down our swords at His feet. That thought gives all of us enough hope to fight another day.

Prayer: Our Precious Heavenly Father, I praise You and thank You that I am more than a conqueror, because through Jesus, my victory is sure. Holy Spirit continue to remind me of this victory when I get tired, help me to fight on and stand firm, and to always remember that sin is crouching at the door, ready to pounce on me. (Genesis 4:7). I will not give up any ground to sin, I will not cower when I am weak, and I will not shrink back. Instead I will stand still and watch the Lord fight for me. I will stand strong, because the same power that rose Jesus from the grave, and calmed the wind and waves, and brought the dead back to life lives in me and gives me the wisdom and strength that I need to overcome everything that I am facing. Therefore, I will be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord my labor is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:58). In Jesus’ Name, I pray, Amen.