I come in the name of the Lord

“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.” – 1 Samuel 17v45

The pre-fight conversation continued. Goliath was taunting and mocking David with his comments about his childhood and how easy it would be to defeat him. To all outward appearances Goliath was dead right. A huge experienced warrior against an inexperienced child. If they were taking bets the odds would surely have favoured Goliath.

Goliath was trusting in his own strength and ability. From all appearances he had every right to do so. David, on the other hand, put his faith somewhere else. “You come to me with a sword and spear and shield,” he told Goliath, “but I come in he name of the Lord.” Goliath had not only defied Israel, but he also had defied the Lord.

Later in the passage David said that God did not fight with a sword or spear. Zechariah 4v6 reminds us of the same truth, “Then he answered and spoke unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.”

We all need David-like faith. Too often we are more like Goliath than David, depending more on our ability that on our Lord. When we focus our our power we walk in fear. When we walk by faith in His power we can walk in confidence and victory.