only wear armor made for you

So Saul clothed David with his armor,
and he put a bronze helmet on his head;
he also clothed him with a coat of mail. 
David fastened his sword to his armor
and tried to walk,
for he had not tested them. 

And David said to Saul,
“I cannot walk with these,
for I have not tested them.”
So David took them off.
1 Samuel 17:38-30 NKJV

And Saul let him go...
walking into battle, David faced the Philistine giant... Goliath,
unprotected and unarmed.

Or so it would seem.

But what this young warrior, David, knows
is actually quite ahead of his time...
For he has readied himself for battle
not with armor we can see,
but with the full armor of God.

Finally, be strong in the Lord 
and in his mighty power. 
Put on the full armor of God, 
so that you can take your stand
against the devil’s schemes.
Ephesians 6:10-11 NIV

And while his battle is a literal one...
primarily against flesh and blood,
David knows that without God, he has no confidence.
Listen closely to the words David speaks
for they are powerful and mighty,
and detail how he has, in fact, armed himself.

First, David proved that he knew God was his deliverer in the past...
and therefore, he puts on his Helmet of Salvation, to protect his mind:
Moreover David said, “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” (v.37)

And then he spoke of his right standing with God.
For David knew who was actually fighting this battle,
as he strapped on his Breastplate of Righteousness:
"You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied." (v.45)

And when David gives glory to God in advance,
he certainly girds himself with his Belt of Truth:
"Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands." (v.47)

And as we watch David move forward, we see his confidence in God.
For he is sure-footed and quick,
since he has readied his feet with his swift Shoes of Peace:
So it was, when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. (v.48)

And David protects his warrior heart
by speaking of victory in the Lord as he holds up his Shield of Faith:
This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. (v.46)

Since David has spoken so fiercely...
I believe that he must have committed to God
this quiet Prayer in the Spirit.
Surely it is practiced and known...
always prayed with the rhythm of each movement.
Watch him as he runs...
this one clean perfected movement in unison with his attack.
...reaching into his shepherd’s bag and taking out a stone, he hurled it with his sling and hit the Philistine in the forehead. The stone sank in, and Goliath stumbled and fell face down on the ground.  (v.49)

So let us not think on David...
as one who stepped into battle
unprotected and unarmed.

For he was not a conqueror that day on his own.
But rather, he knew who...
and more importantly, Who's he was
as he spoke boldly the words that armed him.

Strong in the Lord,
and in His mighty power...
So David triumphed over the Philistine
with only a sling and a stone,
for he had no sword. (v. 50)

Word of God,
train me, today...
to follow the example of this young and wise giant killer,
to step forward confidently, knowing who and Who's I am.

Lord,
how awesome You proved in this battle.
All for Your glory,
You showed us
that even when we feel small,
insignificant and overwhelmed,
we too are capable of slaying our giants.

We need not try to battle as the world tells us to...
for that armor will never fit us.

Help us to know that You have given
the just right Armor of God.
If only we will pick it up,
put in on...
speaking forth Your truth.