David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. “I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off (1 Sam. 17:39).

Can you believe King Saul? The man had cowered before Goliath for forty days (1 Sam. 17: 4-11, 16), yet, he had the audacity to dress David in his armor to go and do what he had failed to accomplish in it (38). Saul was a giant of his own (9:2), but he and his army were intimidated by the champion giant from Philistine. Why then did he want David to be like him? And, did David need the blessing of a man who didn’t trust God enough to face the giant in His name (37b)? But, that’s what people are.

            People want us to be like them. They want us to see things as they see them and to react the way they would. They insist we dress and talk like them. They want us to be fearful and timid just as they are. They push their agenda so hard that many give in to their selfish ways. It is a game called peer pressure! It is wicked and oppressive. It leaves no room for independent thinking and closes its doors to initiative. It is a jailer with a slave master mentality and the strength of a hugging bear. Teenagers are most susceptible to it; however, many adults fall for it too.

David stood against such pressure by rejecting King Saul’s armor (v. 39). At ease with his own armory, David stepped forward to face Goliath with absolute confidence in God. “You come against me with sword, spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied”, he said (40, 45).

That’s the believer’s perspective, which drives away fear and overcomes every obstacle. It is faith born out of self-assurance in Christ (Rom. 8:37) and a total dependence on the power of the Holy Spirit (2 Tim. 1:7). It is David’s testimony to Christ as the believer’s mighty warrior, and a warning against every opposition. It is also an encouragement to those who have been intimidated by people and situations to step out of their shell, and fight for the honor of Jesus (Eph. 6:10-18).

            So, before you relish the thought of being a King Saul, think about his cowardice against Goliath, and about David’s bravery and his armor that packed divine power (2 Cor. 10:4) and slew the giant (1 Sam. 17:49-50). You can then decide whether you want to be somebody else with all their baggage or to be yourself in God’s hands.

            As Chuck Swindoll comments, “When God is involved, anything can happen. The One who directed the stone in between Goliath’s eyes, divided the Red Sea, and brought His Son back from the dead takes delight in the incredible!”