David looked down at his appearance. His tanned arms and legs had no armor on them. He was wearing simple clothes. Clothes suitable for the long journey. He certainly didn't appear to be a warrior.
Maybe some real armor wouldn't hurt...What's the worst that could happen?
King Saul raised an expectant eyebrow at him, and shrugging his shoulders, he nodded his consent.
With that, King Saul sprang into action. "Bring in my finest armor. Only armor that could face a giant! Bring in the helmet, the coat of mail, oh, and my sword. Don't forget my sword!" With a grin at David, King Saul boasted, "My sword is the finest in all the kingdom. It's the perfect weapon for you to use." Then turning from him to a servant again, he said, "Make sure a tent in the camp is fashioned for David as well."
Servants scurried in and out of the tent at the king's biding. Almost immediately, all the armor King Saul had requested had been brought into the tent, and laid at their feet. Most of the servants ducked back out of the tent, but two remained. They stood at attention, reading and waiting.
King Saul pointed at the servant on the left. "Put the coat of mail on him." Then pointing to the other servant, he said, "And you, put my bronze helmet on his head."
David felt the weight of the chain mail on his shoulders and chest. It wasn't so heavy that he would fall down, unable to move anywhere, but it was heavy. The king was a very tall man, and the coat hung to just above his knees, severely adding to the weight. All this extra weight will just slow me down. He touched it, feeling the strength of the chain mail...
Then the second servant dropped the helmet on his head. Now this would be a problem! It was much too big. David tried turning his head quick to the left, and the helmet only half turned with his head. The other half covered his eye.
He adjusted the helmet, preparing to tell the king that he couldn't accept his armor, when things went from bad to worse.
King Saul was holding the sword, and truly, it was incredible. It gleamed in the tent's candlelight. The hilt was made of solid, sturdy bronze. The blade looked sharp enough to slice a rock like it was goat cheese. It was the perfect sword to use to fight Goliath.
David reverently accepted the sword from King Saul. As incredible as it was, it was a little long for David to swing properly.
What am I doing? David shook his head, clearing away the murky fog in his head. He knew he couldn't accept these.
"My King," David bowed slightly before King Saul, "I cannot take these into battle."
"What? Why can't you?" King Saul's irritation bubbled from him.
"Oh my King, I have not tested this sword or this armor. I am not used to fighting with these things. They will make me slow and sloppy. A perfect target. I have no intentions of giving the giant an advantage over me."
King Saul pursed his lips together, looking quite annoyed. Finally, he sighed. David could tell he was going to agree with him.
"Okay. May the Lord be with you."
David held his eyes, and nodded his thanks. The servants hurriedly retrieved the armor. Then all by himself, he left. He knew just what he would need for this battle.
Based on 1 Samuel 17:38-39
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That is how we are when we try to fight battles with anything other then God and His weapons. Seem ridiculous? Well, it's true.
"Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as sores for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints." Ephesians 6:13-18
I hate to break it to you, but if you try to shield or defend yourself with anything not included in this list of God's armor, then you cannot defend yourself. How can you take a swing at the enemy if you are using some other guy's words instead of God's Holy Word? It's like poking a crocodile with a toothpick. How can someone spread the Gospel, if they aren't spreading The Gospel? Or how can you dodge the devil's attacks if you are using a weak shield built from trust in you, and only you?
You can't. Those things are not your armor. In fact, they are the camouflaged traps of the devil. Only your God-given armor can do the trick.
"For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds." 2 Corinthians 10:4
The weapons God has given us, individual and as a unit, are what will win the battle.
Which brings me to my next point.
David couldn't fight in that armor, because it wasn't his. He had never tried to fight in that armor. He had never tested it.
We need to be using our armor and weapons. We need to spend time in the Word, looking for battle cries and verses to help us stay strong. We need to use them to deflect the enemy's advances. We need to share the Gospel. We need to walk in love, truth, prayer, and in the Spirit of God. If we don't practice these things, then we will never be prepared for any battle.
I think David said it best in Psalm 144:1-2, "Blessed by the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle; he is my steadfast love and and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and he in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me." God has given us the armor. It is the only armor that will pass the test. Now we got to use it.
V. Joy Palmer
Check out http://snackpackdevotionsforkidz.blogspot.com
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