If you would rather read this message, the words are provided below…
This is Part 13 of my Superhero series. In the introduction of this series, I provided the argument that heroes are real and then I distinguished between heroes and superheroes. I also provided a list of what defines a superhero. In Part 1, we learned that superheroes recognize the absolute standard of Good and realize that evil is a mere privation of what is good. In Part 2, we learned that superheroes recognize the absolute moral standard and realize that what is wrong can only be known by the standard of what is right. In Part 3, I defined and expounded upon love because all superheroes are full of love and are compelled to act out from love. In Part 4, I explained that superheroes desire to save people from all forms of danger and/or death and this desire comes from love. In Part 5, we learned that superheroes are solution seekers. In Part 6, we saw that solution seekers are willing to sacrifice if necessary. In Part 7, we saw that sacrificial love steps forward and offers service. In Part 8, we saw that superheroes go above and beyond the call of duty. In Part 9, we saw that superheroes never give up! In Part 10, we saw that superheroes don’t need recognition – they are motivated only by love! In Part 11, we saw that relationships matter and teamwork works! In Part 12, we saw that the struggle is real; however, Jesus is the real solution to our real problems.
In this message (Part 13), we will see that despite problems, superheroes are more than conquerors!
Superheroes have problems. Sometimes, they even have giant problems. But any good fighter will agree with me when I say that size doesn’t matter. The old adage is true: the bigger they are, the harder they fall. Take for example the mighty giant Galactus from Marvel comics. As big as he was, the Fantastic Four and the Avengers had been able to bring him down. How? By simply being superheroes. That means they were loving enough to resist evil, seek solutions, sacrifice themselves if necessary by offering their services, going above and beyond the call of duty, never giving up, and uniting as a team.
Giants being defeated isn’t mere fantasy imagined in comic books; in fact, real life examples from boxing and MMA or UFC fighting proves that size doesn’t matter:
In the Bible, David also had to face a giant problem: Goliath. In 1Samuel 17:11, Goliath challenged the Israelites. Saul and the entire army recoiled in fear. They had a defeatist attitude. We all tend to believe that our problems are bigger than they actually are. (How many times have you worried about a problem that ended up not being a problem?) Goliath’s strengths and size were so obvious that others failed to see his vulnerability. By failing to see Goliath’s vulnerability, they failed to recognize their opportunity. Don’t look at the ‘can’ts’ of life; rather, look at the ‘cans’! We are called to look past the problems, through the potential, and to the possibility!
David tried to encourage the men (17:26,30), but they allowed fear to overcome them. Unable to motivate others to step up, David chose to rise up to the challenge (17:32).
At first, Saul rejected David’s offer to fight Goliath because Saul didn’t believe in David (17:33). Understand this: there will always be people who will tell you that you’re too young, too inexperienced, too fragile, too weak, too small, you don’t have the right appearance, you’re not ready, or there’s nothing special about you. A comedian, Fred Allen, said one of my all-time favorite quotes: “If criticism had any real power to harm, then the skunk would be extinct by now.” But more important than the words of a comedian, the Word of our Creator says you’re not too young to be a righteous example:
“Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity. Until I get there, focus on reading the Scriptures to the church, encouraging the believers, and teaching them. Do not neglect the spiritual gift you received through the prophecy spoken over you when the elders of the church laid their hands on you. Give your complete attention to these matters. Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress. Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you.”
(1Timothy 4:12-16) -NLT
What goes into your mind is determined by your decision of whom you allow to speak into your life. When you allow negativity within your mind, you allow those negative thoughts to move you into action. Action is inevitable and unavoidable; if you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice. If you choose to do nothing, you chose to do something. The Israelites allowed the words of Goliath within them; those words became negative thoughts; those negative thoughts moved them into action: to sit. Goliath basically told them they are worthless dogs and they need to sit. And sadly, they did. Like obedient dogs, they sat.
David’s response to the problem of Goliath was to rise up and say to Saul, “I can do this” (Romans 8:31,37)! Saul saw David’s faith and heard his response to Goliath as something like this: “You may be a big lion bro, but you’re not the alpha male — I serve the Lion of Judah! Come at me bro! Bring it on! Feelin’ froggy? Leap! Boy, I’ve killed lions and bears — you ain’t nothing but a punk!” — And Saul, taken aback by David’s confidence, was pleasantly surprised!
We need to be bold, confident, and fearless in the name of GOD! Why do you think I’m so fearless and bold in the name of Christ? I know the GOD who rescued me in the past and I know that GOD is with me and for me! And because GOD is with me and for me, who could ever be against me?! Physically, in this life on Earth, yes – many people can come against me, harm me, and even kill me. But they can do absolutely nothing to my soul and they possess no power to change my eternal destination because nothing can separate us from the love of GOD (Romans 8:39).
Saul liked David’s passion and courage yet essentially told David, “Yes! But… put on my armor” (1Samuel 17:38). That was Saul’s problem — his big BUT! Saul needed to get his big ‘BUT’ out of the way! The armor that Saul wanted to put on David was his own deadweight of doubt, fear, confusion, worry, insecurity, anxiety, and stress. David needed to ‘Taylor Swift’: [“I’m too young to lead, that’s what people say”] Shake it off! Actually, David needed to take it off. It was never his burden to carry. David took Saul’s armor off and essentially told Saul, “Listen to me! You were moved by my faith, but then you tried to make me immovable under the deadweight of your own doubt. Allow me to move freely in faith.”
Understand this: Goliath’s strengths were David’s handicaps. If David tried to do what Goliath did, he would have lost. When it comes time for action in the spiritual war of life, you can only use what you’ve been trained to use. David used what he had practiced and mastered, what he knew he could rely upon: his trust in GOD, his staff, and his sling. As a shepherd, David had been trained to protect the flock. Essentially, he told Saul, “Let me protect the flock — I can do this! It’s what I do! When others look at Goliath, they see a problem too big to defeat; however, when I look at Goliath, I see a target too big to miss! Dude, I can’t miss that fool — he’s huge!”
In 17:43, Goliath mocked David because of his shepherd staff. Goliath essentially said, “Am I the dog? Do you plan on using your stick to play fetch with me? No! You’re the dog! Now sit — just like the others!” Goliath tried to act like the Rock from WWE: “Know your role, Jabroni and shut your mouth!”
But David courageously responded to Goliath by essentially saying, “You’re a fool if you believe this stick is my weapon — I have GOD and that’s truly all I need to defeat evil; GOD is going to hand you over to me” (17:45).
Goliath had a ‘staff infection’ – he was so focused on David’s staff that he didn’t even see the sling, let alone the stone that would be coming his way. We need to realize that the battle ultimately belongs to GOD. In Exodus 14:26-31, GOD used the sea to cover the Egyptians and claim victory. In Joshua 6:15-21, GOD caused the walls of Jericho to fall to achieve victory. In 2Kings 6:17-23, GOD used the sight of many angels to secure a peaceful victory. Jesus won the war for us when He willingly sacrificed Himself on the cross and resurrected three days later. And the ultimate victory will come in the second coming of Christ. The battle belongs to GOD. Until then, it is our duty to walk by faith, live righteously, and do what’s right.
David’s motive to defeat Goliath was not for fame or fortune, prizes or praise; rather, it was so “that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear” (1Samuel 17:47). The credit belongs to GOD, not our weapons; our praise should be to GOD alone. The Lord doesn’t save by force with a sword; in stark contrast, the Lord saves by willingly sacrificing Himself for us on our behalf (John 3:16-18). That is the main message of the Bible! And that’s what David wanted everyone to know — all glory goes to GOD!
David picked up five smooth stones from the brook (1Samuel 17:40). Why such a small weapon for such a big opponent? Isn’t a small weapon against a great opponent a great risk? Not with complete trust in GOD! Okay, but why five stones? Why not just one or double the efforts and collect ten stones? Let’s first look at it from a logical and practical approach. What if David missed? He would have four more chances. What if it took more than one stone to bring Goliath down? He would have the ammunition ready. What if after bringing Goliath down, some other froggy fellow stepped up and felt courageous enough to challenge David? He would have more stones ready. So, why not carry more than five stones? Well, just as David knew Saul’s armor would weigh him down, he also knew that carrying more than what was necessary would also weigh him down. In fact, some scholars theorize that the other four stones were for the other four giants. In 2Samuel 21:15-22, four other giants are listed as descendants from the giants in Gath (see also 1Chronicles 20:5). David wasn’t even worried about Goliath — he planned on taking them all down! David came prepared because he had trained for that moment his entire life (1Samuel 17:34-37).
Ponder on the small stone. A small smooth stone. GOD cares about the great things and the tiny things equally. Think about this: If you were to go back in time to figure out how those very stones ended up there, it was GOD’s design! After all, how long does it take for a stone to actually become a stone? How is a stone formed? And how does a stone become smooth over time? It’s a long explanation, but it takes many years. And how long did those stones sit there until David picked them up? So, GOD formed the victorious stones many years before that battle even took place; many years before Goliath was ever born. And GOD has in mind every person years before they are ever born (Jeremiah 1:5). GOD is able! Humans simply never take the time to notice. May the words of this message be your victorious stones that you will use to prevail against your giant problem(s). Ponder on this: how long has this message of David and Goliath been sitting and waiting for you to pick it up? How long has the Word of GOD been sitting there, waiting for the next conqueror in Christ to pick it up and use it?
David defeated Goliath with a single stone. And that’s quite fitting – we see in the New Testament that sinners were supposed to be stoned. Goliath got stoned. And when the Philistines saw that Goliath died, they fled (1Samuel 17:51). And what did David do? Did he start singing, “I started from the bottom now I’m here”? No! Understand this: there’s a big difference between being confident and being cocky. Confidence is rooted in GOD; cockiness is rooted in pride. David was confident; Goliath was cocky. The major problem with being cocky is that pride precedes destruction and an arrogant spirit gives way to the fall (Proverbs 16:18).
If we take away the strong point of the problem, everything else will fall apart and then fall into place. And this is why it is written in James 4:7-8 (NLT), “So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you.”
The strong point of the problem was not Goliath! Take your eyes off your perceived problem! The strong point of the problem has been and will always be Satan and other demons. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Without the devil there, all the demons are going to run! Without the leader, the followers will flee. And this is why it is written in Ephesians 6:11-18 to put on the full armor of GOD. Why? Because “we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”
The full armor of GOD was the armor David was already wearing and the reason he took off the deadweight of Saul’s worldly armor. David essentially said, “I’ve already got armor on!” But what if David didn’t have his awesome faith in GOD? What if he allowed doubt and fear into his thoughts like the others did? What if he tried to be just like everyone else and wear that worldly armor? What would have happened if he carried what he was never meant to carry? The smallest things are actually the biggest things. So, even though many people think the story of David and Goliath is about a giant and big problems to overcome (which it is), I believe the story is more about the little things of life. The story of David and Goliath is not about a big problem; rather, it’s about seeking the solution, regardless of how insignificant that solution may appear to be. In this case, the solution was a small stone.
The little things will add up and weigh you down. But the little things will also come together to create your victory. Every single tiny thing that you do – even if it appears insignificant – links together to create a long and large chain of connected events that make a huge difference – not only for your life, but everything you do changes people around you. Where you are at right now is training you for where GOD will take you in the future. But if you’re not in the right places, listening to the right people, practicing the right habits, it may take you a lot longer to get to where GOD wants you to go. David happened to be at the right place at the right time because he had been doing the right things with the right motives (1Samuel 13:14; 16:11,19,22-23; 17:15; Acts 13:22). Where are you in life? What are you learning? Whom are you allowing to speak into your life? How are you training? For what are you training?
Everything you choose to do or not do propels you into action. But which direction are you going? Are you going to sit on the sidelines and actively watch or are you going to rise up and actively fight against evil by choosing to live a righteous life? The Israelites had only two choices: (1) sit and watch and then become slaves to the Philistines, or (2) rise up and resist evil and live in the freedom GOD desired them to experience.
We must intentionally place our focus on all the small things. All the small ways that GOD has blessed us and is setting us up for later success. What are your stones of victory that GOD has provided for you? They’re already here/there! You just have to look for them. But then, after recognizing them, you must also pick them up and use them.
The battle belongs to GOD. What are you carrying that you were never meant to be carrying? Doubt? Fear? Depression? Suicidal thoughts? The burden of sin or that you’re not good enough? The burden of excessive demand for you to be perfect? It’s time you give your heavy burdens to GOD. Take that off! Don’t carry what you were never meant to carry. Like David taking off Saul’s armor of deadweight, it’s time for you to take your deadweight off.
“Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.’ ”
(Matthew 11:28-30) -NLT
The “rest” that Jesus promises is love, healing, restoration, and peace with GOD, but it’s not the end of all work/labor. We do have to carry something — we are all called to take up our cross and follow Jesus (Matthew 10:38; 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23). But that’s easy to bear and is light in comparison. A yoke is a heavy wooden harness that people put on an ox or oxen so they can be teamed up to do work. If we’re yoked to the world and its ways, we are a slave to our society and culture and must do what the world tells us to do: pull others down to get ahead, get revenge, sleep around, etc. Here’s the thing: if you’re teamed up with the world, you’re going to be yoked to a lot of lazy people and you’re going to pulling a lot of deadweight. You’re going to be carrying some burdens you were never meant to carry. But if we’re yoked with Jesus, [“Jesus take the wheel”] then we’re not of this world, Jesus does most of the hard work, takes lead and makes our journey lighter and easier, and all we’re called to do is love GOD and love others (Matthew 22:36-40) while sharing the Gospel. How difficult is that?
Understand this: our problems don’t define us; exterior circumstances should never alter our inner dispositions. Everyone has problems; however, our problems don’t prevent us from succeeding. Like hurdles in a race, success comes from overcoming the problems. We must not believe we are unable to jump simply because a hurdle exists. [“When a hurdle comes along, you must jump it!]
- What are your hurdles that you need to jump over?
- What deadweight are you carrying that you need to take off?
- What are your stones of victory that you need to pick up?
Superheroes don’t place their focus on how big the problem appears to be; instead, they narrow their focus onto the solution, regardless of how small it may seem to be. In the 2019 movie, Avengers: Endgame, Iron Man didn’t place his focus on the big problem (Thanos); instead, he narrowed his focus onto the small solution (the infinity stones). Because of this, Iron Man collected defeated Thanos by with stones — just like like when David defeated Goliath! Regardless of how big your problem appears to be, GOD is bigger. Therefore, when your giant problem approaches you, pick up your stones of victory and shout, “Come at me bro! Bring it on!” Understand this: I AM is inevitable. In the end, the Lord wins and the children of GOD are redeemed and restored (Revelation 21-22).
“Yet even in the midst of all these things, we triumph over them all, for God has made us to be more than conquerors, and his demonstrated love is our glorious victory over everything!”
(Romans 8:37) -TPT
Just as David picked up five stones of victory, we also have five ‘stones’ of victory. Five Scriptures are key in understanding that we are more than conquerors. It is written in John 1:5 that darkness cannot overcome the light. John 8:12 tells us that the Lord is the Light. Ephesians 5:8 tells us that we are light in the Lord and we walk as children of Light. John 16:33 tells us that Jesus has overcome the world. And 1John 5:4 tells us that everyone who has been born of GOD overcomes the world and that our faith enables us to be victorious. In 1John 5:4, the word for overcoming is the Greek word nikos. It means to conquer. It was used to portray athletes who had gained the mastery of the competition and ultimately reigned supreme as champions over the games. This means that we are the ultimate champions and this describes our superior position as children of GOD over the world. We are fully armed with everything we need to be super-conquerors in this life! It’s time to understand who you are in Christ!
Quest For Truth 