You Don’t Need to Know the Giant’s Strength—You Just Need to Know God’s

Let’s be honest—most of us spend way too much time studying the size of our problems. Whether it’s debt, anxiety, family drama, or something deeper, we tend to obsess over how big and impossible it all looks. But when you look at the story of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17, you’ll notice something: David doesn’t even bother analyzing Goliath’s strength. He doesn’t ask how tall he is. He doesn’t panic over his armor or his sword. Why? Because David already knew the strength of his God.

That changes everything.

David rolls up to the battlefield and sees grown men paralyzed with fear, including Israel’s king. Goliath had been coming out every day for forty days, daring someone to face him—and nobody had the guts. But David’s response isn’t fear. It’s almost like he’s confused. He says, “Who is this pagan Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God?” (1 Samuel 17:26, NLT). In other words: “Wait, this guy? You’re scared of him? Have you forgotten who our God is?”

That’s the thing. David hadn’t forgotten. He remembered the lion. He remembered the bear. And more than that, he remembered the faithfulness of God. That’s why he says, “The Lord who rescued me… will rescue me again” (1 Samuel 17:37, NLT). David wasn’t trusting in his slingshot. He was trusting in the track record of God.

And when David finally faces Goliath, he doesn’t bring a sword. He doesn’t bring backup. He doesn’t even wear armor. What he brings is faith. He declares, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies… the battle is the Lord’s” (1 Samuel 17:45–47, NLT). That’s the whole secret. It wasn’t about David vs. Goliath. It was about God vs. Goliath, and that was never going to be a fair fight.

The same is true for you and me. The battle isn’t between us and our problems—it’s between our problems and our God. Isaiah 41:10 tells us not to be afraid because God is with us, and He will strengthen us. Romans 8:31 puts it plain: “If God is for us, who can ever be against us?” It doesn’t matter how scary the giant looks if the God on your side is bigger. And He always is.

So yeah—maybe today you’re staring down your own Goliath. Maybe you don’t have answers or solutions. That’s okay. You don’t need to know how strong the giant is. You just need to know your God. Because He’s still fighting for His people. And He still wins.

Sources:

The Holy Bible, New Living Translation. Tyndale House Publishers, 2015.

Blue Letter Bible. “1 Samuel 17.” Blue Letter Bible, www.blueletterbible.org/nlt/1sa/17. Accessed 29 June 2025.

GotQuestions.org. “What should we learn from the account of David and Goliath?” Got Questions Ministries, www.gotquestions.org/David-and-Goliath.html. Accessed 29 June 2025.

Keller, Timothy. Facing the Giant: Overcoming the Giants That Hold You Back. Redeemer City to City Sermon Archive, 2009.

Lucado, Max. Facing Your Giants: God Still Does the Impossible. Thomas Nelson, 2006.

MacArthur, John. The MacArthur Bible Commentary. Thomas Nelson, 2005.

Wiersbe, Warren W. Be Successful (1 Samuel): Attaining Wealth That Money Can’t Buy. David C. Cook, 2009.

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