Conquering Giants: Embracing Struggles and Surrendering Battles

real. And you need to realize on today that not only are giants real, but you also need to realize that your returning giants are real as well. And you don't have to testify this morning, but as I look around this sanctuary once more on today, I can clearly see the evidence of some worshippers who have been wrestling, who have been dealing, and who have been toiling with some returning giants in their lives. Oh yes, to be sure, some of us hide it much better than others. Some of us conceal it and cover it up far better than others. We use our praise to cover up the pain that we're currently feeling. [01:10:54]

We use our worship to conceal the worries that are plaguing our hearts. We use our Sunday morning attire. We use our Sunday morning vernacular. We use our Sunday morning platitudes and our Sunday morning pleasantries to try to hide the fact that we're currently wrestling with some returning giants in our lives. Come on, you know what I'm talking about. Good morning. Good to see you. How are you doing? Oh, the devil is busy. But I'm still blessed and highly favored. I'm blessed coming in. I'm blessed going out. I'm blessed in the morning. I'm blessed in the evening. I'm I'm blessed in the city. I'm blessed in the field. [01:11:40]

My My sugar is acting up, but I'm blessed. My children are driving me plum crazy, but I'm blessed. Last week, I got diagnosed with the gout and gallstones. this week. The week before that, I got diagnosed with hemorrhoids and high blood pressure. Two weeks before that, I got diagnosed with a herniated disc and hypertension. Three weeks before that, my dog ran away, my pet bird flew away, my best friend turned away, and my spouse walked away. But I'm here and I'm still blessed and highly favored. Sunday morning pleasantries, Sunday morning platitudes. We use them to try to cover up and conceal the bruises, the wounds, the scars, and the trauma related to the returning giants that just seem to keep coming back over and over and over again into our lives. [01:12:19]

However, there are others of us up in here today who have also been wrestling and dealing with some returning giants. But you're now way past all of the Sunday morning pleasantries and all of the Sunday morning platitudes. I can see it all over your face right now. You don't care who sees it and you don't care who knows it anymore on today. You're tired of trying to conceal it. You're tired of trying to cover it up. You don't care who sees you limping this morning. You don't care who sees you grimacing and wincing this morning. You don't care who sees your bruises, your contusions, your wounds, or even your scars at this moment. [01:13:20]

You are currently in the fight of your life, dealing with all kinds of returning giants that just keep finding their way back into your life. And yes, for sure, you're blessed. Yes, for sure you're highly favored. Yes, for sure you're survivor and an overcomer. But you're here Sunday after Sunday, not just because you've discovered that your giants are real, but you're also here Sunday after Sunday because you need a word from the Lord that will encourage you to remember that our God is real as well. Come on. If that's your testimony, you ought to find somebody near you right there and tell them, "Yes, my giants are real." [01:13:38]

His word is real. His love is real. His goodness is real. His favor is real. His mercy is real. His power is real. And I'm here to tell you on today that yes, God is real deep within my soul. For he has washed and made me whole. His love for me is like pure gold. Yes, God is real. How you know? For I can feel him deep within my soul. Your giants keep coming back. One, because they're real, but secondly, they keep coming back because they have been motivated by your most recent miracle. [01:14:48]

Note the narrative. By this time, David, hands down, is now the undisputed king of the nation of Israel. The only king to ever have united both the northern and the southern kingdoms in totality. David has lifted the nation's notoriety to new heights and new levels. He has accomplished what no one would have ever thought a mere shepherd boy would have ever done. Accomplished and anointed. Israel is now on everyone's radar. And it is no secret that all of her success is not only because of God's sovereign hand over the nation, but also because of how that same divine hand is resting upon the warrior, king, poet, and psalmist that sits upon the throne. [01:15:38]

However, fame, blessings, and notoriety not only have a way of putting you on the map, but it also has a way of getting the attention of enemies and adversaries that are now attracted to your success. And you need to know on today that your returning giants aren't attracted to the seasons of your stagnation, but they are attracted to the seasons of your success. They are not drawn to your seasons of peril, but they are drawn to your seasons of promotion. They aren't interested in your seasons of erosion, but they are interested in your seasons of elevation. [01:16:32]

For the Bible says that after experiencing his greatest victory after the death of King Saul that the giants returned and they fought against Israel. You close your Bible. The text says he got a bad name too. Ibish Bibonab. He fought all his life. You know he called it Ishbibonab. One of the descendants of the giants had a spear that weighed 300 bronze shekels and he was armed with a new weapon and he was threatening to kill David. The text then says that Saff the second giant who was a descendant of the Rafa also came to fight Israel and he too was threatening to kill David. [01:17:26]

Then a third giant who was the brother of Goliath. He was so huge that the shaft of his spear was as wide as a weaver's beam. He attacked Israel and he was also threatening to kill David. Then a fourth giant showed up, probably the most statuesque of them all. The word says that he had six fingers on each hand, six toes on each foot, some 24 and all. And he too was a descendant of the Rafa. And he also what? threatened to kill David. Four giants, four behemoths, all of them larger than the former. All of them attack Israel after David's greatest victory. [01:18:00]

All of them threatening to kill David because they have now all been motivated by his most recent miracle. And David would have never imagined that after slaying Goliath that the reason that his giants kept coming back was because he was so victorious in everything that the good Lord was favoring him to do. And you know what? There's somebody in here today who needs to be encouraged because you came to church this morning with your head hung down low, your mind dejected, and your spirit depressed. All because it seems that no matter what you seem to do, it just seems that as soon as you get past this current giant, that there's always now another giant waiting for you. [01:18:41]

No matter what you do, it's attack after attack. It's threat after threat. It's confrontation after confrontation. And it's giant after giant. But you got to remember this morning, my brothers and sisters, that giants only attack the victorious. You got to remember today that giants only attack those who have been anointed for something greater in their lives. And if you have giants that keep coming back into your life in this season, this text would have me to tell you on today that the giants are evidence that God has already given you the victory. [01:19:46]

Can I tell you something? Your giants can see that God is already healing you. I said they can see that God is already working it out for you. They can see that God is already blessing you, already restoring you, already rebuilding you, already reviving you, and in some cases already resurrecting you. They can see that God is enlarging your territory, enlarging your anointing, enlarging your influence, enlarging your witness, enlarging your testimony, enlarging your peace, your joy. And I know it's hard for you to see it right now. I know it's hard to see past the pain. And I know it's hard to see past the drama. [01:20:51]

I know it's hard to see past the trauma, the hardships, the mountains, and the valleys that are in your way. I know it's hard for you to see how God is already moving, how God is already working, how God is already putting things in order and how he's already setting you up for your next greatest miracle, your next greatest victory, and your next greatest breakthrough. I know you can't see it, but your giants can see it. They can see what God is doing in your life. They can see what God has for you. They can see what God is preparing to do in your life. [01:21:30]

They not only see where you been. They not only see where you are, but they also see where God is taking you. And that's why in the midst of everything that you're going through, they keep coming back to attack you. Because it's not about who you are right now. It's about who you're getting ready to become. It's not about what you are right now. It's about what God is getting ready to make you to be. And it's not where you are right now, but it's about where God is getting ready to take you. And so, instead of asking God to remove your giants, you maybe want to start thanking God for your giants, start thanking him for the giants that keep coming back. [01:21:52]

Start thanking him for the giants that keep showing up. Because every time a giant keeps coming back into your life, that's God's way of proving to you that you're already victorious and that you're already more than a conqueror by the grace of Jesus Christ. Come on, you ought to encourage somebody near you if you can and tell them you're more than a conqueror on today. Come on, tell them like you mean it. Tell them, "My brother, my sister, you're more than a conqueror on today." Tell them that's what the giants in your life mean. That's why they keep coming back. It's because by the grace of God, you are more than a conqueror. [01:22:50]

Paul said it this way. What then shall we say in response to any of these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own son but gave him up for us all. How will he not also along with him graciously give us everything that we need? Who will then bring a charge against those whom God has already chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns no one? Christ Jesus who died for us was raised to life and he now sits at the right hand of the father interceding for all of us. [01:24:08]

And so then who shall separate us from the love of Jesus? Shall trouble? Shall hardship? shall persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword. For it is written, for thy sake we face death all day long and we are considered as sheep fit for the slaughter. But in all these things, you missed your chance. In all these things, we are more more than conquerors through him who has loved us. You ought to shout right here. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor demons, nor things present, nor the future, nor any power, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else, including giants shall be able to separate us from the love of God. [01:24:56]

But here in the text, when these multiple giants return to battle and they are threatening to kill David, David's men called an emergency executive meeting of the heads of state of the military command. They surround him. It's almost treason what they are doing. And they tell him, "Sire, we understand your heart. We understand the tradition of kings leading their soldiers into battle. We are all familiar with your resume. We all know that slaying giants is at the heart of your resume and your CV. But moving forward, you shall no longer lead us into battle again. For we will not allow these giants that keep coming back threatening to kill you to put Israel in the position where the light of our lamp will be extinguished on the battlefield. [01:37:05]

Now it's time to let somebody else fight your giants because we cannot afford to lose the lamp of Israel by allowing you to be tempted to fight in a battle that is not yours to fight. I don't know. I don't know who needs to hear this this morning, but sometimes God allows the giants to keep returning in your life so that you'll then have multiple chances to assess the relationships, the friendships, the circles, and the people that you're currently keeping company with. Because if you're not careful, you're finding yourself fighting giant after giant after giant in your life without ever receiving any help from the people in your life who should be helping you to preserve your life against the giants that keep threatening to take your life. [01:38:40]

David would have me tell somebody on today that you need some people around you. who are willing to not only go to war with you, but who are also willing to go to war for you. David would have me to tell you on today that you need some people around you who are not only willing to fight your giants with you, but if need be, they're also willing to fight your giants for you. Listen, I know you're saved. I know you're anointed. I know that you already have giant killer plastered all over your resume, all over your bio, and all over your LinkedIn profile. But David would have me to tell you on today that you still need some people around you who have observed your faith, who have witnessed your devotion, who have noticed your commitment, who have studied your preparation, who appreciate what you bring to the table, and who have seen you operating in your anointing in such a way that they are now so inspired by what they've seen God do in you that they are now prepared to fight your giants for you because they are tired of seeing you fight your giants all the time on your own. [01:40:45]

You don't need any people in your camp that are always willing to let you put yourself in harm's way. You don't need any people on your team that are always willing to let you hang out there by yourself. You don't need any people in your orbit who are cool with you. Always leading the charge, always leading the battle, always taking the hit, always making the sacrifices, always taking the risk, always carrying the weight, always paying the bill, always doing the work, always solving the problem, always fixing what's broken, always cleaning up the mess, and always standing up to the giants. No. No. If I'm reading this text correctly, this word is saying that you ought to have some people around you who appreciate your anointing, who appreciate your sacrifices, who appreciate your leadership, who appreciate what you bring to the table, and who appreciate how God is working through you and using you in such a way that when the giants show up in your life, and when those same giants keep coming back to threaten in your life. [01:43:49]

You got some people around you who are willing to fight for your life so that the light that God put in you can still be used as a light for everybody else. You see right there? That's why some of us can't ever get our lights to shine because we've yet to realize that the people around us not only want us to fight our giants, but they want us to fight their giants as well. That's why some of you can never seem to get the light burning in your own lamp. It's because you've yet to realize that the people you keep rolling with and you keep allowing access to you are more concerned with pressing and pressuring you to keep doing for them what benefits them instead of being more concerned with preserving you for the purpose that God has placed in your life. [01:44:41]