There is one young lad in the Bible who carefully showed us how we should face our impossible, obsessive addictions, as well as any impossible trials. His name was David.

There was one Philistine at the time who defied the armies of Saul. What was unusual about him was that “He was over nine feet tall.” (1 Sam 17:4 NIV) He might have been a good candidate for a professional basketball team except he was also all muscle! Who would like to have such a monster taunting you from the opposite team’s line-up?

And just like any courageous soldier in the army of the Lord, those who had to face such a giant muscle man ” … were dismayed and terrified.” (1 Sam 17:11 NIV) and “They all ran from him in great fear.” (1 Sam 17:24 NIV) It seems that things have not changed! Don’t we, also, tremble in our boots when we face our “giant” of a compulsive sin?

Interestingly, one visitor was unfazed by the scare tactics of that muscled basketball man, and he was the tiniest, youngest guy in the lot! “You are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth.” (1 Sam 17:33 NIV)

However that young boy was David, and he would not be deterred: “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” (1 Sam 17:26 NIV) and then he volunteered to fight that muscled giant!

“Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.” (1 Sam 17:32 NIV)

I can just imagine the scuttlebutt that was going around among the soldiers: “This kid is completely crazy! Better him than us!”

However it isn’t size or youth that set David apart from the others. Rather it was his perspective. He wasn’t the one who would fight that muscled giant. God was! So why should he be afraid?

“The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” (1 Sam 17:37 NIV)

“David said to the Philistine, ‘You come against me with sword and 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.'” (1 Sam 17:45 NIV)

Putting such trust in our loving Heavenly Daddy can only serve to bring us guaranteed victory! David conquered that foul-mouthed giant and the monster became history.

The same is true with our addictions, as well as any impossible situation we might find ourselves in!

“But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor 15:57 NIV)

Trusting the One who can make anything possible is the solution to all of our problems. He guarantees us our victory!

“Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matt 17:20 NIV)

We also need to be reminded that just like the boasting of a 9 foot-tall warrior in David’s time was a pack of lies, our far-from-honest enemy also only feeds us lies (See John 8:44)!

I have personally had to face giants in my lifetime, and I’m sure I’ll have to face them again. I still remember the day I went to the sleep clinic. The technician was boasting that he was able to put anyone who came to his clinic to sleep. “It’s quiet and your room will be pitch black. You won’t be able to keep yourself from falling asleep!”

He soon discovered I was not like the others. I spent the night tossing around in my bed, my legs jumping about, as I sawed logs (snored) louder than anyone. I never reached deep sleep.

I was told then, “you definitively have a sleep problem.” As if I didn’t know … The doctor was so discouraged about my case that he wanted to put me on heavy addictive sleep medication, which I refused. Instead I decided to trust in the Lord. Since then I have slept like a log. And I don’t spend the night “sawing” them either! Oh, there is still the odd day when I let my circumstances control me, but these are few and far between.

I discovered the truth of 2 Cor 12:10: “For when I am weak, then I am strong.” This was true for David as well, and is true no matter what you are facing!

Are we finally ready to face our giants?

It depends on who we put our trust in!

Rob Chaffart

(To access the entire “Fearless Victory!” devotional series, please click here.)