Borrowed Armor

Borrowed Armor-


Saul wanted David to wear His armor to fight Goliath. David had no armor of his own, being a simple shepherd he had no need to wear armor. Imagine it, David, a simple shepherd conversing with the king of Israel being told he could wear the king's armor- in fact the king put his own helmet of brass upon David's head and he had him put on his coat of mail. Then David picked up the king's sword and put it on the armor and then what did he do? He looked at the king of Israel himself and told him that he could not wear the king's armor. He could not accept this honor bestowed upon him.


1Sa 17:38 And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail.
1Sa 17:39 And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him.


David was no awestruck shepherd boy cowering under his king's gaze as he took off the armor the king put on him. Here he was ready to face the most fearful of all Philistine warriors- a warrior that NO other in all of the Israeli army would dare to face. In fact for a whole 40 days Goliath- the Philistine champion- offered the Philistine army to the one who could defeat him. No Israeli warrior dared take up the challenge- because the price if he lost was the surrender of the Israeli army.


1Sa 17:8 And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me.
1Sa 17:9 If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us.
1Sa 17:10 And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.


What a challenge! One no Israeli solider following Saul would answer- they were too afraid.


1Sa 17:11 When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.


The king himself was VERY afraid.


Just imagine it- 40 days. A month and ten days, almost six weeks, day in and day out Goliath came to taunt the men in Saul's army. This was a standoff between two armies with one army giving a challenge for the other to meet.


Then along comes a shepherd boy. A SHEPHERD BOY. This shepherd boy wants to face this giant, he wants to answer the challenge and what is the king's reaction?


1Sa 17:33 And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.


You can't do this, you're too young, you're not a warrior, the king told him and David didn't back down. Instead David recounted his experience as a shepherd slaying a lion and a bear. And David did not boast to himself at all! David boasted of GOD. The LORD, he says, delivered him from the lion and from the bear. David knew that of his own strength he couldn't have defeated either the lion or the bear but God delivered Him from both. God saved Him. And if God could save him from vicious, man-eating animals he could deliver him from a human who defied the living God. David knew on his own he could NEVER defeat the giant, never. All the men of Saul's army were thinking not of God but of their own strength and they knew they didn't have the strength or skill to defeat Goliath. David knew he didn't have the strength or the skill either- but GOD had both!


1Sa 17:34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:
1Sa 17:35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.
1Sa 17:36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.
1Sa 17:37 David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.


David didn't need to borrow Saul's armor to fight, he had God's armor.


We are told to have armor, aren't we?


Eph 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God...


We DO need to borrow armor don't we? Seriously, don't we? We are to borrow God's armor!


We aren't told to put on a mastersmith's armor. We aren't told to go to the local Army Thrift store and pick up some used armor. We aren't told to craft our own armor. We are told plainly to PUT on the whole armor of GOD.


Was David garbed in God's armor when He faced Goliath?


Eph 6:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
Eph 6:15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Eph 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
Eph 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Eph 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints


David was living in God's truth.
David was living in God's righteousness- not his own.
David was living in God's peace.
David had the shield of faith in God, of that there is NO doubt.
David wore the salvation of God.
David's spiritual sword truly was the Spirit of God and David did pray!


David did not wear his own armor to face Goliath, but he did wear the spiritual armor of God.


We aren't coming face to face with a Goliath- at least most of us aren't- but we ALL come face to face with principalities, with powers, with rulers of the darkness of this world, with spiritual wickedness in high places. No flesh and blood foe here for us (again, most of us) but spiritually wicked flesh, spiritually wicked blood- is it any wonder Christ offered us His spiritual flesh and His spiritual blood to defeat the spiritual wickedness in life. We are to eat His spiritual flesh and drink His spiritual blood- not his real flesh nor his real blood. When we eat and drink of Him we are taking on His Spirituality and it is ONLY His Spirituality that can defeat the wicked spirituality surrounding us. We must put on GOD'S spiritual armor- we must BORROW this armor from God. We must borrow it indefinitely until the spiritual warfare that exists - exists no more. It's not armor of our own making we can't save ourselves, we can't protect ourselves, we have to rely on God to do it ALL! The most we can do is PUT ON the armor- choose to wear God's armor. Choose God.


By His amazing mercy and grace always may we choose to borrow His armor!


Amen.