Don’t Wear Saul’s Armor: Defeating Your Giants with God’s Authority
Discover how David’s example teaches us to stop fighting battles in someone else’s strength and to stand in the authority God has given us.
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Every believer faces giants. Those intimidating battles that make us feel small and unprepared. The enemy would love nothing more than to see us defeated, discouraged, and powerless. But here’s the question: are you stepping into those battles equipped with God’s authority, or are you trying to wear someone else’s armor?
The apostle Paul tells us to “put on the full armor of God” (Ephesians 6:11), but too often, we slip into the trap of fighting with tools that don’t fit, just like David when Saul tried to dress him in his royal armor.
David the Shepherd, Not the Soldier
David wasn’t a warrior when he faced Goliath; he was a shepherd boy delivering bread and grain to his brothers. Yet when he heard the Philistine giant mocking the army of Israel, something inside him stirred. He had fought off lions and bears before, not with military weapons, but with the skill and faith God had given him.
David told Saul he was ready. Saul, perhaps trying to be helpful, offered his own armor. But when David tried walking in it, he quickly realized: this isn’t me. This doesn’t fit. “I cannot go in these,” he said, “for I am not used to them” (1 Samuel 17:39).
Instead, David chose his familiar sling, five smooth stones, and, most importantly, the presence of the Lord. That was all he needed.
Why Saul’s Armor Doesn’t Fit You
Saul’s armor was designed for Saul, not David. In the same way, someone else’s calling, strategy, or even their testimony isn’t meant to replace your own walk with God. Counsel and encouragement are valuable, but God has a unique way of working in your battles.
Your “sword of the Spirit” may not look like mine. The verses God speaks to you may not be the same ones He gives someone else. The lessons someone else learned in their trial may not be what God intends for your situation.
Trying to copy someone else’s spiritual armor leaves us clumsy, weighed down, and ineffective. But when we stand clothed in God’s authority, we are strong enough to face any Goliath.
The Armor That Fits
Paul describes this divine armor in Ephesians 6: truth like a belt, righteousness as a breastplate, faith as a shield, salvation as a helmet, and the Word of God as a sword. Prayer, too, is woven through every piece of this armor.
Unlike Saul’s armor, this set always fits. It’s designed by God, tailored for every believer, and strengthened by His Spirit.
Test Everything
David refused Saul’s armor because it hadn’t been tested in his own hands. Likewise, we are called to “test everything; hold fast to what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). Don’t assume that just because a method or teaching worked for someone else, it’s what God wants for you.
Seek His Word. Lean into prayer. Let the Holy Spirit be your guide.
Facing Your Giants
Your battles aren’t physical;- they are spiritual. And spiritual battles require spiritual authority. That authority doesn’t come from a preacher, a mentor, or a set of man-made strategies. It comes from the Lordship of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit within you.
David went out to face Goliath with no borrowed armor, only faith in the God of Israel. One stone, one sling, and God’s authority brought down a giant that terrified an entire army.
The same is true for us today. Don’t wear Saul’s armor. Stand in the authority Christ has given you, and trust Him to go before you into battle.
✨ Final Thought: Your victory isn’t found in someone else’s weapons. It’s found in God’s power working through your faith. Step out in His authority, and watch your Goliath fall.
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CJB – Taken from the Complete Jewish Bible by David H. Stern. Copyright © 1998. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Messianic Jewish Publishers, 6120 Day Long Lane, Clarksville, MD 21029. www.messianicjewish.net.
Tree of Life (TLV) – Scripture taken from the Holy Scriptures, Tree of Life Version*. Copyright © 2014,2016 by the Tree of Life Bible Society. Used by permission of the Tree of Life Bible Society.