Refuse to Wear Saul's Armor!

Many people are facing giants and intimidating battles right now even as the waves of God's glory are advancing daily. The enemy knows his time is short and you can sense and feel his frantic attempts to disempower the people of God.

Recently as I pondered my own giants and how I would defeat them, God led me to read again the story of David and Goliath. I was encouraged to remember that David was confident in his God because He chose to remember how God had been with him in the past to conquer the lion and the bear.

"The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine." I Samuel 17:37

David chose to look at what God had done for him, and not at what God had not done. This choice was part of what separated David from those around him. David had a history of intimacy with God and he was able to draw from that deep well when he encountered circumstances that were beyond himself.

We know that Saul dressed David in his tunic, armor, and helmet to prepare him to meet Goliath. As I pondered this I heard the Lord say, "old wineskin". Feeling the pressure of the taunting Goliath, Saul had immediately reverted back to what was comfortable and familiar for him. This was how he had defeated his enemies in the past. It was man's best attempt to protect and defend himself. It may have served him well, and could have even been the best method in the past, but God was doing a NEW THING then, and He is doing a NEW THING now.

Imagine the scenario as King Saul placed his own armor on David, a young man. How honored David must have felt that the King would clothe him with his very own armor! But, David had a vision of the defeat of Goliath that was about to take place, and as he walked around in Saul's cumbersome armor, it didn't take him long to realize that this would not work for him. It must have taken some courage to refuse the armor of King Saul, but David was resolute.

As we continue to advance forward in this epic season, we must be open to hear and step into the battle plans that the Lord gives to us and refuse to wear Saul's armor to come against our enemies. There will be situations where others attempt to place Saul's armor on us, or we may be tempted to revert back to Saul's armor ourselves. Saul's armor may often feel the most convenient, and the most comfortable, but it will never produce the grace and breakthrough that obedience to the Spirit of God will bring.

Saul placed a helmet of bronze on David's head. (I Sam. 17:38) Bronze often represented sin in the Old Testament as it was not considered as pure a metal as gold or silver. Bronze contained mixture and this was a picture of Saul's life. Saul lost the anointing on his life as King because he did not keep the Lord's command. He allowed mixture to become a way of life. We do not have to succumb to mixture as Saul did because God has given us His helmet of salvation. He has fully delivered us from the bondage of sin and so we no longer need to resort to flesh or mixture as we walk out our faith.

I hear the Lord saying, "I have given you everything you need to fight the battles around you, and as you seek Me, I will reveal My battle plans and strategies for each battle you face. Refuse to wear Saul's armor My saints! Refuse to devise your own strategies and battle plans, or resort to mixture, but approach my throne boldly to receive grace for the battles you face. It was not by the sword or the spear that David would defeat His enemies, but by My Spirit that was with him. So, it is with you, my beloved sons and daughters.

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10