Faith That Runs Toward the Fight

Peaks and Valleys: God in Every Season

As I stood before the congregation that morning, I wanted everyone to feel the heartbeat of a truth we too easily forget: God is present in every season of life. Whether you find yourself standing on a mountaintop where everything seems to fall perfectly into place, or trudging through a valley so dark that you wonder if you’ve been abandoned—He is there.

Some walked in that morning full of joy, their hearts overflowing with gratitude for the blessings that surround them. But even on those peaks, I reminded them, we must guard against worshiping the blessings instead of the One who gives them. Others came in weary, discouraged, perhaps feeling like the valley is their permanent address. I wanted them to hear me clearly: even there, God has not left. The Father, Son, and Spirit walk beside us—working in us, guiding us, and leading us toward light.

And when we’re in those valleys, we need to run toward our church family, not away from it. Isolation is the devil’s favorite breeding ground for despair. The love of God’s people is one of the ways He helps us climb out of the darkness.

Fear Without God’s Presence

In 1 Samuel 17, the people of Israel found themselves in a literal and spiritual valley. On one hillside stood the Philistines; on the other, the Israelites. Between them stretched a chasm that mirrored their inner state—a feeling of distance from God.

It wasn’t that God had truly left them. His presence hadn’t disappeared; their faith had. Because Saul had turned his back on the Lord, the people followed suit, and the sense of divine nearness faded. The Philistines, whom Israel had failed to destroy generations earlier, now returned to haunt them. And out from their ranks stepped Goliath—the towering embodiment of every fear they’d allowed to fester.

As Goliath mocked Israel and taunted their God, the army trembled. They went through the motions of war—lining up, shouting their battle cries—but not once did they march toward God. They faced the enemy but forgot the presence of the Almighty. Their fear was the natural result of their disconnection.

We can do the same. We can look like we’re fighting the good fight, but if our hearts are unplugged from the source of power—if we’ve replaced intimacy with God with self-reliance—then all we have left is fear.

Faith with Fire: David Enters the Story

Enter David. He wasn’t even supposed to be there—just a shepherd delivering food to his brothers. But he walked into that camp carrying more than bread and cheese. He carried a heart full of faith.

Everyone else saw a giant too big to defeat. David saw a target too big to miss.
Everyone else saw a disgrace they had to endure. David saw a disgrace that had to be removed.

What made the difference? The Spirit of God. The same Spirit that anointed David in the valley with Samuel now burned in him on the battlefield. Where Saul had lost the presence of God, David was filled with it—and that changed everything.

David didn’t deny the giant’s size. Faith doesn’t ignore reality; it just remembers a greater one. Goliath was still enormous, still armed to the teeth, still roaring insults. But the presence of God didn’t shrink the problem—it strengthened the person.

We are never promised smaller battles, only greater strength to fight them.

The Armor That Doesn’t Fit

When David volunteered to face Goliath, Saul tried to clothe him in royal armor. On the surface, it made sense—if you’re going into battle, you should wear the best protection available. But David couldn’t move in it. It wasn’t his.

That moment has always spoken deeply to me. The world loves to hand us its versions of armor—strategies, formulas, appearances—but none of them substitute for the presence of God. David’s confidence didn’t come from polished metal or royal approval. It came from a relationship forged in the fields while protecting sheep from lions and bears. He knew the same God who had been faithful there would be faithful again.

Faith That Runs Toward the Fight

Then came the moment of confrontation. Goliath thundered his threats. The armies watched. And David ran—not away, but toward the fight.

“You come against me with sword and spear and javelin,” he shouted, “but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty.”

That declaration still gives me chills. Faith doesn’t wait for fear to move; it moves first. David didn’t stand frozen, hoping God would act—he acted because he knew God already was.

Fear freezes faith. That’s the enemy’s favorite trick—to convince us that the challenge is too heavy, the journey too long, the moment too big. If he can’t destroy you, he’ll try to paralyze you. But faith was never meant to stand still.

David believed that the same God who gave him victory before was the same God fighting for him now. So he ran toward the valley instead of hiding behind the hill.

Revival of Courage

When the giant fell, the people of Israel suddenly remembered what they had forgotten: God was still with them. Their fear turned to courage, and they surged forward in victory.

It wasn’t David’s slingshot that inspired them—it was his faith. One spirit-filled man’s courage reawakened a nation’s confidence in God.

Your faith can do the same. When you stand in boldness, others begin to believe again. That’s why Jesus said, “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Our courage isn’t for show—it’s a spark that can set other hearts aflame.

When Faith Defeats Fear

Here’s what I hope everyone takes away:
The people feared because they had walked away from God’s presence. David stood tall because he lived in it. Faith moved him from a valley of fear to a peak of victory.

And the same can happen for us.

We may not face nine-foot soldiers, but we face giants of diagnosis, debt, disappointment, and doubt. The question is not whether the giant is big—it always is—but whether our faith is bigger.

As David later wrote in Psalm 18:32:

“It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure.”

When God’s presence fills you, fear loses its power. You may still walk through valleys, but you won’t walk alone. You’ll know, as David did, that the battle belongs to the Lord—and because it belongs to Him, victory is never in doubt.

So don’t wait for the giant to move.
Run toward the fight.
Because faith—real, living, active faith—defeats fear every single time.