The Kind of People God Uses

The Crisis of Conventionality and the Call to Consecration

The valley of Elah was silent with the sound of fear. For forty days, a massive Philistine champion, Goliath—a literal monument to human strength—defied the armies of the living God (1 Samuel 17). Israel, under King Saul, was paralyzed, having prioritized human conventionality (heavy armor, military numbers) over Divine strength. This was more than a military crisis; it was a profound theological scandal.

Then stepped forward David, a young, ruddy shepherd boy. He was outside the institution, unqualified by military standards, yet appalled that an “uncircumcised Philistine” should be allowed to defy the Lord. David’s entrance signals the first critical lesson for the consecrated believer: The person God uses operates outside the fear-based status quo of man’s wisdom.

Rejecting the Ill-Fitting Armor of Worldly Power

Before facing the giant, David faced a test of conformity far more subtle than Goliath’s spear: the offer of King Saul’s own royal armor (1 Samuel 17:38–39). Saul’s armor represented rank, establishment, and human institutional validation. David’s refusal was an act of profound theological insight: "I cannot move freely in them".

For believers committed to the fundamentals of Scripture—those core doctrines of biblical inerrancy, the virgin birth, and the substitutionary atonement—this passage serves as a perpetual mandate to reject ill-fitting armor. When the church, or segments of it, begins to prioritize worldly structures like political authority, financial leverage, or institutional visibility, it risks donning "Saul's armor". Such systems, however well-intentioned, impede the spiritual agility required for true discipleship.

We must never confuse faithfulness to the Word with fidelity to the World's systems. God’s call is to use the unique, tested strengths He has given you, not to conform to someone else's uniform.

The Arsenal of Authentic Preparation

David chose his tools with intentionality: “And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine” (1 Samuel 17:40).

 Tested Tools: The sling and staff were not conventional weapons of war, but the tools of David's shepherd's trade. They represented competencies developed through faithful stewardship in the lonely wilderness, fighting the lion and the bear. The kind of person God uses is not merely passively faithful, but one who develops competence and skill, giving the Lord something polished to use.

  Refined Stones: The stones were chosen from the brook and were smooth. This smoothness signifies a refining process—having been "tossed to and fro, in the stream and polished". This is a picture of the believer’s life: The trials, sufferings, and "tossings to and fro" of daily experience are God’s means of smoothing the jagged edges of self-reliance, preparing us to fly straight to His intended purpose. As the Psalmist declared, knowing where true help originates: “My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:2).

The Spiritual Validation of Scorn

When Goliath saw David approaching, he “looked David over and saw that he was only a boy, ruddy and handsome, and he despised him” (1 Samuel 17:42). Goliath saw an unarmored adolescent and reacted with contempt. His judgment was entirely based on outward appearance.

Goliath’s scorn is often the spiritual validation of the believer. It is the world’s disdain for the "foolishness" of the cross and the simple, uncompromising truth of the Gospel.  When fundamentalist Christians hold fast to core biblical principles, they must anticipate and accept the scorn of a secular culture.

Goliath did not know the critical principle God established earlier: “The LORD said to Samuel, ‘Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature... for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart’” (1 Samuel 16:7). God chose David precisely because of his internal quality, his devotion, and his trust.

The Triumph of God's Paradoxical Power

David’s confidence was a purely theological declaration: “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied” (1 Samuel 17:45).[20] David made it clear that the battle was between human power and the power of Yahweh. His intent was that “all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord's” (1 Samuel 17:47).

This entire episode perfectly illustrates the Divine Paradox articulated by the Apostle Paul:

 “But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God” (1 Corinthians 1:27–29). 

God deliberately uses the weak to eliminate the possibility of human pride and boasting. When the world sees success achieved by unconventional means—through simple faith rather than through political or financial maneuvering—God alone receives the glory. The Apostle Paul recognized this principle, choosing to boast only in his weakness, knowing God's power was perfected in it (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).

Conclusion: Our True Champion

The story of David and Goliath is not primarily an inspirational tale of an underdog; it is a type (foreshadowing) of Jesus Christ. David, the shepherd who protected his flock, prefigures Christ, the Good Shepherd, who lays down His life for the sheep (John 10:11). David secured the decisive blow as Israel’s substitute champion.

Goliath represents the ultimate enemies of God’s people: Sin, Satan, and Death. Christ secured definitive victory over these foes through the apparent "weakness" of the cross and the power of His bodily resurrection—the very fundamentals we hold dear.

The kind of person God uses recognizes they are not the hero; Christ is the ultimate Champion, and they simply serve as consecrated instruments secured in His victory.[26, 24] The call remains constant: to be the individual the world has yet to see—the one who is wholly consecrated to Him.[27, 28]

To be such an instrument, we must embrace a heart posture that the prophet Isaiah defined: “This is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word” (Isaiah 66:2).[27]

DMMC 10-4-25

Keywords: David and Goliath, God uses the weak, 1 Samuel 17, Fundamentalism, Biblical inerrancy, Spiritual warfare, Consecration, Unconventional faith, Christ-centered victory. (187 characters)