David was the son of Jesse of the tribe of Judah. He was the eighth child in the family and kept sheep. He was so young that he was not even called in for a family get-together that Samuel had convened at Jesse’s house. But the Lord had chosen this shepherd boy as His king that would replace Saul.

Saul had, meanwhile, provoked the anger of the Lord by disobeying him and displeasing His servant Samuel. Instead of waiting for Samuel to arrive and offer sacrifices unto the Lord at Gilgal, he rushed to do the job which was exclusive to a servant of God. Again, when the Lord had given unambiguous instructions on the complete destruction of the Amalekites and the spoils, Saul spared their king and allowed choice spoils to be retained by the Israelites, some of which he set aside for sacrificing to the Lord. That was when the Lord spoke through Samuel, “To obey is better than sacrifice”. As the Omniscient One, God foresaw all of these and so had anticipated every one of these moves of Saul. It pained the heart of God to see unbelief in men who were destroying themselves by their disobedience. The Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul and the Lord allowed an evil spirit to trouble him.

David was an excellent musician who would play his harp skillfully. He was summoned by the king at the behest of his servants. Every time David played his harp, Saul felt refreshed, the evil spirit departed from him and he became well. Saul was so impressed by the talent and the valour of David that he decided to retain David as his arm-bearer.

David chanced to be on the battlefield one of the forty days when Goliath came to challenge the Israelites. He spoke to the terrified onlookers, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine defying the armies of the living God?” David belonged to the believing generation that would bring forth the Seed of the Woman. David was destined to save the face and the lives of Israel at that point in His-story. David was also the important link to the One who would save the souls of those who have trusted in His promise of eternal life.

David had earlier faced a lion and a bear while being a shepherd and saved his sheep by slaying those wild beasts. He was ready for the challenge of Goliath because he trusted in the Deliverer. He also did not trust in the traditional soldier’s armour but took with him his staff, five pebbles and his sling so much so that Goliath’s ego was badly hurt. He asked David, “Am I a dog that you come to me with staves to drive me away?”. Then said David to the Philistine, “Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, Whom thou hast defied”. – 1 Sam 17:45.

David continued, “Let all the earth know that there is a God in Israel, and that the LORD saves not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD'S”. The Lord delivered Goliath into the hands of David with the deadly first throw of the sling; the stone hit him in his forehead. The Israelites then pursued the fleeing Philistines and chased them away.

After David smote Goliath the Palestine giant with the stone from his sling, he ran towards the fallen warrior, stood upon him, took his sword, drew it out of the sheath, slew him and cut off his head with it. The very weapon that could have brought the death of David was used against his enemy to bring about his end.

Likewise, the technology of today is being used by Satan to target not only the gullible but even the chosen ones and bring about their fall. It is the onus of the believing children of God to fight against their adversary using the spiritual weapons that the Lord has given them, especially the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God and smite the evil spiritual forces - principalities, powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world and spiritual wickedness in high places. Today’s technology can also be used against the vile devices of the enemy to slay these evil spirits and put an end to their diabolical designs. Again, in the words of David about Goliath’s sword, “There is nothing like it”!

Satan thought he could use his seed Goliath to bring about the end to the believing generation and especially the strategic link David, who was in the line of the Promised Seed. But God equipped His servant David to overthrow the strategy of the devil. And Satan should have had a glimpse of what it meant by “bruising the head” that he would have to face that will bring about his end. Bruising of the head would also be followed by eternal judgement to destruction. Dreadful days drawing near for the Dragon!

But all was not over yet with respect to Satan fighting against the Seed of Abraham. He still had another weapon in hand. Saul had already been drawn into the plan of stymieing the purpose of God. And with David in close proximity to Saul, the end of David could come anytime. All that was required was a well-aimed throw of a javelin at David from the hands of Saul when he was possessed by the evil spirit.

Envy is one of the deadly sins that would bring about the end of anybody who would hold it in his heart. As the victory march was drawing in with David their hero returning after the slaughter of the Philistines, the women came out of all the cities to welcome them. They kept singing, dancing, and shouting, “Saul has slain his thousands and David his ten-thousands”. This troubled Saul so much that he eyed David from that day and forward – 1 Sam 18:9. The very next day, the evil Spirit came upon Saul and while David played the harp, Saul cast his javelin to smite David even to the wall; not once but twice. David successfully escaped the onslaught both times.

Saul was afraid of David and seeing that the Lord was with David, his fear increased day by day. So, he thought of bringing an end to this enemy in the hands of his people’s enemy – the Philistines. So, Saul made David the captain over a thousand of his soldiers howbeit he would die at their hands. But David carried himself wisely and was not one to stumble into this trap. So, Saul proposed one of his daughters to David so that she would be a snare to him. David had to face the Philistines for the challenge that was set before him, but David won again – against the Philistines and against Saul as well. Saul knew that the Lord was with David … and he was yet the more afraid of him and he became David’s enemy continually. – 1 Sam 18:28, 29.

Saul instructed his servants to kill David. Jonathan, Saul’s son, was among them when this instruction was given. And Jonathan was David’s friend. His soul was knit with David’s and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. He also made a covenant with David and delighted in him. He warned David of the impending danger and sent him away. He also pleaded for David with his father and Saul agreed and reversed his decision to kill him. Jonathan kept protecting David from the hands of Saul now and again.

Again, there was war and David returned victorious against the Philistines another time. The evil spirit also returned into Saul and he cast his Javelin on David a third time. Yet again, it hit the wall, but David escaped and ran from him that night. Saul sent messengers behind him to his house where they would kill him the next morning. And Michal, the very person Saul thought would be a snare to David, let him down through a window so that he could escape from the hands of his would-be slayers. Saul sent more messengers in search of David to Ramah where he had sheltered under Samuel. Three groups went one behind the other, but they could not take David. Finally, Saul himself set out in search of him but when he found David, the Spirit of the Lord did not allow Saul to take him too. Instead, Saul started prophesying. “Is Saul among the prophets?” became a platitude among the people.

It was ironic that David was fleeing from Saul because Saul was already afraid of David. Though David was a believer and a servant of God, he was also a man with infirmities. But God was with Him.

David, though anointed as king of Israel, was running for his life. He had to lie to Ahimelech the priest to satisfy his hunger, feigned himself as if he was a madman to escape from Achish the king of Gath, shelter his parents in a heathen country Moab and captain a group of men who were in distress, debt and discontentment. He was at risk of being turned in to Saul by the very people of Keilah that he saved from the Philistines. There was even an instance when he was saved from the hands of Saul because of the Philistines – they had invaded Israel and Saul had to rush, leaving behind his pursuit of David.

David had an easy opportunity to kill Saul, but he said, “How can I stretch forth my hand against the Lord’s anointed?”. When Saul saw that David spared his life, he wept, realised his misdemeanour and acknowledged that David was more righteous than he. He also requested David to spare his descendants when he took over the reins of the kingdom.

Every attempt on David’s life was foiled by the Lord as He was his refuge and fortress. Surely, God delivered him from the snare of the fowler. He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. – Ps 91:1.

The fowler, Satan, fell face down and flat on his belly – again. Would he succeed in stoking the ego of his target? Would this diminish the chances of the emergence of the Destroyer of the Evil One?