Who Are You Listening To? Defeat Your Goliath

This summary and strategic rewrite draws upon a sermon by Christine Caine detailing the iconic battle between David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17), using the metaphor of adjusting one’s “spiritual AirPods” to achieve success, fulfill God’s purpose, and defeat internal and external critics.

The Critical Importance of Spiritual Hearing

The ability to fulfill a God-given purpose hinges on who you are listening to. Using the analogy of modern noise-canceling technology, the message emphasizes the need for believers to become actively discerning listeners.

A humorous anecdote illustrates this point: Christine Caine purchased her husband, Nick, AirPods Pro 2, which have a hearing aid feature to help with mild to moderate hearing loss, particularly at high frequencies that correlate to a woman’s voice. While Nick confirmed his high-frequency hearing loss, the analogy is applied spiritually: believers must visit their “spiritual ear nose and throat specialist, Dr. Jesus,” to get a hearing test.

The goal is to examine what we are hearing and listening to daily. We must tune out the voices that thwart our purpose and identity in Christ, and instead amplify the voice of God and His word.

Defeating Your Goliath: The Power of Words, Not Weapons

The famous battle between Israel and the Philistines took place in the valley of Elah. The champion, Goliath from Gath, stood 9 feet 9 inches tall, wearing heavy bronze armor.

Paralysis by Verbal Attack

Goliath’s primary weapon against Israel was not his spear or javelin, but his words. He shouted at the Israelite formations, defying the ranks of Israel and demanding a single combat.

• The Wrong Frequency: When Saul and all Israel heard Goliath’s words, they lost their courage and were terrified. The Israelite army had adjusted their spiritual “AirPods” to the wrong frequency; they forgot the noise cancellation feature and focused on the wrong voice.
• The 40-Day Cripple: Goliath repeated his shouting every morning and evening for 40 days. The army was literally paralyzed by fear at the sound of Goliath’s words, not his weapons. This demonstrates the kind of impact that listening to the wrong voices can have on a life.

David’s Counter-Frequency

When David arrived in the valley—sent by his father, Jesse, as the “Uber Eats guy” to bring food to his brothers—he heard the exact same words from Goliath as Saul and the army did.

• Hearing vs. Listening: David heard the words, but he did not listen to them. David had his noise cancellation feature on and amplified God’s voice and promise above Goliath’s fear.
• Mobilized by Faith: While the Israelites were paralyzed by fear, David was mobilized to action by his faith. He immediately asked, “Just who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?”.
• The Source of Faith: Paul confirms in Romans 10:17 that “Faith comes from what is heard”. To gain the faith needed for purpose fulfillment, we must stay attuned to the word of God and hear His voice above every other noise.

David defeated Goliath before he even picked up a slingshot. The battle was won by faith when he elevated God’s voice and promise above the fear-mongering.

The Three Voices You Must Silence to Fulfill Your Purpose

To realize your identity in Christ, you must put on your spiritual hearing aid and use the noise cancellation feature. David had to silence three specific voices: Goliath, his brother Eliab, and his mentor Saul.

1. Silencing the Voice of Goliath (Intimidation and Fear)

Goliath represents intimidation, fear, and negativity. Many believers invite Goliath into their daily lives, becoming defeated before they even get out of bed.

• The Scroll and Swipe: Every morning, many people pick up their phones and start scrolling, inviting Goliath into their bedrooms. This leads to comparison, insecurity, FOMO (fear of missing out), doubt, and negativity.
• The Final Voice: They repeat this pattern at night, allowing Goliath to be the “final voice” in their head.
• The Solution: If you do not turn on noise cancellation to the world, the enemy, and the naysayers, fear, doubt, and insecurity will cripple and paralyze you.

2. Silencing the Voice of Eliab (Jealousy and False Accusation)

Eliab, David’s older brother, represents the enemy attacking through those closest to you. When David showed faith and confidence, Eliab became angry, confronting David with: “I know your arrogance and your evil heart”.

• Undermining Strength: Eliab attempted to undermine the very area that was David’s strength. Eliab was jealous because the prophet Samuel had initially thought Eliab was God’s choice for king.
• The Attack on the Heart: Eliab attacked David’s heart. However, the Lord sees the heart, and David was a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22).
• Guarding Your Heart: The enemy is after your heart because your heart will take you further into your purpose than your gift or talent. We must learn to tune out the voices driven by other people’s insecurity, trauma, or envy to avoid unnecessary stress.

3. Silencing the Voice of Saul (Unfitting Methods and Mentors)

Saul, the King and David’s mentor figure, represents established authority attempting to force a leader into an unfitting mold.

• Saul’s Armor: Saul insisted David could not fight Goliath because he was only a youth. He then tried to make David wear his own armor, but it did not fit.
• Trusting Your Uniqueness: We are often tempted to do things the way we admire in others, but what worked for them will not necessarily work for you. God can only anoint the real you, not a fake version.
• The Slingshot Principle: Instead of using Saul’s armor, David picked up his slingshot and five stones—what he was most familiar with. Goliath was offended, viewing the slingshot as sticks. David’s confidence was never in the slingshot itself, but in God.
• Focus on God’s Glory: David focused exclusively on God’s glory, referencing the Lord five times. He declared: “The battle is the Lord’s”.
• Despising the Slingshot: Your “slingshot” represents your unique gifts and talents. If you devalue, despise, or diminish your slingshot, you throw away your power. We must be willing to look unimpressive to people so that we can be impressive in the hand of God.