Most people know the story of David and Goliath, but I want to apply this same story to the Goliath of addiction that you may be facing right now. Some people might think that this story is just a cute little children's tale, but it was an actual historical event that happened several thousand years ago. The principles it teaches though, I believe apply to all generations. I have provided the full story of the account from the bible below at the bottom, but I will just put it into a nutshell, and tell you what parallels I see with David, Goliath, us and our addiction. It might help to drop to the bottom of the page and read through the story first, if you don't know it already. There are certain parts of the bible story below that I have highlighted to make it easier for you to corrrelate them with the next seven points I will make concerning the story.

1. The first thing you need to realize, is that you honestly cannot beat this addiction without supernatural help. Goliath stood over nine feet tall, he was highly skilled and experienced at war, and he was more than intimidating in appearance, as he taunted Israel day after day to try to beat him in a one on one battle. Nobody dared face him in a personal battle because they knew he was virtually "unbeatable" in the flesh, without some extra help from somewhere. Your addiction is just like Goliath, and it is actually unbeatable without God's help and power. Yet unlike Israel, you may have tried to beat Goliath many times already, but with every bout and binge of addiction, you ended up brutally beaten in the end. Plus, the power of your addiction, and the evil spirits that help inspire it, will taunt you to keep coming back and try again. If you have ever gone through severe withdrawals, then you know what it is like to feel very taunted by your addiction. Accepting the truth that you cannot win this battle alone is the key here.

2. When David showed up at the battlefront to bring his brothers some cheeseburgers, his oldest brother Eliab was jealous of the fact that David was thinking about fighting Goliath and he just put him down with all the character flaws and criticisms that he could think of, none of which were even true. When you decide to get free of whatever addiction you have, understand that your friends, family, and evil spirits may try to belittle you and discourage you from attempting to quit with phrases such as "You'll never quit", or "I'll bet you won't last a day", and they do this either because A. They are practicing that addiction and don't want to lose their addiction partner (You), B. They are jealous that you might quit when they can't, and it would make them look like weak losers if you succeed. or C. They enjoy the power and control they can exercise over you when you are weakened by an active addiction. Try to brush off these naysayers, and be selfish with your recovery, because it may possibly save your life.

3. David had already killed a lion and a bear that were going to eat the sheep that he was supposed to be protecting, and God had helped him to succeed in defending the flock. Normally a lion or bear can overpwer a human easily, so it would be next to impossible to defend yourself against one without some outside help, and a big rifle. But David exclaimed clearly that it was God, not himself, that had delivered him from their power. Try to remember other things that God has helped you with in the past, and understand that this is no different. God doesn't have any "big" problems, He just needs our faith in Him to act on our behalf. Perhaps God has helped you work a difficult job, healed your marriage, protected your kids, or helped you quit what you might consider a lesser addiction. Just know that God will be faithful to help you as you step out to fight, and that the size of your problem is no issue for Him.

4. They tried to put King Saul's armor on David before he went into battle, but David rejected it because it didn't fit, and because he had never tested these things. Saul had given this armor to David to use because it had worked well for Saul in the past. When you start your recovery, from addiction everyone seems to want to tell you how to recover in the same way they did (Saul's armor), and you will need to ask God how He wants you to recover in the way that will work for you. Some people have some very strong "should's" and "should not's" about what to do, and not do in recovery, so it's alright to listen and maybe glean some good info, but your recovery is between you and God. They will not give an account to God for your life in the end, you alone will. So just politely remind them of that truth and press on. God will show you how He wants you to recover, so why add unnecessary things to your load that are not from Him?

5. David spoke to the giant, and crowd and proclaimed the truth, that God was going to be the One that brings the victory against this seemingly insurmountable foe, and he did not proclaim that he was taking this mammoth warrior on in his own strength. Before you attack this addiction, remember that this is God's battle also, not just yours. God will give you a battle plan that will end in victory as you listen to His instructions, so trust Him to help you. Find the scriptures in the bible about the particular problem you are facing, and how God promises to help us, and speak them out. Speak out verbally, the truth about God's help and strength when you are in the heat of temptation to relapse. You will see that the temptation will flee.

6. Because David put his full trust in God and obeyed, he saw the stone that he had slung at the giant, miraculously become a smart bomb that was spiritually guided right into Goliath's forehead. It was a spiritual force that dealt the final death blow in the end. All David had to do is have faith that God would help him, remember the past victory's, not let others discourage his efforts, cooperate with God's instructions, and sling the stone; the rest was all God. As you make the decision to quit, follow these steps and know that God wants to glorify Himself through your difficult problem. He wants to show you and those around you, that He wants to help, and can help you. God is not mad at you, and you only fail when you quit trying to try.

7. David cut the head off Goliath. David made sure that there was no chance of Goliath waking up and coming after him again. After you quit, cut the head off your "giant" called addiction by getting the tools to practice the addiction far away from you. Get away from your old friends that are still in the addiction unless God sais otherwise, or you will likely relapse. Learn to feed on God every day through prayer, worship, and bible reading, so that you feel satisfied in life. You feed your body with food, and you must also feed your spirit with God to stay spiritually nourished. Many times, our addictions are a symptom of spiritual starvation. You will try to feed this hunger with all kinds of things, but only God can actually satisfy it. There is a God-shaped hole inside your heart, and it can only be filled with Him. You will get through this and see victory over your Goliath, trust God now and see the great miracle of freedom awaiting you.

The story;