And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we (Numbers 13:30,31).

This passage in Numbers tells the story of twelve men sent by Moses to spy out the Promised Land. After leaving Egyptian bondage, the Israelites had traveled through the wilderness to this beautiful and bountiful land God had intended for them. The twelve men entered the land of Canaan, a land flowing with milk and honey, but they saw only a land where giants lived. Ten of the spies were afraid; their report was, [it] is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof (Numbers 13:32). This fearful description overshadowed the favorable report of Caleb and Joshua, striking terror into the hearts of the Israelites. Caleb and Joshua pleaded with the people: Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not (Numbers 14:9). They told the people, FOR WE ARE WELL ABLE TO OVERCOME IT. Let these last words burn in your heart: FOR WE ARE WELL ABLE TO OVERCOME IT.

Many have giants to fight today: some imaginary, some real. Yes, giants dwelt in the land of Canaan, but they were not greater than the Lord. With the Lord YOU ARE WELL ABLE TO OVERCOME. If there is a problem working against you, don’t stop to see how big it is; don’t weigh the enemy; weigh your God. When you find how great He really is, then your faith can put Him into action. The great hand of Almighty God is limited only by your doubt and fear.

Through the covenant God made with Abraham, He told the Israelites what He would do for them; and today God is telling us in His Word just what He will do for us through the covenant of Calvary, through Jesus Christ His Son. Some, unfortunately, like the Israelites, will not go in to possess the land; they insist on wandering full of fear in the wilderness. Many giants rob them of the joy, peace and victory the Lord wants them to have, in spite of the fact that with God they are WELL ABLE TO OVERCOME!

That Giant of Depression

David had only one giant to fight—Goliath, but Goliath was large enough to put fear into the hearts of the entire Israelite army. Through the power of the Lord, however, Goliath was defeated. You, too, can conquer the giants in the land that come against you.

How many hours a day does the enemy chain you, drag you off to his dungeon, holding you in captivity? The moment you open your eyes, does depression strong-arm you, trick you into going along with him? Nehemiah 8:10 says that the joy of the LORD is your strength. You may say the joy of the Lord is your strength, but you don’t really mean it if that old giant of depression is able to drag you off. If you really possessed the joy of the Lord, depression could not take you to his prison of despair; he simply would not have the power to do it. Through the blood of Jesus, the links of his chain would be broken, for the Lord has given you power over the giant of despair. With the Lord YOU ARE WELL ABLE TO OVERCOME IT. Joy kills the giant of despair. Despair will not stay around those who are happy, those who make melody in their hearts to the Lord. The joy of the Lord is your strength, the Bible tells us. When you sing the blues, however, you’re on your way to the prison house. Despair will be your keeper, your jailer.

The Giant of Self-Pity

Another giant common in the land today is the giant of self-pity. Nobody loves me. That’s self-pity, a giant that can drag you into his own special dungeon. Nobody appreciates me; I don’t know why I was born; no one cares. Entertaining those thoughts is the same as entertaining the devil himself, a process that will lead you into various degrees of depression and self-destruction. Self-pity snuffs the joy of the Lord right out of lives. When caught in the grip of self-pity, some of you can perform heart-rending melodramas fit for any stage. Not willing to face your self-pity, you blame others for being unfeeling, hard.

Grow up in the Lord and stop indulging that self-pity giant. Let the power of God break down the pride that keeps you from admitting that you are not a legitimate martyr, that you just feel sorry for yourself. Be big enough in the Lord to tell that giant of self-pity “where to get off,” for YOU ARE WELL ABLE TO OVERCOME IT.

Self-pity can be very dangerous; it has driven many to suicide. The devil wants you to pity yourself because then you fail to count your blessings, and by not counting your blessings you do not count God.

The Sympathy Giant

Closely related to the giant of self-pity is the giant of seeking sympathy. People put up with all kinds of misfortune to bring that giant in close: pain, hardship, humiliation, to name a few. Some cannot receive divine healing because they prefer the sympathy that comes from being sick. Hearing someone say, “You poooooooooor thing,” is music to their ears.

Jesus is not our sympathizer; He is our substitute, who was delivered for our offences, and raised again for our justification (Romans 4:25). He has taken our place so that we need not be ill or unsaved. If you want sympathy, the devil will give you plenty; many are captured daily by that old giant of sympathy. Sympathy and self-pity, the two of them will capture you if you allow it; they will drag you away, rob you. One giant says, “No one has ever been mistreated like you!” The other chimes in with, “You poor little lamb.” Fix the fact in your mind that you are not pitiful, for God has blessed you; you know the way to Calvary, the way to Heaven. You have a bed to sleep in; you have many things. And with God, YOU ARE WELL ABLE TO OVERCOME.

Why will you let the devil grind your face into the dirt? Why not let God speak to your heart, raise you up out of despair and depression? God will commune with you through His Holy Word as long as you listen and put His Words into action. Your Bible is God’s mouthpiece. Read the Word in the morning, throughout the day, whenever you have the opportunity. Carry a portion of God’s Word with you everywhere you go. Draw on its strength and wisdom.

While others waste time gossiping, spend your time wisely with the Word of God daily. WITH GOD YOU CAN OVERCOME.

How much time have you wasted today talking about things that did not edify, things you could do nothing about? Do you associate with people who make you happy or who depress you? Do you have friends who can elevate you in the Lord or do you have friends who talk unbelief and doubt when it comes to the things of the Lord? Does the fear of others rub off on you? These things can become giants in your life that rob you of the blessings of God. Think on the things of God.

The Giant of Indifference

The lukewarm spirit of I-don’t-care is truly a giant that leads people into disobedience. That old giant takes people to the place they don’t care if they don’t pray; it doesn’t matter if they don’t fast or live in the Word—they just don’t care.

Be alert to the giants in the land, knowing that the Lord is well able to conquer them all. “Goliath, I come after you in the name of the Lord!” David cried. “The God of Heaven will deliver you into my hands.” The Israelite soldiers were afraid of the giant. Not only were they afraid, they could not understand how David could be unafraid. They thought he just didn’t have good sense. He had better sense than them all, for he had put his problem into the hands of the Lord.

Everyone has problems. How you respond to those problems is the key to defeating the giants. Sort your problems out; put things in place, in order, and ask God to see those problems through His eyes, through His perspective. Nothing is impossible with God. Plan your life as though each day were special. Meet your problems, your giants, with the knowledge that THE OVERCOMING POWER OF THE LORD IS AVAILABLE TO YOU, and let the joy of the Lord be your strength in the face of adversity.

The Giants of Fear and Unbelief

That old giant of fear can torment you day and night. Afraid of the weather, afraid of strangers, afraid of accidents, afraid of dying, afraid of the future, you find that everything disturbs you, alarms you. You try to talk to the Lord but fear comes in, robbing you of that sweet communication. Fear takes your peace, your joy. It is the peace of God, the faith of God that will destroy the giants of doubt, of unbelief. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind (II Timothy 1:7).

The giant of unbelief kept the Israelites out of Canaan. Only two of those over the age of twenty who started out from Egypt were allowed to enter the Promised Land, and it took them and the children of the others forty years to get there. Calculations have been made showing that the Israelites could have reached the land of Canaan in eleven days, but because they were intimidated by that old giant of fear, it took them forty years.

The Giant of Hate

The giant of hate will drag off those vulnerable to him. Have you hatred for someone? Has that old hate giant found a place in your heart to hold a grudge against another, day after day? You consider yourself to be a servant of God, but as long as you carry a grudge you are really a slave. That old giant has robbed you, taken you over and is controlling you. He serves you more than God can serve you because he keeps feeding that grudge. Hate and resentment rather than the love and forgiveness of God are your nourishment. If someone has mistreated you, that giant of resentment and hate keeps feeding you the ugliness of the experience, what that person is saying or might have said, what he is doing to you or what he might do. You become obsessed with distortions that build walls between you and God. You are in a prison that bars you from GOD’S OVERCOMING POWER.

The Giants of Gossip and Deceit

That old giant of gossip enslaves some of you until you’re at your happiest when talking unkindly about others. You are so drugged by him that you don’t even realize the words you’re saying are gossip, words to hurt and tear someone else down. You talk about people as though they were sticks of wood with no feelings. I’ve known gossips who didn’t even realize their stories were gossip…deceived by that old deceiving giant. Put yourself in the other person’s place; don’t say anything about another that you wouldn’t want said about yourself.

The deceiving giant makes people look at themselves with distorted vision, convincing them that they are closer to God than they really are, assuring them they are in the right when they are in the wrong, that something helpful was said when it really was harmful. The deceiving giant tells people they are excused by God in something God actually is condemning them for. Instead of going to Heaven they are going to hell. The giant of deceit can make you believe you have God’s favor when you have God’s frown.

Self-deceit is a terrible thing. How can you know whether or not you are deceived? Look into the mirror of God’s Word and find out. There is no deceit in the Word of God. When the Word shines its light into a life, it reveals just what that life really is. Knowing this, the giant of deceit stays away from the Word; never will he lead you to the Word unless it is to take scriptures out of context. Instead he draws you to people’s opinions, their words. All of the bad and none of the good he points out to you. Wallowing in sin, you will think you are just fine if you listen to the giant of deceit.

Are you doing the will of God? Are you bearing fruit for the Lord? A tree with no fruit will be cut down, the Bible tells us, destroyed. Only through the Lord can you possess eternal life; only through God are you WELL ABLE TO OVERCOME.

The Giant Killers

Why live in the wilderness when Canaan is so close? Wilderness living is the story of many today. They’ve heard the report: giants in the land. Isn’t everyone unhappy? Isn’t everyone having it hard? The difference is that some know how to take their burdens to the Lord and leave them there. Some slay the giants and others are captured by them daily. The Giant Killer? Jesus, the living Word of God. Jesus came to this earth, conquering the devil, conquering all things for you, showing you the way to Heaven, teaching you how to trample devils underfoot with the Word of God.

What kind of person are you? Are you one who sits in the bleachers, merely observing the rise and fall of the battle? There are watchers, those who refuse to become involved, and there are fighters. David was a fighter; in the tender age of youth he didn’t appear to be a giant killer, but through the name of Jehovah God he was ABLE TO OVERCOME.

Looking into the mirror you may not see someone who appears to be a victor if you look only at self. Look into the mirror through the eye of faith and see Jesus, your strength, your help.

The soul is the part of you that will live forever; the body is going back to the dust of the earth. Only through the Word and by the power of the Holy Spirit can you see the soul. The Word of God penetrates through flesh and bone: For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). Look at your soul through the Word: is it pure, clean? If there is to be no sin in the soul, that soul must be blood washed. Only the blood of Jesus will cleanse the soul.

Know Thy Enemy

There are many giants in the land. What kinds bother you? Identify them; recognize the sort that captures you daily. Count the giants that come against you; write them down, but show your findings only to the Lord. Which ones have the most power? Which ones greet you first thing in the morning: depression, frustration, despair, self-pity, don’t-care spirit? Name them. Know your enemy. The Lord told the Israelites to spy out the land; He wanted them to realize what they were up against because God knew that if the Israelites trusted Him ANYTHING COULD BE OVERCOME.

Measure Your Giants

Don’t make decisions based on outward appearances—King Saul stood from his shoulders upward taller than any man in the Israelite army, but Saul failed God. David was just a lad. Had David put trust in physical appearances he would have never confronted the giant; but instead of measuring himself with the giant, he measured the giant to God. In that light, Goliath seemed insignificant indeed.

Many today make the mistake of measuring themselves to the giants that come against them rather than measuring the giants to the power and Word of God. Measure everything with the Word of God. The Word is your standard. So long as your vision penetrates no farther than the shadows of the giants that surround you, you will be overcome by them. Measured against the Word of God, the giants in the land become weak as water.

Victory in Jesus

How often have you been robbed; how many times have you raced back to the wilderness to find what you thought to be a refuge? The Lord has prepared a Canaan land for you; through Calvary you have victory in Jesus. Your faith, the Bible states, is the victory. What faith? The faith that God has given to you as a gift. It’s yours, GOD’S FAITH IS YOURS, and it defeats unbelief so that you can believe ALL the promises of God. God will supply all your needs according to His riches in Glory. With His faith YOU ARE WELL ABLE TO OVERCOME.

Jesus, when He was here on Earth, tried His best to teach the disciples how to be rid of the giants. Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on, He told them (Matthew 6:25). Take no thought of tomorrow. Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed as the flowers of the field. Your help cometh from the Lord. Either you will live in Him and be a part of Him or you will have much despair, great heartache and many detours, never enjoying God’s Canaan for you here on Earth.

There is OVERCOMING VICTORY in the Lord, joy and peace in Him. Wisdom, knowledge and direction are yours in the Lord. There is health in Him, health for the broken heart, healing.

Perhaps your companion has failed you and divorce seems the only solution. It isn’t the end of the world. Since you have lived righteously and your companion has not, that companion will be the one who answers to God. Don’t let the giants in the land drag you off into despair, doubt, fear, frustration and darkness; for if you do, you won’t have the light of God. The Lord’s walking with you depends on where you choose to walk. Many say they are walking with the Lord when they are not: the Lord will not walk a path like the one they are on. It is not His path.

If anyone ever had the right to despair, to fear, it would have been Jesus when He was here on Earth; but He conquered death, hell and the grave. He allowed Himself to be placed into the hands of audacious men. Think of it: the very Son of God allowed it, allowed His face to be beaten into a pulp! Isaiah the prophet tells us that His face was such a mass of raw flesh and blood that it was difficult to look upon, and yet Jesus suffered all that torture so He could conquer for you. Why would you doubt all He has done? Why would you doubt there is happiness for you? Why doubt that WITH GOD YOU ARE WELL ABLE TO OVERCOME? If you are born again, you have been born at the right time, born with the opportunity to claim all the marvelous benefits for which Christ gave His life that you might have.

Fix Your Eyes on God

The giants didn’t bother David, for his eyes were fixed on God. Not even the lions and the bears frightened him; he had a heart to trust in the Lord. Psalms and hymns of praise flowed from his lips. He saw all nature praising God. His love and praise for God defeated all the enemies around him.

How do you praise God? Have you rejoiced in the Lord today? Have you told Him how much you love and trust Him or has an army of giants come after you, surrounding you, making your life a wilderness? Some of you are in the wilderness and know it not. A wilderness isn’t only desert and barren land; a wilderness can be your daily spiritual life.

Recognize where you live. The Psalmist said, He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake (Psalm 23:2,3). David’s soul was alive, well and happy. Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God (I Samuel 17:26)? David wanted to know. The giant did not intimidate him because he knew God would live up to all the promises in His Word. With God, David was WELL ABLE TO OVERCOME. He went to war with the joy of the Lord in his heart—the Bible tells us the joy of the Lord IS our strength. A boy whose complete trust was in the Lord, a happy boy, met the giant that had terrified the whole Israelite army. David laid him out with one little stone. Doesn’t that tell you something? What God will do for one He will do for all who believe, nothing doubting.

Let the Bible talk to you; it will tell you that through the power of the Lord you can make it. Nothing can defeat those who love and trust the Lord with all their hearts. Meet the giants with the Word of God. Instead of looking to self with its inadequacies, look to God and HIS OVERCOMING POWER. Don’t consider self; consider God, the ways of God, the greatness of Him. When you begin to comprehend the greatness of God, you will know that no power can defeat you. Ponder the ways of the Almighty, His love for Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and know that that same love is yours. Daniel in the den of lions, the boys in the fiery furnace were miraculously delivered by the Lord.

God is trying to reach you; however, you must want to be reached. Some of you do not really want to be reached. You would like to be free of the trouble you’re in, but the sympathy you receive from your difficulties is more important to you than God’s delivering power. Others do their best praying after the whale swallows them, but when things are going well they forget God. Feel the urgency of the Spirit in the good times as well as the hard. Why should your “good” prayers be only emergency prayers? Allowing your prayer life to slacken in the good times will keep you from growing deeper with the Lord.

Forget self; earnestly seek the Lord for others, for the lost, the dying, the hungry, for the giants that must be defeated not only for yourself but for others. No matter how many giants come after you, know that God has promised you victory, that WITH GOD YOU ARE ABLE TO OVERCOME. Rather than wasting time looking for a hiding place, spend your time seeking more of the Lord.

The Lord is your shelter; the Lord is your high tower, your buckler. The Lord is your staff of life; the Lord is your everything. How sad that He must chase people because they do not come running to Him! He is very God and He wants to help you, but you must reach out to Him and accept His help. Start each morning by saying, “God, here I am. I’m going to walk with you today. I refuse to be afraid. Jesus, I trust you!” Start out by living one day without fear, without despair. Live just one day looking to Jesus the whole day, forgetting about those giants that surround you. Then go on to the next day, free of fear, and the next, and the next.

Open the door to Jesus instead of the giants in the land; look up and receive from the Lord. WITH THE LORD YOU CAN OVERCOME; you and the Lord can do it. Go into the land of promise and possess what is yours; the Lord promises you His peace, love and happiness. Jesus loves you. He is waiting to help you out of the unnecessary valleys, to conquer the giants; but you must work at it by using the Word of God and trusting Him completely. Use the Word—it is your sword. Victory is in Jesus, for WITH HIM YOU ARE MORE THAN ABLE TO OVERCOME ALL THE GIANTS.