Israel’s army was capable of defending the tiny nation. The army’s leader, King Saul, looked like an impressive warrior men were willing to follow into battle. Equipped for warfare and trained for battle, Israel’s army looked prepared for an encounter with the Philistine forces.
In spite of appearances, the Israelies proved woefully ill prepared for military engagement. “…Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified,” 1 Samuel 17:11. “When the Israelites saw (Goliath), they all ran from him in great fear,” 1 Samuel 17:24. They were controlled by fearful imaginations. They could only picture themselves slaughtered by the opposing army. They could not imagine themselves as victors.
A teenage shepherd named David brought supplies of food to the Israeli army encampment. As David talked with some of the soldiers, Goliath shouted his usual defiance to the army. Everyone shook in their sandals except David. He didn’t tremble with fear. Although King Saul considered him completely ill prepared to face Goliath in combat, David volunteered to fight the Philistine giant. 
True, David didn’t appear soldierly. He lacked training in military tactics and weaponry. But David was adequate for battle because he was controlled by a fearless imagination. This young shepherd recalled how the Lord helped him defeat wild animals that attacked his sheep. Memories of God’s help during dangerous times built a fearless imagination into this adolescent.
Why was David controlled by a fearless imagination while the army succumbed to a fearful one? Perhaps the answer will help us live a victorious life in these days of global terrorism and crime.
Correctly Define “Fearful”
When terrible imaginations fill our hearts with doom, we become fearful – full of fear.
Even though we feel it, fear doesn’t have to fill us. Feeling fear isn’t the same as surrendering to it. Even when it touches our emotions, fear hasn’t gained control of us -we aren’t fearful. We can feel the fear without fearing it.
We can deny fear any right to our thoughts, our imagination. We can say “no” to fear. The feeling of fear isn’t defeat. The feeling of fear is a call to believe what God says about us.
God says that He did not give us a spirit of fear ( 2 Timothy 1:7).
God says that we are as bold as lions (Proverbs 27:1).
God says that we are more than conquerors through Jesus (Romans 8:37).
Believing what God says about us, delivers us from the clutches of fear. Our imagination remains fearless. Then, we confidently apply Psalms 138:7 to ourselves. “Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes; with your right hand you save me.”
We can be fearless even when surrounded by situations that are full of fear.
Standing Guard Over Your Fearless Imagination.
The Jewish soldiers who faced Goliath about three thousand years ago stood guard around their camp. Standing guard is just part of being a soldier. But they failed to stand guard over their imagination.
We must not make the same mistake. Although the fearless spirit of the resurrected Jesus lives in us, we must guard our imagination against everything that would infect it with worldly fears.
Refuse to dwell on the world’s problems. We don’t deny that planet earth is in big trouble. We forbid the earth’s troubles to permanently lodge in the cells of our brains. Spend more time in the word of God and less time watching newscasts. Spend more time in private praise of Jesus and less time meditating on how you solve the world’s dilemmas. Attach yourself to Bible believing Christians. As we guard the fearless imagination Jesus placed in us, it becomes easier and easier to stay courageous in this crumbling world.
When attempting to control the fear we feel, the powerful word of God and the mighty Holy Spirit fortify us with Jesus’ fearlessness. Then, a fearless imagination controls us.
