The battle had been won. Goliath, the feared adversary, lay dead on the ground, his head severed from his body. The Philistines had looked on in horror and then turned and fled for their lives. Then, and only then, did the Israelites shout a battle cry and charge. They chased after the Philistines and slaughtered them not to win the victory, but already victorious.

We cannot miss that point. If God is providing a picture of how Jesus defeated sin and death in this true account of David and Goliath, and if we are meant to relate with the Israelite army, we see how we are supposed to live today. We don’t strap on our spiritual armor and pick up our spiritual weapons to win the victory – Christ has gone before us and already secured it. Instead, like the Israelite army, we charge forward in victory, not for it. That is liberating, isn’t it? We are already victorious – more than conquerors in Christ. The battle is won, the victory is secure, the foe defeated. That is our battle cry.

What battles are you facing for which you need to remember Christ has gone before you and already won the victory?