In 2007, the New England Patriots were in the midst of a historic season, chasing the second-ever perfect NFL season – and I could not have been more thrilled to be part of it.
We were confident. We were doing everything right. And we weren’t just winning, we were dominating nearly every game.
During my rookie season a few years before, we had won the Super Bowl. But this season felt even more special. We didn’t think anyone was going to be able to take us down.
In many ways, we were the Goliath of the NFL that season. And like the Philistine champion depicted in 1 Samuel 17, no one seemed capable of challenging us.
Then came the last week of the regular season when we faced the New York Giants.
By this time, we had already made the playoffs and believed we were well on our way to our second Super Bowl in four years. However, we wanted more. We wanted the perfect season.
But from the start of the game, something was different about this team. They weren’t scared of us. They weren’t backing down. They had resolve, they had determination, and they had confidence to take us on. We could see it in their eyes.
In what became the preview to the Super Bowl matchup a few weeks later, the Giants fought hard and led most of the game. But in the fourth quarter, we pulled ahead and ultimately won 38-35, completing our 16-0 regular season.
Even with the loss, the Giants didn’t walk away beat down. If anything, they were emboldened. They knew we weren’t unbeatable. While we may have won that night, the story wasn’t over.
“Who Is This Uncircumcised Philistine?”
The story of David and Goliath from 1 Samuel 17 may be one of the most common Sunday school stories of all time. It is full of life lessons and practical applications to children, adults, new Christians, and lifelong Christians alike. And in this case, it shows us how we as pro-life Christians should approach the abortion industry.
Let me set the stage for you…
Throughout the Old Testament, the Israelites and the Philistines were constantly in conflict. In this particular run-in, the Philistines made an offer: send your best warrior to go against our best warrior in a winner-take-all duel.
Sounds more appealing than a full battle, right?
But there was a problem with this offer… the Philistines had a warrior named Goliath.
Scholars have debated over how tall Goliath was when the Bible says he was “six cubits and a span.” Some say nearly 10 feet, others say it was closer to seven feet. Regardless of his exact height, it’s safe to say that Goliath was a massive, intimidating human being. He’s someone you want on your football team rather than the other team.
Understandably, no one in the Israelite army was jumping at the opportunity to take on Goliath. In fact, we are told that they were “dismayed and terrified.”
For 40 days, Goliath went out to the field each morning and evening and openly challenged the Israelite army – but no one stood up to fight him.
Then, a young man named David arrived at the Israelite camp, sent by his father to bring supplies to his older brothers. When David heard Goliath’s challenges and insults to the Israelite army, he wasn’t scared.
“Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” David asked of the army.
In other words, “Who does this guy think he is?”
Rather than just complaining about Goliath and pointing to how cowardly the soldiers were for not standing up, he volunteered to fight Goliath himself.
Think about it… David wasn’t even part of the army. He wasn’t really supposed to be there. He was a shepherd boy who was only at the frontlines to give supplies to his brothers. But he had the boldness, the courage, and the resolve to raise his hand and defend God when no one else would.
Unlike every other soldier, David didn’t believe Goliath was unbeatable. He had confidence – not in himself, but in God.
King Saul offered David armor and a sword, but none of it fit him. Instead, David chose to go to the battlefield armed with his sling and five smooth stones from a stream.
When Goliath saw David approaching, he mocked and insulted him. David responded with a powerful statement appearing in verses 45-47 – which says in part:
“You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down… All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s and he will give all of you into our hands.”
Then, the battle began.
The Resolve to Defeat the Abortion Industry
The abortion industry is massive. They are intimidating. And they come to the battlefield with their “champion,” Planned Parenthood.
Like Goliath’s enormous height and strong armor, Planned Parenthood stands over 600 clinics tall and is armed with a budget of over $1.6 billion. Moreover, they have an army of allies in the government, businesses, local communities, and even the church.
And like Goliath and the 2007 New England Patriots, many believe they cannot be defeated. But that’s not where the stories end.
In the rematch between the New England Patriots and the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII, the Giants came in as 12-point underdogs.
But yet again, the Giants were not afraid. They boldly stepped onto the field and played as hard as they could. They had courage. They had resolve. And at the end of this modern-day story of David and Goliath, they did what was thought to be impossible, and (sadly, for me and my teammates) defeated the Patriots.
When the original battle of David and Goliath began, Samuel tells us that David “ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him.” He then drew a stone from his bag and slung it toward Goliath. The stone struck Goliath on the forehead, and he fell.
With one stone and a sling, David did what was thought to be impossible and defeated Goliath.
In the same way, the story of how Planned Parenthood and the abortion industry is defeated is not over.
So often, we are like the Israelite army and look toward the abortion industry in fear. We are like the teams who played the Patriots and give in before the battle even starts. In fear, we accept that we don’t have what it takes to truly make a difference.
But like David and the New York Giants, we must change our attitude and our approach to the abortion industry.
Instead of fear, we should approach the abortion industry with confidence. We should be angered and motivated to action by the abortion industry killing innocent preborn children. We should boldly and courageously take a stand and volunteer ourselves to enter the fight.
One of the quotes we use at Human Coalition all the time is from Hudson Taylor, the great missionary to China. He said: “There are three stages to every great work of God; first it is impossible, then it is difficult, then it is done.”
Simply put, with God, nothing is impossible. Like Goliath, the abortion industry is not unbeatable.
The only question to ask yourself is: Will you be the one to take a stand?
Will you raise your hand to defend preborn children – even if no one else in your family, your community, or your church follows? Will you confidently step out in faith to speak up against the culture of death? Will you have the resolve to stay in the fight despite adversity?
It won’t be easy. It will take the resolve and courage of David. It will take the determination of the 2007 New York Giants.
But with your support, the pro-life movement will defeat Goliath.
Learn more about how you can take a stand: https://www.humancoalition.org/get-involved/.