Yet there stands Goliath, monstrous in his pride, swollen with his earthly power, confident that he can do everything by himself, with his head, hands and entire body clad in much bronze, having his own armor bearer behind him who, though he does not himself fight, nevertheless furnishes this Goliath with all kinds of aid in bronze and iron. And it is not surprising if Scripture, foreseeing our present situation, comments appropriately when it says, The Philistines were standing on top of the mountain on this side, since the individual who is attacking the [Pelagian] heresy^[1] is now being banished from the church, while the heretic is found to be nourished at its very breast! Because of this, it is so stated by the Holy Spirit that on the other side Israel was standing, while on this side, the enemy. And such is often the way. For even King David, who was always the righteous father toward his unrighteous son, having laid aside his royal robes, was forced to flee from Jerusalem, whereupon the tyrant Absalom immediately entered.^[2] There now stands Goliath—oh, what sorrow!—on this side, that is, within the church; and he not only stands but even offers challenges. And at the same time, over the course of many days, he reproaches holy Israel for its well-known fear of God. DEFENSE AGAINST THE PELAGIANS 2.^[3]

Goliath had the external protection of his glittering breastplate and shield; David shone from within with the grace of the Spirit. This is why a boy prevailed over a man, this is why the one wearing no armor conquered the one fully armed, this is why the shepherd’s hand crushed and destroyed the bronze weapons of war.

The whole nation of the faithful Hebrews was saying to their Lord and Savior who would be born from their seed, as they sighed for his advent with earnest desire, Take these, I beg you, to refresh and aid your people in spiritual warfare. They are your brothers because you deigned to be born from their midst according to the flesh. Amid their camps worn out by daily warfare, take, I say, the form of perfect humility in the body and guardianship of the law, although you in no wise need to submit voluntarily to its demands. For the parched grain refers to a distressed spirit and a contrite and humiliated heart. The ephah is a measure which holds three amphoras and points to the spirit, soul and body perfected and joined together by humility—whether of our Lord or of each of the elect. This parched grain of humility appeared in the Lord by his own power and volition so that he might build the same in us, but really such humility cannot be brought about except by being placed between the upper and lower grindstones, that is, through fear and hope. Now the ten loaves brought by David clearly point to the food that comes from keeping the decalogue, which we have not by our own powers but by the gift of giver. After he himself was placed under the law for us, he also made the burdens of the law bearable, just as by his humility (which he did not have to show) he taught us to be humble because of the great debt which we will never be able to pay back. But turn, he says, to the gentleness of the decalogue, full of milk (so to say). Just as it is well suited for infants to build up the vigor of their spiritual minds, so it can also refresh and comfort every great and outstanding general of the heavenly army. For after our longed-for Lord, mighty in deed, gave bread and barley groats to his brothers, he brought down cheese to the commander. This occurred after he showed the example of his patience and humility before the magistrates of the Jews and after he did not abolish but fulfilled the commandments of the law and prophets and commanded them to his disciples. These he established and appointed as rulers of the church. He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.^[1]

As David came, he found the Jewish people located in the valley of Terebinth in order to fight against the Philistines, because Christ the true David was to come in order to lift up the human race from the valley of sins and tears. They stood in a valley facing the Philistines. They were in a valley, because the weight of their sins had pressed them down. However, they were standing but did not dare to fight against their adversaries. Why did they not dare to do so? Because David who typified Christ had not yet arrived. It is true, dearly beloved. Who was able to fight against the devil before Christ our Lord freed the human race from his power? Now the word David is interpreted as strong in hand; and what is stronger, brothers, than he who conquered the whole world, armed with a cross but not a sword? Furthermore, the children of Israel stood against their adversaries for forty days. Because of the four seasons and the four parts of the world, those forty days signify the present life in which the Christian people do not cease to fight against Goliath and his army, that is, the devil and his angels. Moreover, it would be impossible to conquer, if Christ the true David had not come down with his staff which is the mystery of the cross. Truly, the devil was free before the advent of Christ, dearly beloved; but at his coming Christ did to him what is recorded in the Gospel: No one can enter the strong man’s house, and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man.^[1] For this reason Christ came and bound the devil.

If you don’t mind, however, let us refer to a theme in our preaching earlier, so that by bringing the whole story to mind we may learn that nothing is stronger than the person protected by help from on high, and nothing is more vulnerable than the person deprived of this help, surrounded though he may be with countless armies. So this man David, quite young though he was and living in his father’s house on account of his immaturity, heard the call of destiny for his virtue to become conspicuous; he was urged by his father to observe his brothers; he obeyed and was sent off to them. So, after coming on the scene to observe them, he saw the battle line drawn against the foreigner Goliath and the whole people of Saul’s company withdrawing in fright and the king himself placed in particular danger. For a while he was happy to be an onlooker and went to see the strange and unusual sight of one person pitted against so many thousands. But his brothers could not tolerate the manliness of his bearing; they were moved to hatred and said to him, Have you come for no other reason than to see the war. You haven’t really come to observe us.

Notice, however, his good sense and great restraint. Instead of saying anything rash to them, anything harsh, he extinguished the flame of their hatred; he mollified their hatred by saying, Isn’t it only a word? I mean, surely you haven’t observed me taking position in the ranks? I simply wanted to watch and find out the source of this man’s extraordinary frenzy. After all, who is this foreigner who reproaches the ranks of the living God? Then, on hearing the man’s awful arrogance and the unspeakable cowardice of those who had gone with Saul, he said, What will be given to the man who cuts off his head? He showed great boldness of spirit through these words and caused amazement in every one. Realizing this, Saul sent for the young man, who had experience of nothing other than shepherding, and when he saw his age he made fun of him. Then he learned from him how he dealt with bears when they raided his flocks; you see, this remarkable young man was obliged to describe this, not out of a wish to blow his own trumpet but because he had no choice if the king was to be inspired with courage and to have regard not for the poor impression he gave but for the faith concealed within him and the assistance from on high that made the young man stronger than the grown-ups, the unarmed stronger than the armed men, the shepherd than the soldiers.