The Weapon of Intimidation.

By Pastor Aaron Rios | Garden City Church | Nov 16th

There is a moment in Scripture where the noise of the enemy is so loud, so constant, and so overwhelming that it paralyzes an entire nation. It’s 1 Samuel 17—the famous standoff between David and Goliath. But if you look closer, it’s more than a children’s story about a brave boy and a big giant. It’s a spiritual blueprint revealing how the enemy uses intimidation as a weapon… and how God anoints His people to overcome it.

Fear’s First Strategy: Intimidation
Goliath never threw a punch before Israel fled in fear.
He didn’t need to.
All he had to do was shout, flex, and appear unbeatable. Scripture tells us:

“On hearing the Philistine’s words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.”
—1 Samuel 17:11

Intimidation won the battle long before the fight ever began.
Isn’t that exactly how our giants operate today?
Fear screams. Anxiety mocks. Circumstances stand tall with oversized armor and inflated threats. And before we even pray, we’re already planning our retreat.

The Hidden Parallel: Goliath & Leviathan
As I prayed over this passage, the Lord highlighted a powerful parallel: Goliath mirrors Leviathan, the biblical symbol of spiritual pride and intimidation in Job 41.

• Goliath’s scale armor echoes Leviathan’s impenetrable scales.
• Goliath appears peerless; Leviathan is described as having no equal.
• Both use fear before force, intimidation before impact.

The enemy’s greatest weapon isn’t strength—it’s the illusion of strength.
Not power—but pride dressed up as power.

Anointing Breaks Intimidation
Israel stood frozen for 40 days.
Forty days of shouting. Forty days of fear.
Forty days of thinking, “This giant is too big.”
But the moment David steps forward—anointed, confident, grounded in God’s presence—the atmosphere shifts. He doesn’t see the giant… he sees the God standing behind him.

“You come against me with sword and spear… but I come against you in the name of the Lord.”
—1 Samuel 17:45

David wasn’t the biggest, strongest, or most experienced—yet he was the most dangerous.
Why? Because intimidation collapses when it meets anointing.

Your Giant Is Loud, But It’s Not Lord
If fear has been shouting at you…If anxiety has been mocking your faith… If intimidation has been telling you to step back…
Hear this clearly:
The giant in front of you is not greater than the God within you. Pride always goes before the fall. And every Goliath ultimately bows to the name of Jesus.
You don’t defeat your battles by being bigger—you defeat them by being anointed.
By standing in the presence of God. By renewing your mind. By refusing to surrender to fear’s narrative. Step Forward!

David’s victory was not random. It was intentional.
He remembered the lion. He remembered the bear. He remembered the faithfulness of God in the hidden places.

Your past victories matter.
Your testimony matters. Your anointing matters. And today—your giant falls. Not by sword. Not by spear. Not by might. But by the Spirit of the Living God.

Take heart, the enemy’s weapon is intimidation—but your weapon is the anointing.
Stand firm.
Step forward. And watch God bring the victory.