The name of the Lord is holy and set apart. For those who follow Christ, the name of God is one which ought to be held in high regard, above all other names.
In 1 Samuel 17, Goliath, the giant warrior of the Philistines, showed little regard for the God of the Israelites. He mocked not only the armies of Israel, but their God as well. Though Goliath had his own gods by whom he cursed David, he did not count the God of Israel to be of any value.
When Goliath mocked the name of the Lord by mocking David and the Israelites, the power of God was unleashed through the most unlikely of people. As the Philistines ran for their lives, they were reminded that there is more power in the youngest and weakest of God’s children than there is in the largest and strongest of the rest of the world.
The power of God is revealed in every instance in Scripture where the name of the Lord is used. When God-fearing prophets, priests, and ordinary people call on the name of the Lord God, we see time and again the power of God put on display.
When David encountered the giant, he said, “I come against you in the name of the LORD of Armies, the God of the ranks of Israel” (1 Sam. 17:45). David knew the power of God’s name. And once again, God proved to be unwilling to be mocked and unshakable in power.
The power of the name of God is seen most notably in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Paul wrote in Philippians 2:9-11, “For this reason God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow—and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Jesus guarded God’s name in that even though He was tempted in every way, He was without sin. Jesus demonstrated the power of God’s name through His death, burial, and resurrection. That power will never fail or be defeated, and that power is yours in Christ.