"O LORD, oppose those who oppose me.  Fight those who fight against me.  Put on your armor, and take up your shield.  Prepare for battle, and come to my aid.  Lift up your spear and javelin against those who pursue me. Let me hear you say, "I will give you victory!"  Bring shame and disgrace on those trying to kill me; turn them back and humiliate those who want to harm me.Wake up! Rise to my defense!  Take up my case, my God and my Lord.  Declare me not guilty, O Lord my God, for you give justice.  Don't let my enemies laugh about me in my troubles.  25 Don't let them say, "Look, we got what we wanted! Now we will eat him alive!"  May those who rejoice at my troubles be humiliated and disgraced."  -King David

You and I were not created to engage into every fight. 
 

David didn't fight every battle.  He understood the balance of knowing which enemies to fight and which enemies God would defeat and defend his throne (authority) if he simply stood still. 

Goliath taunts the Israelites with words for 40 days and David slays him.

King Saul tries to kill him with a javelin and David refuses to touch the Lord's "anointed."

Why the contrast? Because God's javelin was bigger than any weapon in David's artillery (of retaliation.)  There are many battles we engage with the armor of men without ever consulting our Commander in Chief and putting on His "whole armor."

But as leaders, we cannot live with perpetual war in our heart.   God designed our heart as a dwelling place for His Spirit and if you are easily offended or constantly trying to "get somebody back" you will distract the Presence and flow of God in your life.

David could have easily killed Saul, multiple times, while sleeping or awake but he refused.  He was superior and skilled in war (anointed by God.)   The maidens recognized this as they would sing on their return to camp, "Saul has killed his thousands, but David his ten thousands." 

He killed Goliath, a giant that Saul refused to face.  Yet he wouldn't touch a hair on Saul's head, instead fleeing from the king to avoid a fight (stretching his hand against a spiritual leader) that would compromise his anointing to be next predecessor and king. 

He told Saul in 1 Sam 26:23:  "The Lord rewards every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness; for the Lord delivered you into my hands today, but I would not stretch forth my hand against the Lord's anointed." (Also see I Sam. 24)

But his consequent reward, fame, success and prosperity did not come overnight.  For several years, David endured:

• Living in caves with men that didn't have anything:

"SO DAVID departed and escaped to the cave of Adullam: and when his brothers and all his father's house heard it, they went down there to him.   And everyone in distress or in debt or discontented gathered to him, and he became a commander over them. And there were with him about 400 men."  (1 Sam. 22:1-2)

• Living in places where the inhabitants hated him.

"BUT DAVID said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape into the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will despair of seeking me any more within the borders of Israel, and I shall escape out of his hand.   So David arose and went over with the 600 men who were with him to Achish son of Maoch, king of Gath.  The time David dwelt in the Philistines' country was a year and four months (1 Sam. 27:1-2, 7.)" 

• Lamenting on the casualties, losses and days it took for God to bring the promise of his throne (anointing) to pass:

 "King David said to his servants, Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel? And I am this day weak, though anointed [but not crowned] king;" (2 Sam 3:38-39)

Until history records that day by day men kept coming to David to help him, until there was a great army like the army of God to turn the kingdom of Saul to him. (1 Chr. 12:21-22)

King David had every right to protect himself from Saul's persistent physical attacks and threats. 

But his life perspective was: "As the Lord lives, [He] will smite him; or his day will come to die or he will go down in battle and perish. The Lord forbid that I should raise my hand against the Lord's anointed" (I Sam 26:10.)

• What is your life perspective?  (Is it to fight every battle that comes, no matter who starts it?)
• Are you easily distracted by attacks on your life?  (When we are under pressure, we can easily revert to bad habits or instincts.)
• What are the precedents that exist to make that decision to respond today? 
• What kinds of loss, separation, lawsuits, decisions, actions, and terminations have come before you in similar situations? 
• What were the consequences? 

You must remember the precedents.

Dictionary.com defines a "precedent" as: any act, decision, or case that influences or serves as a guide or justification for subsequent situations.  

It is a significant example, model, pattern or standard that has come before in order to face a challenge.