(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
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1 Samuel 17:40–47, “And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine. And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that bare the shield went before him. And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance. And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field. Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD’S, and he will give you into our hands.”
David was a shepherd and a musician when the Lord called him to this task. He didn’t tell the Lord to wait until he could go to the military academy rather, he went as a shepherd using the skills that the Lord had already given him. He used the same weapons that he was accustomed to using as a shepherd. He used these weapons when he fought the lion and the bear so why should he change went he went to meet an unbelieving Philistine who was blaspheming the Lord. There are many, mainly sporting, competitions today where people try to “psyche” out their opponent before they begin by telling the other person what will happen during the contest. Goliath was like this; he boasted to David what he would do to him. Of course Goliath discounted the fact that David came in the Name of the Lord God of heaven and earth. Perhaps he should have been aware of the advice that king Ahab gave king Benhadad, many years later. (1 Kings 20:11, “And the king of Israel answered and said, Tell him, Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off.”) Of course Goliath didn’t really get any chance to take off his armour that day. David, however, knew that the Lord had made promises to Israel that He would fight with them when they obeyed His Law. David was faithful to the Lord and His Law so he claimed the Lord’s promises and told Goliath that this was not a battle between a giant, who had been a soldier from his childhood, and a boy who was just a shepherd. He told Goliath that this was a battle between the Lord and Dagon.
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