The prison called 'self'

When Goliath, a champion from the camp of the Philistines came against Israel, Saul saw David as a youth and Goliath, a man of war from his youth. David had to convince Saul that he could go against Goliath by talking about his past victories... how he had killed a lion and a bear with his bare hands because the Lord delivered him (1 Samuel 17 verse 37). He added that Goliath will share the same fate as the lion and the bear.

Note that every other person, including Goliath himself believed that the battle was against the Israelites but David saw something else, he saw that Goliath had come against the armies of the living God!(1 Samuel 17 verse 36). David launched out trusting this God and in verse 49, David defeats Goliath.

What happens next is quite interesting, David had returned from the slaughter of Goliath when women came out from all cities of Israel, singing and dancing. Even though they came out to meet Saul, their praises were to David. They said to one another, Saul hath slain his thousands and David his ten thousands. Hearing this, Saul became very angry and verse 9 says Saul eyed David from that day forward. He became a prisoner of himself because hatred and jealousy took over. He wanted David dead and so he made several attempts at his life.

In 1 Samuel 18 verse 21, Saul gave David his daughter, Michal's hand in marriage that she may be a snare to him. He meant it for evil but verse 28 says " and Saul saw that the Lord was with David and that Michal loved him". He thought it was time for plan B, so he approached his son Jonathan and his servants to kill David, yet he failed! The bible says that Jonathan delighted much in David (1 Samuel 19 verse 2).

Saul failed as many times as he tried because David aligned himself with God. When we align ourselves with God, He protects us. The bible says that greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world. When we choose to operate based on envy or jealousy, we become prisoners of ourselves but when we choose to operate based on love, we experience true freedom.