You’re an Israelite scout commissioned by Moses, standing on the edge of Canaan. You squint into the setting sun, and across the valley stands a figure unlike anything you’ve ever seen.
He’s more beast than man, his silhouette towering and stark against the burning horizon. He’s an echo of something ancient… a lineage that traces back to ancient spiritual rebellion.
You and the other scouts return, faces pale, eyes wide, stammering out warnings:
"The land we explored devours those living in it…” You report. “We saw the Nephilim there…” (Numbers 13:32–33)
Apparently, the giants didn’t vanish with the floodwaters. They still walked the earth, spreading fear, violence, and spiritual darkness wherever they went.
When we think of the flood, we often assume every trace of the Nephilim was erased. But Scripture gives us some clues that hint otherwise.
Though the original Nephilim perished, something of their legacy lingered. Genesis 6 was repeated at some point: rebellious "sons of God" came again, corrupting humanity and birthing new lines of giants.
The Anakim, descendants of Anak, carried this corrupted lineage. In Deuteronomy, these giants appear frequently, called the Anakim, Emim, and Rephaim.
Anakim: Giants inhabiting the Promised Land (Numbers 13:33).
Emim & Rephaim: Fearsome giant clans defeated by Moses and Joshua (Deuteronomy 2–3).
Among the Rephaim stood Og, king of Bashan. Bashan was a land saturated in spiritual rebellion and darkness. Moses recalls their confrontation vividly:
Og, king of Bashan, was the last of the Rephaim. His bed was nine cubits long…made of iron." (Deuteronomy 3:11)
Og stood roughly thirteen feet tall. God’s command to utterly destroy such clans wasn't merely political; it was spiritual warfare, rooting out ancient evil.
The lingering shadow of these giants resurfaced again generations later in Gath, a Philistine stronghold:
"A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath… His height was six cubits and a span." (1 Samuel 17:4)
At nearly ten feet tall, Goliath embodied the spiritual rebellion of the Nephilim lineage. Goliath was a living testament to spiritual opposition and a challenge to the God of Israel.
David, a shepherd boy, approached this giant as a spiritual threat.
"David said to the Philistine, 'You come against me with sword and spear…but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty.'" (1 Samuel 17:45)
Goliath fell, a tangible sign that spiritual evil, no matter how terrifying, can and will be overcome by faith in God.
WHAT IF GOLIATH HAD A MOVIE?
So much lore can be made around the character Goliath. Would you watch an entire movie featuring him as an antihero? Watch our trailer for GOLIATH: TITAN OF GATH here.👇🏽
It’s easy to become obsessed with such fanciful and mysterious parts of the Bible. We certainly think about these things a lot.
But the Bible gives these matters very little airtime for a reason.
These giants were embodiments of a more pervasive and sinister enemy: sin.
The giants we face today aren’t towering warriors but spiritual strongholds. Addictions, bitterness, pride, and fear are the modern echoes of the Nephilim legacy.
The enemy still taunts and intimidates, and spiritual darkness still seeks to corrupt God’s creation.
Yet, just as David stood confident before Goliath, we stand confident because of Christ. His victory at the cross is absolute, offering us the power to overcome every giant we face.
The Nephilim, Anakim, Rephaim, Goliath.
They are symbols of opposition to God’s sovereignty.
They illustrate how spiritual rebellion seeks footholds in our lives.
God’s command to Israel—utterly remove these threats—applies spiritually to us today.
Confront and eliminate every stronghold that defies God’s reign.
What spiritual giants intimidate you today? Are there areas of your life controlled by fear or rebellion?
Remember, giants fall when faced with the name of Jesus. Christ equips you for battle. He calls you not to shrink back, but to boldly declare victory over darkness through Him.
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