Nephilim & Giants: Overcome the Spirits of Exile

The giants were an abomination, the offspring of rebellious angels who had a wicked appetite.

They were endowed with otherworldly DNA, causing their strength to go unmatched. The name given to them by the writer of Genesis is Nephilim, which consists of the Hebrew root word Nephal and yim, meaning fallen ones. The word Nephilim means fallen, attributing them to the progeny of fallen angels. The Nephilim were infused with the rebellious nature of the fallen watchers and were operating out of the same defiance toward God’s edenic agenda that the serpent displayed in the garden. The fallen angels had the same effect on humanity that the serpent had in the garden, exile from the land where God’s presence dwells.

Goliath’s name meant exile. Goliath was a literal manifestation of the spirit that causes exile. What does exile mean? Exile is the enemy’s plan to keep you out of your promised land. It is the seed of the serpent causing you to be driven out of God’s garden. The giants are currently possessing your promised land, and it is time to recognize this secret agenda of the enemy and cross over into your promise.

We must realize that our promised land is not void of enemy occupants. God warned the Israelites of the process by which He planned to remove the enemies who were occupying Canaan. He commanded the Israelites, “Then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, destroy all their engraved stones, destroy all their molded images, and demolish all their high places” (Num. 33:52). He also warned them, “But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it shall be that those whom you let remain shall be irritants in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall harass you in the land where you dwell” (v. 55).

Fast-forward from Moses to the time of David, and we still see Israel fighting off these giants when David squared off against a formidable foe, Goliath.

Goliath and every other giant were physical manifestations of the seed of the serpent. The secret of the watchers gives us a glimpse into the enemy’s playbook. You may think that the giants are a thing of the past. And, yes, I do not see any evidence of physical giants returning; however, the spiritual realities of these giants are just as threatening today as ever. If you are going to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to this world, God is asking you to have eyes to see the giants. I see the Lord making a proclamation against the giants that have troubled you.

Speak, and say, “Thus says the Lord God: ‘Behold, I am against you, O Pharaoh king of Egypt, O great monster who lies in the midst of his rivers, who has said, “My River is my own; I have made it for myself.” But I will put hooks in your jaws, and cause the fish of your rivers to stick to your scales; I will bring you up out of the midst of your rivers, and all the fish in your rivers will stick to your scales’” (Ezekiel 29:3-4).

It Takes A Different Spirit

Before Israel moved into the Promised Land, Moses, their national leader, picked twelve spies from the tribes of Israel to go into and spy out the land of Canaan. They were sent in with a mission.

Then Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said to them, “Go up this way into the South, and go up to the mountains, and see what the land is like: whether the people who dwell in it are strong or weak, few or many; whether the land they dwell in is good or bad; whether the cities they inhabit are like camps or strongholds; whether the land is rich or poor; and whether there are forests there or not. Be of good courage. And bring some of the fruit of the land.” Now the time was the season of ripe grapes (Numbers 13:17–20).

From their deliverance from Egypt to the wars of Moses and the harsh realities of wilderness life, Israel has faced threat after threat. Despite all these challenges, Israel was about to face something they had only heard of in legends.

Then they told him, and said: “We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there” (Numbers 13:27–28).

The “descendants of Anak” were a clan from the giants that possessed the Promised Land. As the twelve spies returned from the Promised Land, the news of the Anakim posed an incredible threat to the tribes of Israel. Attempting to awaken bravery in the weary travelers, one of the twelve named Caleb spoke, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it” (v. 30). This was not enough to convince the tribes as the other spies who stood by challenged Caleb’s faith with a message of fear:

And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight” (Numbers 13:32–33).

This is perhaps one of the most transparent fear statements in all the Scriptures, “We were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.” Their view of themselves became so insignificant, it caused a spiritual reality to form in the enemy’s perspective. This is huge. How you perceive yourself will determine your enemy’s perception of you! Not every spy had this inferiority mentality. Joshua and Caleb were different.

But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: “The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey.’ Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them” (Numbers 14:6–9).

The secret of the watchers revealed the enemy’s plan to exile you from your destiny and keep you from the promised land. The fallen angels had brought forth giants that began to possess and devour the land chosen for God’s people. You may not realize the enemy’s goal is not just to give you a bad day, but he wants to possess your promised land. It is vital that you understand the powers, principalities, and rulers of darkness have brought forth giants to devour and intimidate you, keeping you out of the promised land. It’s time to take back the land God has called you to. It’s time to face the giants that have been possessing your land.

It is time to stand up like Caleb and Joshua, and proclaim over your giants, “They are our bread” (Numbers 14:9). While the giants may be looking at you, like you’re their next meal, you need to look right back at them, like they are your bread. The only way to face the giants is with a different spirit. God spoke about Caleb in this way, “But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it” (Numbers 14:24). This sounds to me like God was saying, “Caleb has a giant man’s spirit in a normal man’s body.” It is time you start seeing yourself as bigger than the giants you are facing!