Enemies of Another Kind

I sigh and roll my eyes again - another psalm about people coming to kill me. Well, there couldn’t possibly be anything for me in here, on to the next one. About a year ago, this was a frequent thought when reading through King David’s writings. Then one day I stopped, because God whispered something to me that changed my view completely. “You know, not all enemies are physical.” Well, there’s a different perspective! So, I went back to the one I had begun reading in the first place and read it with a different mindset, one that saw enemies as some of the things I discussed in the last post. And, as we discussed earlier, those are enemies that can kill your heart. Sometimes, because they have killed your heart they can affect you physically, but that’s another subject.

The best part though, was yet to come. In most of these types of psalms, the writer sets the scene first. He describes the horrible things that are happening to him at the hands of those trying to kill him. Our unseen enemies do the same thing. But, then the writer leaves the subject of his enemies overwhelming him, and turns to praising God for the victory he wins over all that are pursuing him! These psalms are usually finished with praise to God who has delivered him.

What does this mean for us as we wrestle with those enemies? God will defeat those unseen enemies too! Get into His Word, claim the promises about the defeat of your enemies, draw close to Him, and watch what He will do. Of course, this doesn’t mean that we sit back and relax. God still expects us to do our part. There are times when our part is hard work. David had to fight His physical enemies at times, and we also have to fight against our enemies of doubt, bitterness, and the like. However, we are not alone. When we feel that we are losing the battle, that there just isn’t anything else we can do, God takes us further and wins the victory.

So, whatever your enemy, or maybe you struggle with several, do what you know you can do, stay close to God by seeking Him in His Word, and give the rest to Him. You’ll find yourself doing as David did, ending that battle praising God for the victory He one.

What are some of your favorite scriptures when you are facing an enemy of your heart? Which ones grow your faith the most?

Psalm 18:3 – I will call on the Lord, who is worthy if praise, for He saves me from my enemies.