Loving God #5—Deliverance From Enemies

David sang, “I love you, O Yahweh, my strength, my craggy summit, my fortress, and my deliverer. You are my God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield and the weapon that saves me. I call upon Yahweh, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.” Psalm 18:1–3

David, the warrior-king, understood that, as good as he was, he succeeded and survived because he loved his God so much that he put his life in his hands. So he urges us all: “Yahweh is near to all who genuinely seek his help. He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. Yahweh preserves all who love him” We might not have the same kind of enemies David faced while he reigned as Israel’s king. But death and the devil oppose us at every turn. Our adversary, the devil, prowls around, seeking to destroy our faith; and the threat of death (physical and metaphorical) can generate a desperate fear. So loving God is critically important if we want to survive and succeed when we encounter these enemies. How should we express our love for God in the face of these enemies? The same way David did. We ask for his help. Then the God who defeated death by raising Jesus from the dead will guard our hearts and minds, dispelling our fear. Then the risen Lord, who rendered Satan powerless to do us any lasting harm, will mercifully provide the grace we need to defeat his attempts to cause us to abandon our commitment to follow Jesus in the obedience of faith.

Lord, I call on you, for you have promised to sustain me and to rescue my soul from the battle.