Psalm 18 | Fight My Battles
He rescued me from my strong enemy and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me.
Today’s Scripture: Psalm 18:16-19 (ESV)
Marine recruits who arrive on Parris Island, SC, face one of the most difficult boot camps in the US Armed Forces. To prepare for being deployed anywhere around the world they go through a grueling physical and mental training regimen.
Once they near the end of boot camp, the recruits are challenged with a demanding fifty-four-hour field exercise known as The Crucible. The Crucible puts them through numerous combat situations, forty-eight miles of marching while deprived of food and sleep! By the time they complete The Crucible the Marines have gained the confidence they need to face any battle.
Just like those Marines, it’s inevitable that we too will be confronted with battles of our own. But, unfortunately, many of us will not be spiritually prepared when they come, leading to a devastating outcome.
In Psalm 18, we see that the Lord led David to a great victory despite him being outmatched by his enemies. And, from his song, he demonstrates to us two ways we can prepare ourselves spiritually for battle.
Prioritize Your Relationship With the Lord
In Psalm 18, after David achieved this final victory over his enemies, he took time to compose this song to reflect on the way the Lord delivered him from this long, trying season of opposition.
In David’s words, we see that his relationship with the Lord was the foundation he clung to during his season of trials. David looked to the Lord as a refuge from his troubles and as his deliverer from enemies who set the snares of death before him.
David declared that “[The Lord] brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me” (Psalm 18:19).
So why did the Lord delight in David? Well, we see it was because he was righteous (Psalm 18:20), he kept the ways of the Lord (Psalm 18:21), and he kept himself from sin (Psalm 18:23). Although we may recall periods from David’s life that he didn’t seem to fully live up to this standard, he was positionally righteous because of his faith in God.
During times of challenge and battles, we need to intentionally prioritize our relationship with the Lord. When our heart is close to the Lord our deepest desires and actions become increasingly aligned with his. And when this is the case, our battles and the Lord’s become as one. Our battles will be his—and His will become ours! We will also spend quality time in His Word and pursue purity in our hearts and our deeds.
Not only do we need to prioritize our relationship with the Lord, but we also need to seek the Lord’s lead during our troubles.
Follow the Lord’s Lead
In verses 16-17, we see David proclaiming that it was the Lord who rescued him and gave him victory over his enemies. David humbly acknowledges that his enemies hated him and were “too mighty” (Psalm 18:17) for him. He was at the end of himself and felt as though he was drowning. Yet, he declares that “The Lord took me; he drew me out of many waters” (Psalm 18:16).
The Lord made His heavenly presence known in a tangible, powerful way. David describes this, figuratively, as the Lord uttering His voice with “hailstones and coals of fire” (Psalm 18:13), and sending out arrows and flashes of lightning and routing them (Psalm 18:14). The Lord was indeed intervening on David’s behalf.
At the close of the Psalm, David gives God the credit saying He “delivered me from my enemies; yes, you exalted me above those who rose against me; you rescued me from the man of violence” (Psalm 18:48).
So often when we are deeply engaged in battle, we rely only on our wisdom besides an occasional prayer here and there. David’s example shows us that when we have drawn near to the Lord and He to us, we can confidently follow the Lord’s lead. He will fight the battle on our behalf. What a freeing thought that is! And the Lord will work in the situation till His will is done. And this is a good thing, as David says, “This God – his way is perfect” (Psalm 18:30).
Are you currently in the midst of a wearisome battle right now? Perhaps, like David, you feel overwhelmed and certain to lose the fight. The good news is that, like David, we can be spiritually prepared by prioritizing our relationship with the Lord and yielding our battle to Him. God will make a way!
Oh Father, what a privilege it is to know that you are not just only an exalted, powerful Lord of the universe, but that you also are lovingly active in our individual lives. We thank you for Christ who has already won the ultimate battle over sin and death. In honor of that, I pray that we would pursue righteous lives, seeking to be more like Jesus each day.
I pray you would prepare us for the day and season of difficulty that we are sure to face. And when that day comes, I pray that we would let you direct us in your will and let you lead in our next steps. We are confident that your path is perfect. I pray you would encourage those who are discouraged—that they would look to you to be their refuge and salvation. We pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen.
One thought on “Psalm 18 | Fight My Battles”
Comments are closed.