Psalm
35
1 Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me;
fight against those who fight against me.
2 Take up shield and buckler;
arise and come to my aid.
3 Brandish spear and block the way
against those who pursue me.
Say to my soul,
"I am your salvation."
Psalm 35 seems to be a discourse on revenge, asking God to destroy those who were against David. This does not seem to be a very Christian concept – on the surface. Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you does not appear to match David’s prayer here. But we do need to remember that we are in a spiritual battle, and that is indeed a Christian concept. Paul is clear that we are to “stand against the devil’s schemes.” Ephesians 6 states: 10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
Those who “contend against” us are the minions of our enemy. Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but it is against evil. If we do not take a stand, we are abandoning those we love into the enemy’s influence and deceptions. David is also clear, as Psalm 35 continues, that those who are against him are spreading lies and making false claims. Who is the father of lies? To call God to action side by side with us, to ask Him to take up the spear and shield on our behalf, is a perfectly appropriate prayer. Somewhere along the way, Christians have adopted an attitude of passivity as if that is the meaning of love and grace. We have bought into the false idea that confronting evil is tantamount to judging others, and that we will be held accountable for making those judgments. No! Jesus was anything but passive! Check out His confrontations of the religious leaders, and His stand against all hypocrisy, and then see if your picture of a passive Jesus is accurate. Ask, seek and knock are action verbs, and so is taking a stand. We are called to action, not passivity. We are partners with God in the battle. Stand on the truth of God and stand firmly against the enemy’s schemes. Let us as Christians never forget that we are in an all-out war.
1 Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me;
fight against those who fight against me.
2 Take up shield and buckler;
arise and come to my aid.
3 Brandish spear and block the way
against those who pursue me.
Say to my soul,
"I am your salvation."
Psalm 35 seems to be a discourse on revenge, asking God to destroy those who were against David. This does not seem to be a very Christian concept – on the surface. Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you does not appear to match David’s prayer here. But we do need to remember that we are in a spiritual battle, and that is indeed a Christian concept. Paul is clear that we are to “stand against the devil’s schemes.” Ephesians 6 states: 10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
Those who “contend against” us are the minions of our enemy. Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but it is against evil. If we do not take a stand, we are abandoning those we love into the enemy’s influence and deceptions. David is also clear, as Psalm 35 continues, that those who are against him are spreading lies and making false claims. Who is the father of lies? To call God to action side by side with us, to ask Him to take up the spear and shield on our behalf, is a perfectly appropriate prayer. Somewhere along the way, Christians have adopted an attitude of passivity as if that is the meaning of love and grace. We have bought into the false idea that confronting evil is tantamount to judging others, and that we will be held accountable for making those judgments. No! Jesus was anything but passive! Check out His confrontations of the religious leaders, and His stand against all hypocrisy, and then see if your picture of a passive Jesus is accurate. Ask, seek and knock are action verbs, and so is taking a stand. We are called to action, not passivity. We are partners with God in the battle. Stand on the truth of God and stand firmly against the enemy’s schemes. Let us as Christians never forget that we are in an all-out war.
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