Psalm 118:7

Psalm 118:7

Triumphing over our enemies

We all have had, or still have, enemies. Some people try to avoid this dilemma, they roll over and give in immediately to anyone who uses them or insults them, they desperately want to be liked or loved, and will pay any price to keep the peace or to appease their oppressors. We are not called to live that way, it is cowardly and pointless, because there are evil people out there who will just keep on hurting us, at some point we have to face our enemies and deal with them. 

As Christians we are surrounded by enemies, many of them unseen. It is important that we have a strategy to at least hold them off, and we also need to be aware that simply acknowledging Jesus Christ will cause conflict with some. Firstly, we have to establish that we are innocent, that we are not the cause of the hostility and that we can bring this matter to the Lord with a clear conscience. If this is so, then the enmity comes from the other side, and we need to decide how far we are prepared to go to appease those who oppose us. If there is no point and we know that our opponent will not back off, then it might be necessary to turn away from that relationship. There are times when it’s best to have nothing more to do with those who are antagonistic, hurtful and unkind, who seek our downfall and who we will never be able to trust again. 

If this all sounds a bit overwhelming, then listen to the words of the psalmist, “The Lord is with me; He is my helper. I look in triumph on my enemies.” Enemies are not just to be tolerated, they are to be overcome and outwitted, they are to be defied and defeated, when we realise this, it is surprising to note that many of them just slink away! They want nothing more to do with us. The battle is won!

 

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