There is a wonderful passage of scripture in 2 Samuel 22 where David thanks and praises God for his deliverance. David had been through so many trials in his time after being anointed by Samuel to be king. He had to hide from the murderous intent of Saul. He had suffered the great indignity of his son Absalom committing treason, very nearly taking his kingdom away from him. He had battled enemies of Israel throughout his reign. In verse one we are told, “Then David spoke to the Lord the words of this song, on the day when the Lord had delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul.”
Consider these words: “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; the God of my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge; my Savior, You save me from violence. I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies” (2 Samuel 22:2-4).
It is wholly appropriate for us to apply these words to our own spiritual battles. As David was God’s chosen king, we too as Christians are the elect of God. We are promised God’s protection from the devil. Heed the words of Paul, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:10-11).
Our dependence upon our Lord can’t be overstated. Without God we are constantly in danger, “because your adversary the devil walks about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Such a truth would be terrifying to the extent of paralysis if we did not have the assurance from the Holy Spirit that we “can do all things through Christ who strengthens [us]” (Philippians 4:13).
I love Paul’s words in Romans 8. They mirror the praise offered by David in the passage we just read. “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).
Our spiritual standing is sure if we belong to the Lord. We have Jesus as our friend! “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you” (John 15:13-15). When we “go and bear fruit” for our friend, He states the sure promise of God, “that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in my name He may give you” (16).
