If anyone had repeated cause for vengeance, it was David. Having done his best to serve King Saul, he was threatened with death. He faithfully served Israel as their king, only to be usurped and ejected from the land. His servants plotted against him, and his subjects railed curses on him. Many times in his life, David could be justified for wanting swift fire from heaven to consume his enemies.
An awesome warrior and King, David could have destroyed everyone who withstood him. He had seasoned soldiers at his beck and call, many of who would die for him, but whenever he came under personal attack, he often chose to pray for deliverance. In this psalm, he asks God to fight on his behalf, and not only does he fully expect an answer, he determines in advance to praise God for His response (vv 9-10, 18, 28). David, through his relationship with the Lord, knows a secret that Isaiah later reveals to the children of Israel:
But thus saith the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children. (Isaiah 49:25)
Today's believer should assess this psalm in the following context:
"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)" (2 Corinthians 10:3-4)
"Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." (Eph 6:11-13)
Just as David had enemies wanting his downfall, however much we try to be good and to help others, and no matter how religious we are, we have an enemy roaming the earth looking for whom he may devour (see Job 1:1, 6-11). The powers, principalities and rulers of darkness referred to in Ephesians 6 are all under the command of the devil, who has opposed mankind since creation. When people go out of their way to attack our person, we should recognise their actions for what they are - the enemy's ploy to undermine us. When sickness hits our bodies, or our finances fall under attack, we should see that these are the devil's plans to defy God and steal the glory we would otherwise give Him.
God can use some of our trials to build character in us (James 1:2-4), but as David says in verse 27 of this psalm:
...Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.
The Lord's thoughts towards us are continually good, and He desires our well-being. He created us to enjoy abundant life. When we keep this in mind, we will call on Him to fight our ultimate enemy, and stand still, praising and watching for His deliverance.
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