How To Make It Through The Battle

HOW TO MAKE IT THROUGH THE BATTLE?--PSALM 20

Introduction: Psalm 20 and 21 go together. Both are Battle songs. The 20th psalm precedes the battle and the 21st follows the battle. Psalm 20 is a Psalm of Prayer for the Battle, while Psalm 21 is praise for the victory of the battle. Psalm 20 Anticipates victory, Psalm 21 reflects on the victory. This Psalm was written by David probably during the period of his many wars recorded in II Samuel chapter 8-10. David was the warring King. His sword may have been worn, but at least it was not rusty.

This Psalm records an intercessory prayer for the king just before he encounters the enemy in battle. One thing is for certain, battles will arise. Therefore we must have the goods to get us through the hard times. I want to show you what kept David through the battles.

I. A SUSTAINING FACT - vs. 1 “The Lord hear thee...”

A. It is always enouraging to know that the Lord not only hears our prayers, but is also ready to help.

B. Jesus said in John 15:7 “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be

done unto you.”

1. The secret here is the little word “if”.

2. Affirmative answers in prayer are always conditional.

C. I John 5:14-15 “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he

heareth us: and if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we

desired of him.”

1. The first condition was “abide”.

2. The second condition is “according to his will.”

D. The key to answered prayer is holy living and discernment of the will of God.

E. If we abide in him, and he in us, and we ask according to his will, then we know that what we ask will be

granted. This is a sustain fact.

F. There is always hope no matter what the situation because we have of prayer. No matter what the battle, no

matter who the enemy every child of God can still pray.

II. A STRENGTHENING FORCE - vs. 2 “strengthen thee”

A. The strength of the Lord is the Force that can take you through a battle.

1. It is always sufficient for any situation.

2. Paul learned this valuable lesson in regard to “his thorn in the flesh”.

3. He asked the Lord three times to remove it, but he got a “no” every time.

4. And then the Lord said, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”

B. When we are weakest in the flesh, the power of God becomes the strongest in the Spirit. This is why Paul could

say later, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

C. Too many times in battles we try to go in our own power. We will fail every time. The Only way to make

through battles is to rely on the strengthening power of God.

III. A STEADY FAITH - vs. 7 “We will remember the name of the Lord our God”

A. Faith flourishes on past blessings.

B. If you know what God has done in the past, then you have a good indication of what he will do in the future.

C. Too many Christians fall in the battle because they fail to realize who their God is.

1. We are living in dangerous times, we need to remember the name of the Lord our God.

2. Jesus told the Pharisees, “Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures.” And many of God’s people lack enduring

faith simply because they do not know and therefore cannot claim the promises of God.

3. When we, like Israel, recognize that we do not have the equipment nor man power to fight our enemies, then

we will learn to lean completely on God for our victories. “If God be for us, who can be against us.”

D. “We will Remember”

1. If we could only commit the Word of God to memory, we would be better equipped for our battles.

2. The Key to Success in the Work of God is the Kind of Studying we do in the Word of God.

E. The way to make it through the Battle is to remember the name of the Lord our God.

IV. A SECURED FOE - vs. 8 “They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright.”

A. One spiritual principle that the average Christian has never understood is that they think that Satan still has the

upperhand in all earthly things. This is not so.