How To Respond When The Enemy Attacks
Psalm 62:1-7
Two weeks ago we saw the largest terror attack on US soil since September 11th 2001. A man who swore allegiance to ISIS walked into a nightclub and killed 49 people while wounding 53 others. Since that day our leaders have seemed to focus on everything except for the real threat.
When a nation or some other people group is attacked, it is imperative to address the proper enemy. This is true in the Christian life as well. We are often attacked by our scheming adversary, Satan. The Word of God tells us to “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” - (1 Peter 5:8). When Satan attacks, we must be ready to respond and we must respond appropriately.
In Psalm 62 King David is facing a great attack from many enemies. We are told of his distress in 2 Samuel 15:30, “And David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet, and wept as he went up, and had his head covered, and he went barefoot: and all the people that was with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up”.
David is enduring a revolt that is being led by his own son Absalom. Absalom is seeking to forcefully ascend his father's throne. In a situation like this you may think that David would have been bitter, angry, or questioning God. But when you examine his response you see that David uses this occasion to sing praises unto the Lord.
How could David be so positive in a situation like this? How could he praise the Lord when everything was falling apart? In spite of his many troubles, David remembered who was ultimately in control.
As we examine his response to his adversaries and adversity we see how we can respond in those times when we are attacked in this life. There is no escaping the reality that there will be times when you are attacked without cause. How can you survive in times like this? This Psalm shows us that we must wait patiently, walk prayerfully and worship passionately. Let’s begin in verses 1-4 and see that when the enemy attacks we must:
I. WAIT PATIENTLY
v3 How long will ye imagine mischief against a man? ye shall be slain all of you: as a bowing wall shall ye be, and as a tottering fence. 4 They only consult to cast him down from his excellency: they delight in lies: they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah.
Many enemies were coming against David and seeking his life. They saw him as a broken-down wall and their plan was to remove him from the throne, Some of his closest friends had betrayed him and begun to tell lies and slander his name. Some continued to praise him to his face while they spoke evil against him behind his back. Not everyone had turned against him, some remained loyal to their King, but many had turned and pledged allegiance to Absalom. One such man was David’s trusted advisor Ahithophel. By this point he has betrayed him and joined ranks with Absalom. Also his servant Ziba had falsely accused David’s beloved companion Mephibosheth of abandoning him as well.
Have you ever been in a similar situation? Have you endured those times when it seemed as if you had been left to fight your battles alone? It seems that we have all lived through seasons where we felt that we could not trust anyone. Some of you may be in that situation as we speak. If so, you probably would like to know how to respond. Let me encourage you to follow the example of King David and respond by waiting upon the Lord.
Psalms 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen; I will be exalted in the earth.
Have you ever noticed that in the most difficult seasons of life, it seems that there is always someone who wants to kick you while you are down? Trust me, David could relate. In this devastating period of his life he was verbally attacked by a man named Shimei.
2 Samuel 16:5 And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, thence came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera: he came forth, and cursed still as he came. 6 And he cast stones at David, and at all the servants of king David: and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left. 7 And thus said Shimei when he cursed, Come out, come out, thou bloody man, and thou man of Belial: 8 The LORD hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and the LORD hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son: and, behold, thou art taken in thy mischief, because thou art a bloody man.
What a vicious assault! What makes Shimei’s actions even more detestable is that he would never have cursed the King when he was on the throne. However, he knew that David was fleeing his adversaries, and he took this opportunity to attack the King. One of David’s servants named Abishai witnessed this confrontation, and he sought vengeance against Shimei. But, instead of seeking vengeance, David patiently handled the situation, he continued on his journey even as Shimei cast (literal) stones at him.
It is natural for us to want vengeance concerning our enemies. However, when we take matters into our own hands we typically make matters much worse. If you are facing an attack from someone, if you have been betrayed by close friends, if you are being slandered by your enemies. Wait patiently and trust the Lord to handle those who would come against you. Listen to what Paul says in Romans 12:17-21:
“Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.”
The proper way for us to respond when enemies attack us is to wait patiently. You may be saying to yourself, “preacher, that sounds good, but how do I do it?”. Again, the answer is found in this Psalm. David shows us that we can:
1) WAIT PATIENTLY BECAUSE THE LORD IS OUR PROVIDER
v1 truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation.
Let’s put this in perspective; David was God’s chosen man to be the King of Israel. He is the one who, as a young boy slew that great Philistine giant named Goliath. He is the one whom the people of Israel sang praises to. If David had responded to his enemies while walking in the flesh, he would have allowed his ego to direct his response. His advisors probably would have encouraged David to stand his ground and fight against his enemies. But in his wisdom, David knew the best course of action was to wait patiently.
There is some insight concerning David’s mindset at this point in his life and it is found in 2 Samuel 16:10. Shimei was cursing David and Abishai was ready to attack him. But David said, “What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? so let him curse, because the LORD hath said unto him, Curse David. Who shall then say, wherefore hast thou done so? 11 And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, which came forth of my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now may this Benjamite do it? let him alone, and let him curse; for the LORD hath bidden him. 12 It may be that the LORD will look on mine affliction, and that the LORD will requite me good for his cursing this day.”
David realized that God was at work in his life. He knew that in the midst of his troubles God was in control and He trusted Him to move in His time and in His way. He said, “truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation”. The king waited with the assurance that the Lord would provide deliverance. He did not know when this deliverance would come but he knew that God would provide!
If you are enduring former friends or lifelong enemies, you can rest assured that the Lord is your help and provider. Remember that He has a plan and deliverance will come in His time. Until then, He expects you to wait patiently.
- We can wait patiently because God is our Provider and in verse 2 we see that we must:
2) WAIT PATIENTLY BECAUSE THE LORD IS YOUR PROTECTOR
v2 He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved.
The King trusted that God would protect him in the midst of this attack. David wasn’t waiting on the Lord to come to him, He was waiting for the Lord to deliver him. When we wait patiently on the Lord we are not waiting on Him to arrive, we are waiting on Him to act. He is ever with us, but His timing may not be as we desire. If you are in the midst of a difficult time in your life, you can rest assured that the Lord is with you, and you can hide in Him for He is your refuge.
- In order to survive an attack from our enemies, we must wait patiently. As we move further into this Psalm we will see that in order to respond properly to our enemies we must also walk prayerfully.
II. WALK PRAYERFULLY
v5 My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.
Even as things continue to get worse around David, he says within himself “my hope is in God”. David saw the Lord as a refuge, a hiding place, a fortress. The king walked and talked with God even as his enemies prevailed. His throne was stolen by his own flesh and blood. His servants & followers abandoned him, and he was fleeing Jerusalem. Yet, in the midst of all this David walked prayerfully.
Many times attacks from our enemy will draw us closer to God. It seems that is what has happened to David. He has fled his home & kingdom, been betrayed by close friends & advisors, lied to by servants and attacked by his enemies. This may sound like a bad place, but with all of the distractions that have been removed from his life God was still in control and He had a special plan for His servant.
There will be times when you feel all alone. In times such as this you may not be able to find those that you thought were your closest friends. Even then, God has a plan for your life. Sometimes God has to remove certain people from our lives so that we will look to Him for the help we need.
- In order to properly respond to an attack from our enemies we must wait patiently, walk prayerfully, and as we examine David’s response we will also see the importance of worshipping passionately.
III. WORSHIP PASSIONATELY v6-8
If we are honest, it is much easier to worship when we are on the mountaintop as opposed to those deep, dark valleys of life. Think about David for a moment; he had sat on the highest throne in the land. Moreover, he was put there by God Himself. David praised the Lord from that throne, now the king is in one of the greatest valleys of his life and he is still worshipping the Lord.
Praising the Lord when enemies attack may not be easy but it is necessary. David said "He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defense; I shall not be moved." (v6) Notice the phrase “I Shall not be moved”. As things went from bad to worse David remained steadfast. Can you imagine the heartbreak that the origination of David’s troubles came from his own Son? Certainly, David was at a place where he thought that things couldn’t get any worse and then they did.
Many people face severe attacks from their enemies, some are faithful and trust the Lord in the beginning, however, when things intensify, or when the battle rages much longer than they expected, they lose faith. Let me encourage you to remain faithful even when your enemies multiply, and your adversities are amplified. Plant your feet, seek refuge in Christ and remain until the attack is over. And like David, sing the Lord’s praises all the way.
David did not look to himself for the answer, his advisors were no help. he didn’t seek vengeance. He knew where to find deliverance strength & refuge and that was in the Lord. He said, “In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.” Even in the midst of such a vicious and heartbreaking attack, David continued to worship the Lord.
For those of you who are currently in the midst of a battle, are you looking at your troubles or are you looking to God to handle them? Like king David, if you will have the proper perspective you can worship passionately in the midst of an attack.
David used this time of heartache in his life to encourage others. What was his advice to them? He said in v8 “Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us.”
- He tells the people to:
1. Turn To the Lord
2. Talk To The Lord
3. Trust In The Lord
I may not know all of the specific details concerning your present situation, but I do know that if you belong to the Lord, then you have a place of shelter, a refuge, a place of safety. There is no question that our enemies will mount an attack against us. (Not to mention that reality that we have a great Adversary who is always on the prowl). Whenever you find yourself in the midst of a severe battle, ensure that you respond by Waiting Patiently, Walking Prayerfully and Worshipping Passionately!
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