WHAT TO DO WHEN THE ENEMY ATTACKS
Psalm 118:15-24
Psalm 118:15 The voice of rejoicing and salvation Is in the tents of the righteous; The right hand of the LORD does valiantly. 16 The right hand of the LORD is exalted; The right hand of the LORD does valiantly. 17 I shall not die, but live, And declare the works of the LORD. 18 The LORD has chastened me severely, But He has not given me over to death. 19 Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will go through them, And I will praise the LORD. 20 This is the gate of the LORD, Through which the righteous shall enter. 21 I will praise You, For You have answered me, And have become my salvation. 22 The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. 23 This was the LORD’s doing; It is marvelous in our eyes. 24 This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.
I want to thank all of you who prayed for me this week. I really do appreciate you care and loving concern for me and my family. Most of you know that I went to the hospital on Sunday morning just before church. I woke up with chest pain and left arm pain that was not normal.
Anyway, after all the EKG’s, the blood work, the echo cardiogram and a CT scan, all I have found out is that I have an enlarged aorta. I have to follow-up with the cardiologist in a couple of weeks to see what, if anything, can be done or needs to be done about that.
Some of you know that I have had difficulty sleeping for the past several years. I went through all the tests for sleep apnea, etc. and still have difficulty getting to sleep.
After I got home Monday evening, I went to bed about 8:30 or 9:00 and slept until about 2 AM. I woke up very agitated and fearful. I don’t know if that’s ever happened to you, but it’s not a fun thing. The sleeplessness and the tinnitus and the pressure in my chest left me anxious and jittery inside.
And based on everything the doctor told me, I could not come up with anything as to why I was so anxious, etc. I was afraid…not of dying, but I sensed the attack of the enemy. May I remind you that we ARE in a spiritual battle. Satan will do anything He can to try to stop us from serving the Lord and trusting in Him.
I want to share with you some things I learned in the middle of the night, that I hope will be a help to any of you who struggle with the enemy in any way.
Notice how this Psalm begins:
Psalm 118:1 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.
The best thing for you to do when the enemy comes in like a flood is begin to give thanks to God! Why? Because He is good! And His mercy endures forever. Now there are four things I want to you see when the enemy attacks.
1. DON’T FALL, STAND!
Psalm 118:5 I called on the LORD in distress; The LORD answered me and set me in a broad place.
The best thing you can do when you’re facing the attack of the enemy is call up the Lord! Amen!
Look at what Eliphaz said to Job in Job 22:
Job 22:10 Therefore snares are all around you, And sudden fear troubles you,
I don’t know if you’ve ever felt like there were traps/snares all around you of if you’ve been plagued with sudden fear, but I have!
To be set in a broad place is to be delivered from danger, anxiety, want, or distress.
Job 36:16 “Indeed He would have brought you out of dire distress, Into a broad place where there is no restraint; And what is set on your table would be full of richness.
The phrase is also translated as “large place”
2 Samuel 22:20 He also brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me.
Let the Lord cause you to stand in a broad place! He will rescue you when you call upon Him.
2. DON’T FEAR, SHOUT!
So remember, don’t fall but stand! Let the Lord put you in a broad place, let Him rescue you. But second, don’t fear, shout!
Notice these verses in this Psalm:
Psalm 118:2 Let Israel now say, “His mercy endures forever.”
Psalm 118:4 Let those who fear the LORD now say, “His mercy endures forever.”
Psalm 118:11 They surrounded me, Yes, they surrounded me; But in the name of the LORD I will destroy them. 12 They surrounded me like bees; They were quenched like a fire of thorns; For in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.
Psalm 118:15 The voice of rejoicing and salvation Is in the tents of the righteous; The right hand of the LORD does valiantly.
Psalm 118:19 Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will go through them, And I will praise the LORD.
Psalm 118:21 I will praise You, For You have answered me, And have become my salvation.
Psalm 118:28 You are my God, and I will praise You; You are my God, I will exalt You.
When the enemy attacks, shout! Praise the Lord, call on His name.
3. DON’T FAIL, SHIFT!
The easy thing to do when you’re attacked by the enemy is focus on the enemy instead of on the only resource you have, the Lord. Shift your focus from satan to the Savior! Look at this psalm:
Psalm 118:6 The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? 7 The LORD is for me among those who help me; Therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate me. 8 It is better to trust in the LORD Than to put confidence in man. 9 It is better to trust in the LORD Than to put confidence in princes.
May I remind you that your doctor is not God! It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in doctors! Look after all those tests, they still really don’t know what’s wrong with me. That’s when you know that you must to shift your focus to the Lord!
4. DON’T FRET, STUDY!
Last night, I didn’t know what to do. I was in a panic! I was agitated and fretful and failing and fearful and falling. When you get that way, run to the Word! But pastor, I don’t know where to turn in the Bible when stuff happens to me. I never went to Bible college…I don’t know the Bible like you know it.
I want to tell you! Last night, I didn’t know where to turn…exactly. But I knew I needed the Lord and I needed to hear from Him. I knew enough to go to the Psalms and begin to see the great things that David and others wrote in times of distress and trouble, fear and anxiety…when you’re surrounded by the enemy and the Lord directed me to this psalm.
I told the Lord last night, “Lord, if you want me to die, I’m ready to die because I trust you and I know you will be with me if you’re finished with me here.” At that moment, I saw these verses in my Bible.
Ps. 118:16 The right hand of the LORD is exalted; The right hand of the LORD does valiantly. 17 I shall not die, but live, And declare the works of the LORD. 18 The LORD has chastened me severely, But He has not given me over to death.
Now the truth is, I could die tomorrow. But I just thought, when I saw these verses, “Lord, I guess you’re not finished with me yet. So, I want to thank you because I know what to do…I will “declare the works of the Lord.”
We don’t know what’s going to happen in my life tomorrow. But today, look at verse 24:
Psalm 118:24 This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.
You can do this, folks! You can call upon the Lord is your time of distress or trouble or whatever it is that you are facing. He will hear you and He will help you!
Psalm 118:27 God is the LORD, And He has given us light; Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar. 28 You are my God, and I will praise You; You are my God, I will exalt You.
Notice that this Psalm ends the way it begins:
Psalm 118:29 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.
So, don’t fall…STAND for the Lord
Don’t fear…SHOUT to the Lord
Don’t fail…SHIFT your focus off the enemy to the Lord
Don’t fret…STUDY the Word of the Lord.
