The Lies of the Enemy

In the garden of Eden, the serpent did not get Adam and Eve to disobey God’s command by overpowering them with brute force. Instead, he used one of his most powerful weapons—words: “Did God really say . . . ?” (Gen. 3:1); “You will not certainly die” (Gen. 3:4). These lies sowed doubt about God’s goodness and truthfulness and had devastating consequences. The evil one still uses lies today.

In Psalm 3, King David is surrounded by enemies. “Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me!” (v. 1). These enemies had a message to convey: “Many are saying of me, ‘God will not deliver him’” (v. 2). David’s enemies wanted to convince David that God had abandoned him. It certainly may have looked that way. The preface to the psalm informs us that it was written when David’s son Absalom had usurped the throne and driven David out of Jerusalem. How jarring it must have been for David to see most of the nation turn on him and follow his rebellious son. He found himself back on the run in the wilderness as he had been in the days of Saul. How easy it would be to believe the taunts of the crowd that God was not with him.

But David turned his eyes away from his enemies and onto the Lord. “But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high” (v. 3). He was able to sleep in peace because he knew his life was in God’s hands (vv. 5–6). In faith, he asked God to defeat his enemies and “break the teeth of the wicked” (v. 7). David ended by affirming that “from the Lord comes deliverance” (v. 8). This psalm teaches that our identity is not found in the acclaim or ridicule of the crowd, but in our relationship with God. David refused to be defined by his enemies and was quick to contradict them.

Go Deeper

Do you find yourself believing the words of people who are trying to harm you? Today, find your identity and hope in the Lord who promises to deliver us.

Pray with Us

Loving God, You know the situations we are facing right now. And we can trust that You are more powerful than any enemy or any situation we may face. Help us trust in You even when the way before us seems dark. We believe in You! Amen.