PSALM 43

1 Vindicate me, O God, And plead my cause against an ungodly nation; Oh, deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man! 2 For You [are] the God of my strength; Why do You cast me off? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? 3 Oh, send out Your light and Your truth! Let them lead me; Let them bring me to Your holy hill And to Your tabernacle. 4 Then I will go to the altar of God, To God my exceeding joy; And on the harp I will praise You, O God, my God. 5 Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.

PSALM 43:1-5

WE DON’T FIGHT FOR VICTORY, WE FIGHT FROM VICTORY

Every day there is a spiritual battle going on around us. It will continue to happen until the Lord returns in all of his glory. So how do you enter into that battle each day? What mindset do you have? I heard an interview with Robert T. Kiyosaki on a podcast (The Way I Heard it With Mike Rowe, Episode 254), the other day and someone mentioned the Samurai mindset. The Samurai enters battle with a mindset that he has already died and so he can fight as if he has nothing to lose.

In this Psalm we see a different battle mindset, this is the mindset that the battle really belongs to the Lord. Why would I get afraid if I know who has already won the battle? Why would I get anxious about what will happen next, if I know what ultimately happens? For those who trust the Lord there is great hope and deliverance!

As the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 8:31-39 NKJV, “31 What then shall we say to these things? If God [is] for us, who [can be] against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? [It is] God who justifies. 34 Who [is] he who condemns? [It is] Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? [Shall] tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

When the Christian enters the battle, “they don’t fight for victory, they fight from victory.” I heard someone share that phrase that I used as a title this past week at children’s camp. As soon as I heard it, I understood it and I was encouraged. I hope you are encouraged today as well.

PRAYER

Father, Thank you that you have already won the victory! Thank you that when it comes to sin and temptation in my life I can look to you who have defeated the enemy. I can trust in your grace and I can fight from the attitude of victory. I pray that my strength and confidence hold fast in you. You are our victory. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

I’m reading and blogging the Psalms Through The Summer. I’d love for you to join me. You can find out a little more here.