The Secret of Victory

[Psalm 18:28-42]

Yesterday evening at 8 o’clock, there was a soccer match between the South Korean national team and L.A. Galaxy.
One of the points of controversy was whether they would use the “three-back” or “four-back” defensive system.
The three-back defensive system is a traditional one that Korean players are familiar with, while the four-back defensive system is said to be a newer defensive system.
During the 2002 World Cup, former coach Hiddink also tried to use it but couldn’t adapt, so he reverted to the three-back system.
Professor Yongsoo Lee of Sejong University, who was the technical director at that time, said, “Actually, dividing between three-back or four-back is not a proper dichotomy. Although Coach Hiddink used the three-back, the key was the organic movement of all the players. For that, a high tactical understanding was needed, and a strong physical condition was required” (Internet).

What I feel from Professor Lee’s words is the importance of “the organic movement of all the players.”
The church is also an “organization” but at the same time an “organism,” so I believe the organic service of our church members is also important.

To live such an organic faith life, just as high tactical understanding and strong physical stamina are required in soccer, we must have a high understanding of the Lord’s will as the head of the church, and also strong spiritual stamina.
When we do so, we can also win in spiritual battles.

Looking at Psalm 18:28-42 today, it says the secret of victory is “only the power of God.”
God girded the psalmist David with strength (power) to make him wage war (verses 32, 39).
As a result, David was able to live a victorious life in battle by the power of God.

So, what is this “power of God” spoken of here?
I have meditated on five aspects.

First, the power of God is “the power of knowledge.”

Look at Psalm 18:31: “Who is God except the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God?”
God is the true God and the Rock, and David was able to win in battle because he knew this God.
The knowledge of who God is is our strength.
And the people who know God are strong.
Therefore, we must grow in the knowledge of God.
However, Satan tries to destroy us by removing the knowledge of God from us (Hosea 4:6).
Therefore, we must strive even more to come to know that God is God (Jeremiah 6:3).
The prophet Jeremiah says, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the LORD” (Jeremiah 9:24).
What kind of God should we boast about?
We should boast about the God who lights our lamp (Psalm 18:28).
Here, “lighting the lamp” means prospering, and applied to David, a soldier, it means victory in battle by God’s grace (Park Yoon Sun).
In other words, the God we must strive to know is the God of victory, the God who makes us victorious.
When we come to know this God of victory in our daily lives, we can live a victorious life.

Secondly, God’s power is “the power of the Word.”

Look at Psalm 18:30: “The way of God is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried: he is a shield to all those that trust in him.”
David lived a victorious life by the power of God’s Word.
God’s Word is our strength.
By feeding on that Word, we can live a powerful life.
The apostle Paul said this about the Scriptures:
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,
so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
We must ask ourselves whether we truly receive teaching and rebuke from the Word, whether it corrects our lives and trains us in righteousness.
In the moments of life when sinful thoughts arise and temptations attack us, we must be taught and rebuked by God’s Word,
receive correction for our wrong thoughts and lives, and be trained in righteousness.
By doing so, we live a victorious life in the battle against ourselves, sin, the world, and Satan.
David guarded himself from sin by God’s perfect Word and won the battle with himself (Psalm 18:23),
and he was also protected by the power of God’s Word even amid persecution by his enemies (verse 30).
God made David’s feet like the feet of a deer and set him upon high places (verse 33).
That is, God led David to a safe place.
God’s Word is our safe place.
That Word will set us upon high places.

Third, God’s power is “the power of dependence.”

Look at Psalm 18:29: “By you I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall.”
Common sense tells us that a baby depends on their parents and gradually becomes independent as they grow, but our spiritual life seems to be the opposite.
Before we believe in Jesus, we live independently, but after believing, we gradually live relying only on the Lord. This is our spiritual life.
As time passes, we realize that the only one we can depend on is the Lord, and living this out is true faith.
Those who depend on the Lord are strong people.
Our strength appears when we deeply realize our own weakness and allow God’s powerful strength to work in us.
A good example is David.
David ran at Goliath “as if running against enemies” by the holy name of God (2 Samuel 22:30).
This should be our model.
We should be people who run toward the world, fully trusting in God.
When we rely on God and boldly and courageously advance, God will make our steps broad and prevent us from stumbling (Psalm 18:36).

Fourth, God’s power is “the power of skills.”

Look at Psalm 18:34: “He teaches my hands to fight, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.”
This verse shows that God taught David’s hands to fight and enabled his arms to bend a bronze bow.
In other words, God gave David, a soldier, the appropriate skill.
Dr. Park Yoon Sun said, “God gives those who trust Him skills suitable for their calling.
If one is a merchant, He gives skill for commerce; if a writer, talent for writing.”
Ecclesiastes 10:10 says that skill is useful for success.
To win a war, skill is necessary.
The Lord also gives us that skill.
In Exodus 36:1, when God commanded the building of His sanctuary, He gave wisdom and skill to the skilled people so they could do every task.
God not only appoints workers for His work but also gives wisdom (skill) to those workers.
We need to be innocent like doves but also wise like serpents (Matthew 10:16).
To fight and win spiritual battles, we need fighting skills.
We must know how to use the “shield of salvation” (Psalm 18:35) and also the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17).
A sword of the Spirit that we don’t know how to wield is useless.
God gives us skill and power.
With that power, we can live a victorious life.

Lastly, the fifth power of God is “the power of character.”

Look at Psalm 18:35: “You have given me your shield of salvation, and your right hand sustains me; your gentleness has made me great.”
“‘The gentleness of the Lord’ means that the Lord humbled Himself and graciously helped the imperfect man David, resulting in his greatness” (Park Yoon Sun).
The secret to the victory of us Christians is a character that resembles Jesus.
Especially, Jesus’ gentleness in that character enables us to be victorious in this world.
With these five powers of God, we must fight and overcome ourselves, sin, the world, Satan, and death.
Indeed, we are now victorious and will continue to be victorious in the future.
May we all, holding the banner of victory and singing the victory hymn, become conquerors advancing toward the heavenly homeland.
Victory!

Senior Pastor of Victory Presbyterian Church,

Pastor James Kim shares
(With the assurance of victory in the Lord)