"Make me like chaff before the wind!"
[Psalm 35:1-8]
Yesterday, during a meeting of the denomination to which our church belongs, there was a discussion regarding the sermon of one of the two pastors seeking ordination. Among the topics of his sermon, he spoke about spiritual warfare, and personally, one of the Bible verses he quoted, Ephesians 6:12, made me reflect. The thought was this: Is my struggle ("wrestling") against "flesh and blood," or against "principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places"? In other words, I began to ask myself whether my struggle is a battle against the flesh or a spiritual battle. However, I couldn't help but feel that I have been more focused on the battle of the flesh rather than the spiritual warfare, consuming more of my energy on it. This shows that I am not spiritually awake.
Pastor Kim Nam-Joon, in his writing titled "The Christian Life: Spiritual Battle," said this about Christians who suffer from spiritual blindness: "Night blindness, also called 'night-blindness,' is a condition where one cannot see in the dark. ... I feel sorrowful when I see some of Christ's warriors who are fighting in spiritual battles showing symptoms of spiritual blindness. Our enemy is the ruler of this dark world. If we become prisoners of darkness, unable to take a single step, trapped in darkness and living according to the ways of the world, there is no chance of winning the battle. In the darkness, where we can't even distinguish between the enemy and our allies, it is impossible to discern the times and understand God's will" (Internet). How many of us Christians are fighting hopeless battles recklessly? In the end, we fall, stumble, become passive, and often give up in discouragement. But we have hope. The reason is that the Lord, who is Emmanuel, is with us, and He is working in our spiritual battles.
Today, I want to reflect on two things from Psalm 35:1-8 about the God who is working in our spiritual battles. My prayer is that, through His grace, our spiritual eyes will be opened, and that all of us may be victorious in our spiritual battles.
First, the God who works in our spiritual battles is the God who fights for us.
Look at Psalm 35:1: "Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me." The psalmist, David, was suffering from severe enemies, and in the midst of this, he begged God to fight on his behalf (Park Yun-Seon). So, who were David's enemies? The text describes them as: "those who seek my life" (v. 4), "those who plunder me" (v. 10), "unjust witnesses" (v. 11), "those who mock me" (v. 16), "my enemies" (v. 19), "those who hate me" (v. 19), "those who rejoice in my harm" (v. 26). It would be reckless for David to fight these cruel enemies on his own. Knowing this, he depended on God and asked Him to fight for him. The Apostle Paul also commands us not to take revenge but to leave it to God's wrath (Romans 12:19), because vengeance belongs to God. So, why did David absolutely depend on God and ask Him to fight on his behalf? The text teaches us a few reasons.
(1) Because God is a sure shield for David.
Let’s look at Psalm 35:2: “Take up the shield and buckler, and rise to my help.” Here, "shield" refers to a large shield used to protect the whole body, and "buckler" refers to a smaller shield used to protect the head (Park Yun-Seon). As an invincible warrior, God, in His protection of His beloved servant David, defended him firmly, giving David a sense of security. The same is true for us. When, like David, we rely fully on God and ask Him to fight in our place against our enemies, we can feel the same security.
(2) The reason David relied absolutely on God and asked Him to fight in his place is because God is the one who can certainly bring victory.
Let’s look at Psalm 35:3: “Draw out the spear, and stop those who pursue me; say to my soul, ‘I am your salvation.’” In verse 2, David speaks of the "shield" and "buckler," which are defensive weapons. But in verse 3, he mentions the "spear," which is an offensive weapon used in battle. God, in fighting for His people, took up the spear and blocked the path of those who pursued David. The God of David, our God, is depicted here as a fully armed soldier, ready with both shield and spear. One thing is certain: when God fights in David’s place, He is fully armed and fights without any error (Park Yun-Seon). Ultimately, God saved David, and through that salvation, God wanted David to confess, "The Lord is my salvation." Like David, we should trust in God, who is our sure shield and the one who brings us certain victory, and pray, "Contend with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me" (Psalm 35:1).
Second, the God who acts in our spiritual battle is the God who destroys our enemies.
Let’s look at Psalm 35:8: “Let destruction come upon him unexpectedly, and let his net that he hid catch him; into that very destruction let him fall.” Our God fights for us and rescues us from the hands of our enemies. One thing we must not forget is that in saving us, He also destroys our enemies. In other words, when God grants us the grace of salvation, He simultaneously reveals His justice (His holiness). Our salvation and the destruction of our enemies go hand in hand. So how does God’s justice (holiness) manifest in our enemies? We can consider four ways:
(1) Our righteous God causes our enemies to fail.
Look at Psalm 35:4: "Let those who seek my life be ashamed and dishonored; let those who plot my ruin be turned back in disgrace." The lesson this verse teaches us is that our enemies are those who seek our lives and attempt to harm us. However, our God is one who protects and defends us, and He fights on our behalf against our enemies. Therefore, God causes those who seek our lives and wish to harm us to be ashamed and defeated.
(2) Our righteous God makes our enemies "like chaff before the wind."
Look at Psalm 35:5: "Make them like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the Lord driving them away." What happens to chaff before the wind? It is light and easily blown away. This verse reminds us of Psalm 1:4: "The wicked are not so, but are like chaff which the wind drives away." The wicked cannot endure judgment and tribulation (Psalm 35:5) (Park Yun-Seon).
(3) Our righteous God makes our enemies slippery.
Look at Psalm 35:6: "Make their way dark and slippery, with the angel of the Lord pursuing them." In Psalm 73, the psalmist Asaph says that when he saw the prosperity of the wicked, he became envious of the arrogant (Psalm 73:3). As a result, he almost stumbled and nearly slipped (Psalm 73:2). But when he entered God's sanctuary, he realized the truth and confessed: "Surely You set them in slippery places; You cast them down to destruction" (Psalm 73:18).
(4) Ultimately, our righteous God destroys our enemies.
Look at Psalm 35:8: "Let destruction come upon them suddenly; let the net which they hid catch them; into that very destruction let them fall." In the end, God causes our enemies to slip and suddenly destroys them completely (Psalm 73:19).
Many Christians today, spiritually blind, like David, should fully trust in God and ask Him to fight on their behalf, rather than recklessly engaging in spiritual battles with their own anger or strength. They also fail to recognize God's righteousness, which brings the destruction of the wicked through His saving grace. As a result, they become captives of darkness, entangled in hopeless battles. However, true believers like David, whose spiritual eyes are open, fully trust in God and ask Him to fight on their behalf. God, who is their shield and protector, gives them peace and security because they trust in Him. We must adopt this kind of faith. Therefore, as God destroys our enemies, we must experience His salvation.
With a heart that desires to be trained to pray, wait, and expect from the God of salvation, who fights on our behalf and makes our enemies like chaff before the wind,
Pastor James Kim’s Sharing
(Thanking God for His saving grace that gives victory in spiritual battles and sets us forward on His path)