The secret of victory
[Psalms 18:28-42]
Yesterday at 8 o’clock in the evening, there was a soccer game between the Korean national team and LA Galaxy. One of the controversial focal points was whether to use a “three-back” or “four-back” defense system. The three-back defense system is typical and familiar to the Korean players, and the four-back defense system is the new defense system to them. It is said that during the 2002 World Cup, Hiddink also tried to use the four-back defense system, but was unable to adapt to it, so he returned to three-back defense system. Professor Lee Yong-soo, Sejong University, who was the chairman of the technical committee at that time, said, ‘In fact, whether it is a three-back or four-back is an inappropriate classification of the dichotomy. Although Hiddink used a three-back, the key was the organic movement of all players. To do that, it required a high level of tactical understanding, and it required steel strength’ (Internet). What I felt through Professor Lee's words is ‘the organic movement of all players.’ I believe that the organic service of our church members is also important because the church is also an “organization” and an “organism”. In order to live such an organic life of faith, we need to have a high understanding of the will of the Lord who is the head of the church, as well as spiritual ‘steel strength’ like in football. Then, we can even with our spiritual battles.
In Psalms 18:28-42, the Bible says that the secret of victory is only God’s strengthen. God girded the psalmist David with strengthen to make war (vv. 32, 39). As a result, David was able to lead a war-winning life with the strengthen of God. Then, what is the strengthen of God that the Bible is talking about in Psalms 18:28-42? I meditated on it in five ways:
First, the strengthen of God is “The power of knowledge.”
Look at Psalms 18:31 – “For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God.” Since David knew the true God and the Rock, he was able to win the war. Knowledge of who God is is our strengthen. And people who know God are strong. Therefore, we must grow in the knowledge of God. However, Satan is trying to destroy us by destroying our knowledge of God (Hos. 4:6). Therefore, we must work harder to know who our God is (6:3). Prophet Jeremiah said “let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me” (Jere. 9:24). What God should we boast? We must boast God our lamp who illumines our darkness (Ps. 18:28). Here, the word “You light my lamp” means prosperity, and when it applies to David, a solider, it refers to victory in the war by God’s grace (Park). In other words, the God we must strive to know is the God of victory and God who makes us victorious. We can live a triumphant life as we know this triumphant God in our daily lives.
Second, the strengthen of God is “The power of the Word.”
Look at Psalms 18:30 – “As for God, His way is blameless; The word of the LORD is tried; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.” David lived a victorious life with the power of the word of God. The word of God is our strength. By eating His word, we can live a life of power. Apostle Paul said, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17). Indeed, we must think about whether we are being taught by the Word of God, being reproofed, being corrected, and being trained in righteousness. In every moment of life, there may be sinful thoughts, and whenever temptations are attacked from time to time, we should be taught, be rebuked, our wrong thoughts and lives should be corrected and be trained in righteousness so that we must live the victorious life by fighting against ourselves, our sinful nature, this sinful world and Satan by the Word of God. David defended himself from his iniquity by the perfect word of God and won the battle against himself (Ps. 18:23) and was protected by the power of His word even in the face of persecution of the enemy (v. 30). God made David’s feet like hinds’ feet and settled him upon His high places (v. 33). In other words, God led David to safety. The word of God is our safety zone. His word will set us upon His high places.
Third, the strengthen of God is “The power of dependence.”
Look at Psalms 18:29 – “For by You I can run upon a troop; And by my God I can leap over a wall.” If we think in common sense, a baby who relies on his parents will gradually become independent as he grows up. But our Christian life seems to be the opposite. Before we believe in Jesus, we live an independent life. And then, after we believe in Jesus, we gradually rely on the Lord. This is our Christian life. It is a life of faith that we realize that there is only the Lord whom we can rely on as we go through the years and put it into practice. And those who depend on the Lord are strong. God’s strong power reveals when we realize our weakness thoroughly and this is our strengthen. For example, David ran to Goliath in God’s holy name like running upon a troop (2 Sam. 22:30). That’s what we should do. We must be those who run toward the world in total dependence on God. When we rely on God and move forward boldly and courageously, God will enlarge our steps and our feet will not be slipped (Ps. 18:36).
Fourth, the strengthen of God is “The power of skills.”
Look at Psalms 18:34 – “He trains my hands for battle, So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.” In this word, God taught David's hand to fight and David's arm to pull the brass bow. In other words, God gave the soldier David the proper skill. Pastor Yoon-sun Park said, ‘God will give those who trust him the right skill for his job. If he is a merchant, God will give him the right skill for business. If he is a literary person, He will give him the literary skill.’ In Ecclesiastes 10:10, the wise man says, “Wisdom has the advantage of giving success.” We need skill to win the war. And the Lord gives that skill to us. According to Exodus 36:1, God made his sanctuary by giving wisdom “every skillful person” “to know how to perform all the work in the construction of the sanctuary.” In doing His work, God not only raises workers, but also gives wisdom (skills) to the workers He has raised. Although we should be innocent as doves, we should also be shrewd as snakes (Mt. 10:16). In order to fight and win in spiritual warfare, we need fighting skills. We need to know how to use “the shield of salvation” (Ps. 18:35) and how to use the sword of the Spirit (Eph. 6:17). There is no use of the sword of the Spirit if we don’t know how to use it. God gives us skill and power. With that skill and power, we can live a victorious life.
Fifth and last, the strengthen of God is “The power of character.”
Look at Psalms 18:35 – “You have also given me the shield of Your salvation, And Your right hand upholds me; And Your gentleness makes me great.” Here “Your gentleness” means ‘the result of the Lord helping David by humbling Himself and with His gentleness, he became great’ (Park). The key to our Christian victory is the person who resembles Jesus. In particular, Jesus' meekness in the character makes us victorious in this world. The key to our Christian victory is the character that resembles Jesus. In particular, Jesus' meekness in the character that makes us victorious in this world.
With these five strengthens of God, we must fight against ourselves, sin, the world, Satan, and death and win. We are winning now and will continue to win. We are all the victors who are moving forward toward heaven while holding the military flag of victory and singing the hymn of victory. Victory!
Senior pastor of Victory Presbyterian Church,
James Kim
(With assurance of victory in the Lord)