SINGING THROUGH THE BATTLE (Psalm 108)

Imagine staring the enemy in the face, marching out onto an active battlefield with artillery all around and danger in the air — and you’re singing.

That is a strange sight.

As Christians, we are always facing the enemy and always on the battlefield. Spiritual warfare is raging, and the devil’s arsenal has been turned on us. Yet, God’s soldiers can sing their way into the battle. Not only that, but they can also sing all the way through the battle and come out on the other side, singing because our God is the victor.

Psalm 108 is not only a warrior’s psalm. It is a warrior’s psalm of praise. Charles Spurgeon referred to it as “the warrior’s morning psalm.” The idea was that it was the song the warrior would sing as he prepared for the conflict of that day, to remind himself of who was on his side and whose side he was on.

Verses 1-6: “O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.Awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: and I will sing praises unto thee among the nations.For thy mercy is great above the heavens: and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds. Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: and thy glory above all the earth;That thy beloved may be delivered: save with thy right hand, and answer me.”

David, the warrior king, who was also the sweet psalmist of Israel, brought together the dual realities of knowing the fight was on yet still having a song in your heart. He knew that the joy of the Lord could be his strength, and that was what he prayed for on his way into the conflict.

Let me point out that every day you enter a war zone, you should not begin that day without praise. Remind yourself that everything around you may be against you, but the Lord is for you. Though all else may be unstable, your heart can be fixed on God.

Verses 7-11: “God hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth.Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength of mine head; Judah is my lawgiver;Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe; over Philistia will I triumph. Who will bring me into the strong city? who will lead me into Edom?Wilt not thou, O God, who hast cast us off? and wilt not thou, O God, go forth with our hosts?”

In other words, it may have looked like everything was against them, but the psalmist knew enough about God to know that He was greater than their enemies and would give them victory. This reminds us of what Paul wrote in Romans 8:31: “If God be for us, who can be against us?”

God is for you. He is working in the midst of your warfare to prove Himself in your life and bring you to a place of victory.

Sing, my friends. Fix your heart on God and give Him glory and praise.

At the close of Psalm 108 are three verses that include three key prepositions. There is great truth contained here.

Verse 11: “Wilt not thou, O God, who hast cast us off? and wilt not thou, O God, go forth with our hosts?”

Verse 12: “Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man.”

Verse 13: “Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.”

Mark these three words in your Bible: “with” in verse 11, “from” in verse 12, and “through” in verse 13. What do those words express to us? What is God’s message to every good soldier of Jesus Christ who is trying to find a song in the midst of a battle?

Presence

Verse 11 reminds us of His presence. He has promised never to leave us or forsake us.

One might imagine that when David wrote these words, he was thinking back to his teenage years when he picked out those five smooth stones before going to face Goliath. He recognized that God was with him that day, and the same God who brought him through the duel against the giant was still there many years later when the enemies multiplied.

Protection

Verse 12 reminds us of His protection. God keeps things from us and also keeps us from things. He has a hedge around His people, and anything that gets through that hedge only does so because He allows it.

Perhaps the best example of that is the Book of Job. If the devil gets to you in any way, it is only because the One who is so much greater than the devil let it happen, seeing that it suited His purpose.

God protects His own. You are in His hand, and that is the safest place to be.

Power

Verse 13 is a reminder of His power. God’s people always come out on the other side. You are not going to simply endure; you will be victorious.

Often someone who is in a tough spot will hear the words, “You’re going to make it.” That sounds like you are just muddling through. You are not just going to make it. You are going to rule and reign with Christ someday. You are with the Conqueror, and “we are more than conquerors through him that loved us” (Rom. 8:13).

When you think there is nothing to rejoice about as you are in the battle, remember the words “with,” “from” and “through.” You will be reminded of God’s presence, protection, and power.

It is no wonder that David closed Psalm 108 with these words: “for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.” He said nothing about making it happen by himself. He knew that only God can give the victory.

An interesting footnote to Psalm 108 is that it is repeated, phrase for phrase, in many other psalms. Several of these verses are scattered throughout other chapters of this book. This is a reminder that the battle keeps coming, and we must keep singing with our hearts fixed on the Lord.

I don’t know what battle you are going through today, but I know that God is with you. He will keep the enemy at bay, and you will do valiantly through Him.