Psalm 52-54

“Behold, God is my helper. The Lord is with those who uphold my life. He will repay my enemies for their evil. Cut them off in Your truth.” (Psalm 54:4–5, NKJV)

Enemies, it seems, are a fact of life. How do we deal with them? David had many enemies, but not the kind that we have. Our enemies might not like us. They may insult us or speak evil of us behind our backs. But David faced the constant threat of enemies wanting to kill him! How did David respond? In Psalms 52-54 we find five ways to effectively deal with our enemies.

First, realize that God will ultimately judge them (52:5). We want to keep records and settle the score. We want our enemies to be punished now. But God says that vengeance belongs to Him. He will repay in His time and His way.

Second, recognize that God will be merciful to you (52:8). David said that he was like a green olive tree in God’s house, and he would trust in God’s mercy forever. Olive trees live as long as 1,500 years, so David had great hope that he would survive enemy attacks. Likewise, because we have been adopted into God’s family through our faith in Jesus Christ, we can trust that God will be merciful to us.

Third, remember that God scatters those who oppose us and puts them to shame (53:5). I have personally seen this. In pride, people exalt themselves, speak evil of others, and try to do them harm. But later these same people are scattered to the wind. God resists the proud and humbles them. He deposes them from their places of power and influence.

Fourth, rejoice in God’s deliverance—even before it happens (53:6). God loves when we exercise faith in His promises. He promises to deliver us when we trust Him, so we should rejoice in His deliverance because we know He will do it!

Fifth, respond by giving God the sacrifice of praise (54:6). The devil hates when we praise the Lord despite his attacks. Praise is a sacrifice in such adverse circumstances because we don’t feel like doing it. But our praise and thanksgiving rise before God as a pleasing aroma.

David was a master at trusting God to deal with his enemies. May we learn from his example in dealing with our own human enemies—and especially with our ultimate enemy, the devil.