DAY 19

Looking Above the Enemy

ROB MCCORKLE, AUTHOR & EVANGELIST

Conflict has the capacity to divert our attention if we’re not consistently seeking God’s presence. I’ve often said that adversity reveals who or what we trust in. While David was amid peril and persecution, he asked: “...whom shall I fear and whom shall I dread” (Psalm 27:1). His questions were not stated in arrogance but in confidence, because he had already determined that the Lord was his light and defense. Because of that reality, in God there was nothing nor anyone that he needed to fear.

He continued, “When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh, my adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell. Though a host encamp against me, my heart will not fear; though war arise against me, in spite of this I shall be confident” (Psalm 27:3-4). Again, David’s confidence never wavered regardless of the challengers who came against him: evildoers, adversaries, enemies, and even a host. They were coming not only to wage war against him, but to devour David’s flesh. This defined their intent to destroy him.

Perhaps you feel as if evil doers have taken their stance against you. Maybe you believe the enemy has encamped against you, your family, your business, or your church. That is, of course, the nature of the enemy. The Bible says he comes to “steal, kill and destroy” (John 10:10). The word destroy (opollumi) would be the closest approximation to devouring our flesh.

Moreover, we know that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, meaning that difficult people are not the real problem we face. Our struggle is “against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). The demonic realm has taken a stand against the people of God.

The striking aspect about David in this Psalm is that he didn’t pray against his foes. He didn’t ask for relief or protection from their threats like many of us would have. Surround us with the enemy and listen to how we might pray; it might be rather revealing. David, on the other hand, sought something entirely different than relief from his surrounding foes. David sought for a greater place of intimacy with the Lord.

“One thing” he sought of the Lord, and that one thing he asked was to dwell with the Lord and seek His beauty (Psalm 27:4). That one thing was repeated by Mary when she chose to sit at Jesus’ feet instead of becoming overwhelmed by the distractions surrounding her (Luke 10:39-42). David discovered something about spiritual warfare that remains a lesson for all believers in this hour, and that is the greatest strategy of spiritual warfare is not chasing the enemy but chasing the presence of the Lord.

If the enemy can entice our attention away from the Lord, then we’ve already lost the battle. We cannot allow an inferior reality such as the devil to preoccupy our focus on the Lord. I love the response that Elisha gave his servant when the Arameans surrounded his city. Elisha gave no concern for the threat of their army of horses and chariots. He simply said to his servant, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them” (2 Kings 6:16).

David was certain that if he could dwell in the presence of the Lord, then it wouldn’t matter who encamped against him because it would only be a matter of time before they would stumble and fall. There is no greater place of safety for you than in the presence of the Lord.

I hope that you will discover the blessed rest that comes through intimacy. The forces of evil will do everything possible to draw us into a conflict without the help and cover of the Lord. David, however, set his eyes to look upon the beauty of the Lord and not the disaster that surrounded him.

Intimacy gives us a perspective that we wouldn’t otherwise have. I once heard a minister contrast the difference in perspective between a turtle and a giraffe. To the turtle, everything looks big and intimidating. A turtle cannot see beyond the immediate circumstances that it’s in, but a giraffe has a different perspective. A giraffe can see beyond, even above, its circumstances. From a giraffe’s point of view, the turtle’s concerns would not be the giraffe’s concerns because of its perspective.

Out of David’s posture of intimacy he said, “And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me” (Psalm 27:6). David looked above and beyond the enemies that were around him as if to say, “they are no big deal from my vantage point.”

When you’ve found your dwelling place in the Lord, you’ll be empowered to look above the darkness that surrounds you. His presence will overshadow the misery and stench of the enemy. Additionally, the ability to bring transformation will come not by looking at the threatening circumstances around you, but by seeing the manifest presence of Jesus in front of you. Intimacy gives you the eyes to see past the enemy’s threats so that you can see the Lord’s promises.

Finally, from a place of intimacy with the Lord, David was able to say, “I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord” (Psalm 27:6). David didn’t utter complaints unto the Lord. He didn’t grumble or complain about the surrounding evil that desired to devour his flesh. Rather, David, with a new perspective, sang praises to God amid war and conflict. Praise during adversity demonstrates our ability to trust God over all situations that may be confronting us.

Worship unto God is the inevitable out-spill of a life of intimacy with Him. Worship shapes us to look beyond the immediate and to hunger for the ultimate. David was enabled to sing praises to God because he believed that he would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living (Psalm 27:13). His posture of intimacy forged within him a passion to look past evil circumstances around him and to discover the beautiful presence of God. So, are you living under your circumstances or are you above them?

PRAYER

Jesus, may you alone capture my attention no matter what comes against me. Empower me to give praise even when the enemy comes to destroy my life.