193. The Lord Delivers
2 Samuel 22:18, 19, 20 He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them that hated me: for they wee too strong for me. They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the Lord was my stay. He brought me forth also into a large place: he delivered me, because he delighted in me.
“Deliver us from evil.” The Lord delivered David from his strong enemy. The Lord brought him into a large place and delivered him. God did it before and he will do it again. The Bible promises that He will deliver us from our spiritual enemies; He will bring us forth into a large place, that is, we don’t have to hide in caves and rocks. Our enemies will assail us, but we don’t have to hide from them, ignore them, or wish them away.
We confront the enemy, name it, and face it boldly; then we resist and the devil flees. This is repentance and faith. Repentance confesses sin, believes the gospel, and receives forgiveness and cleansing. And we are delivered from the evil of the Evil One, from guilt and shame, temptation, and condemnation. The Enemy prevents (goes before, confronts) us with sin and fear, doubt and worry, tempting us to shame and unbelief, but the Lord is my stay and support. In Christ, I can stand up and confront Satan with the blood of Jesus,
The Enemy whispers in our ear and plants thoughts in our mind, but we stand up against him clothed in the armor of God and wield the Word. Remember, we do not struggle against “flesh and blood” human beings, although it may seem that other people are the enemy. These people are of the world, or even the “world” in the church, and our enemies use the world, and the world connects with our sinful flesh, in which there is no good thing.
But the “good thing” in us, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, defeats the accusing thoughts and lies and drives him away. The “day of calamity” may be the day when we are feeling particularly down, frustrated, angry, distressed or disappointed. Then the Lord is with us to deliver. And the further promise is that He delivers me because He delights in me. There’s a thought we would do well to call to mind more often: ”He delights in me.” The Father delights in the Son; we identify with the Son by faith; God delights in us. Because He loves me, the Lord “defends me against all danger and guards and protects me from all evil.”