Reading: Luke 13, Psalm 37:14-15

The wicked have drawn the sword And have bent their bow, To cast down the poor and needy, To slay those who are of upright conduct. Their sword shall enter their heart, And their bows shall be broken.

This passage in Psalms 37:14-15, uses vivid imagery of drawn swords and bent bows to shed light on the malicious intentions of the wicked. It portrays the enemy as actively seeking to injure innocent people - explicitly targeting the poor, the needy, and those who work every day to live right before God.

Swords and arrows are penetrating instruments. They are designed to go deep into the body and injure vital organs. This reveals that our enemy - Satan - seeks to wound us both internally and deeply. He crafts particular arrows based on his knowledge of our weakness and hidden shame. Then he launches those arrows at just the precise time - aiming at our most vulnerable parts in order to weaken and render us ineffective. He entices a believer to sin and then turns around and loudly shouts accusations of our guilt to the world in order to shame and silence us. Whispers of “Try this, nobody will know…” becomes shouts of “How could you do that?! You’re so unfaithful. How could God love you…”.

As a pastor, I have witnessed these specially crafted assaults again and again in the lives of God’s people. Our enemy does not play fair. And when he assaults a vulnerable man, woman, couple, or child - he does so with exquisite malice. It is the job of the church to gather these wounded warriors, remove the arrows, and heal the wounds. We need the healing power of corporate worship, the strengthening that comes in community, and the transformation that only comes through the anointed teaching of God’s Word.

The promise of Psalm 37:14-15 is that when we press in to God in the midst of our battle, the very weapons the enemy crafted to destroy us are turned back on him. “Their sword shall enter their heart…”. It is the warrior who has been healed of his injuries that is used by the Lord to deliver others who are vulnerable. This is God’s great revenge on the devil. God actually uses the very arrows sent against us to become part of our arsenal to use back against the enemy.

So don’t allow shame of failure to take you off the battlefield. If you have fallen, get up. Press into Jesus and His Church. Watch the Lord take the very thing designed to destroy you and use it to defeat the enemy.

As you go before the Lord in prayer today, ask the Holy Spirit to show you places where the enemy’s arrows have wounded you and taken you off the battlefield. Have you surrendered to shame and given up? Our heavenly Father loves you, forgives you, and longs to heal, strengthen, and restore you.

In your journal write at least one area in your life where the enemy has wounded you and you fell out of the battle. Describe the incident and how this injury impacted you and has kept you off the battlefield.

Then write a prayer to the Lord asking Him to heal, restore, and give you the confidence to get back into the fight of faith.

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