KNOCKED DOWN BUT NOT KNOCKED OUT
Psalms 129:1-2 CSB
1 Since my youth they have often attacked me—
let Israel say—
2 since my youth they have often attacked me,
but they have not prevailed against me.
These verses sound like the mantra of the believer who lives for the Lord: Often attacked but not beaten. The NLT says, “my enemies have persecuted me but they have never defeated me.” We ought to make this our personal motto: I may have been persecuted and attacked, but I have never been defeated.
I believe where we want to veer away from making this personal is we don’t like the idea that we are attacked and persecuted in our Christian walk. When we preach Jesus, we don’t often say, and oh yeah, Jesus comes with some persecution and attacks. But that was a part of Israel’s story, and it’s a part of our story as well. There will be persecution typically from those outside of the faith, and we have a spiritual enemy who also stirs things up.
Paul wrote to the Ephesian church warning them about the spiritual battle that they were facing. He describes the armor of God in Ephesians chapter six. A great question we must ask is, if there is no battle, why the need for spiritual armor? Surely, the armor of God has a purpose far beyond being well-dressed spiritually. Peter wrote in his letter, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.” ( 1 Pet. 5:8-9) NLT Yikes! Who wants to hear that we have an enemy looking to devour us? But we must keep in mind that he is looking for someone to devour, not walking through the earth devouring anyone in his path. We can resist him, strong in our faith. And we recognize that our brothers and sisters in Christ are having to suffer through some of the same types of difficulties.
Paul wrote to the Corinthian church in his second letter describing some of the stuff that he had to go through. The tone sounds similar to our verses for today. “We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9) NLT. This sounds very much like what the psalmist is saying in Psalm 129. Attacked from my youth, but they have not beaten me. Attacked from my youth, but they have not prevailed.
APPLICATION
So much of our walk with the Lord is enhanced or hindered by our mindset. Those who adopt the mindset that as a Christian, they will never encounter troubles and attacks are going to be surprised and not in a good way. Peter said we can arm ourselves with our attitude. The best attitude we can adopt is that we may experience trouble and attacks, but we will never be defeated. Paul said when warned that he was going to be facing some difficult times ahead, even imprisonment and trouble were coming his way. Paul’s response was, “...none of these things move me.” You have to love that attitude. Trouble is coming, but it will not defeat me. And it was Paul who said at the end of his life, “...the Lord will deliver me from every evil work.” That’s the attitude I want. I may have some trouble, but the Lord is with me, and I will not be defeated.
PRAYER
Thank You, Lord, that You are with me and help me. Your help is bigger than the trouble that comes my way. I may get knocked down, but I’ll never be knocked out!