God Will Give You Victory
As we end a week looking at God's promises in Psalm 9, let's reflect on the words of verses 5-6, which say: "You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked; You have blotted out their name for ever and ever. Endless ruin has overtaken my enemies, you have uprooted their cities; even the memory of them has perished."
Victory Over Ancient Enemies
Clearly, David here is talking about specific enemies of his, whom God helped him to demolish and even wipe from the earth. This whole Psalm is actually quite a violent one, with David celebrating how God strikes terror into the heart of Israel's enemies and judges them in righteousness.
Understanding God's Mission
Some believe that this is the Old Testament God who was a God of vengeance, and the New Testament God is almost completely different as a God of love. But I think that's a false view. What changed was not God’s character, but the focus of the mission – instead of spreading the glory of God through military conquest, God in the New Testament opened up the gates for all people – Jew or Gentile – to come into His family, and desired the spreading of the Good News through teaching and acts of love.
Our True Battle
Additionally, there was a change in who God’s people could view as enemies. With the Gentiles grafted into God's family through Jesus, no human being could be considered an enemy anymore. Paul wrote to the first Christians that "our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Ephesians 6:12 NIV11)
So when we read passages like Psalm 9, we read these words with spiritual application. And we can be confident that God will give us victory over the spiritual forces and powers of evil, like He gave David victory.
What spiritual enemies are you facing? A temptation that's bothering you? A certain mindset that's causing destruction? An attack on your life or family?
Friends, victory today is not necessarily an absence of these things. It's a way through them. It's a deep joy and reliance on God that says to the enemy – "throw what you will at me; I'm sticking with Jesus".
2025 will be a year of victory for you – over temptation, over mental struggles, over difficulties: not because they stop showing up, but because through them, your faith in God stays secure, and the enemy realizes he can't budge you.
May that be our story this year.
