VICTORIOUS SOLDIERS OF CHRIST

Passage: Psalm 18:31-50

Key verse: 39

NIV

31 For who is God besides the Lord?(A)
    And who is the Rock(B) except our God?
32 It is God who arms me with strength(C)
    and keeps my way secure.(D)
33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;(E)
    he causes me to stand on the heights.(F)
34 He trains my hands for battle;(G)
    my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35 You make your saving help my shield,
    and your right hand sustains(H) me;
    your help has made me great.
36 You provide a broad path(I) for my feet,
    so that my ankles do not give way.(J)

37 I pursued my enemies(K) and overtook them;
    I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
38 I crushed them(L) so that they could not rise;(M)
    they fell beneath my feet.(N)
39 You armed me with strength(O) for battle;
    you humbled my adversaries(P) before me.
40 You made my enemies turn their backs(Q) in flight,
    and I destroyed(R) my foes.
41 They cried for help, but there was no one to save them(S)—
    to the Lord, but he did not answer.(T)
42 I beat them as fine as windblown dust;(U)
    I trampled them[a] like mud in the streets.
43 You have delivered me from the attacks of the people;
    you have made me the head of nations.(V)
People I did not know(W) now serve me,
44     foreigners(X) cower before me;
    as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.
45 They all lose heart;(Y)
    they come trembling(Z) from their strongholds.(AA)

46 The Lord lives!(AB) Praise be to my Rock!(AC)
    Exalted be God(AD) my Savior!(AE)
47 He is the God who avenges(AF) me,
    who subdues nations(AG) under me,
48     who saves(AH) me from my enemies.(AI)
You exalted me above my foes;
    from a violent man(AJ) you rescued me.
49 Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;(AK)
    I will sing(AL) the praises of your name.(AM)

50 He gives his king great victories;
    he shows unfailing love to his anointed,(AN)
    to David(AO) and to his descendants forever.(AP)

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Footnotes
  1. Psalm 18:42 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Syriac and Targum (see also 2 Samuel 22:43); Masoretic Text I poured them out
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

31 For (A)who is God, but the Lord?
    And who is (B)a rock, except our God?—
32 the God who (C)equipped me with strength
    and made my way (D)blameless.
33 He made my feet like the feet of a (E)deer
    and set me secure on (F)the heights.
34 He (G)trains my hands for war,
    so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35 You have given me the shield of your salvation,
    and your right hand (H)supported me,
    and your (I)gentleness made me great.
36 You (J)gave a wide place for my steps under me,
    and my feet did not slip.
37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them,
    and did not turn back till they were consumed.
38 I thrust them through, so that they were not able to rise;
    they fell under my feet.
39 For you equipped me with strength for the battle;
    you made those who rise against me sink under me.
40 You made my enemies (K)turn their backs to me,[a]
    and those who hated me I destroyed.
41 (L)They cried for help, but there was none to save;
    they cried to the Lord, but he did not answer them.
42 I beat them fine as (M)dust before the wind;
    I cast them out like (N)the mire of the streets.

43 You delivered me from (O)strife with the people;
    you made me (P)the head of the nations;
    (Q)people whom I had not known served me.
44 As soon as they heard of me they obeyed me;
    (R)foreigners (S)came cringing to me.
45 (T)Foreigners lost heart
    and (U)came trembling out of their fortresses.

46 The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock,
    and exalted be the God of my salvation—
47 the God who gave me vengeance
    and (V)subdued peoples under me,
48 who rescued me from my enemies;
    yes, you (W)exalted me above those who rose against me;
    you delivered me from (X)the man of violence.

49 (Y)For this I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations,
    and (Z)sing to your name.
50 Great (AA)salvation he brings to his king,
    and shows steadfast love to his (AB)anointed,
    to (AC)David and his offspring forever.

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Footnotes
  1. Psalm 18:40 Or You gave me my enemies' necks
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

David was a warrior and gave God credit for that. God armed him with strength, made his feet like the feet of a deer, caused him to stand on the heights, trained his hands for battle, enabled his arms to bend a bow of bronze, made His saving help his shield, provided a broad path for his feet, and made his ankles not give way.

Christians are called to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus and to serve as His soldiers and please Him as our commanding officer (2 Tim. 2:1,3,4). We have much to learn from David about becoming victorious soldiers of Christ. Fundamentally, it is not our own strength but God’s which makes us victorious.

We could not be victorious because we were dead in our transgressions and sins. “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ” (Ephesians 2:1,4,5). Now we are victorious soldiers of Christ because of His salvation and the power of resurrection (1 Cor. 15:57).

Prayer: Father, thank you for giving us words of encouragement. David is a great example of how we can be victorious soldiers of Christ. Make me strong in your grace and through the resurrection power of Jesus Christ. Amen.

One Word: I am a victorious soldier of Christ