Psalm 83 — Spiritual Warfare — Aneel Aranha

O God, do not remain silent;
do not turn a deaf ear,
do not stand aloof, O God.
See how your enemies growl,
how your foes rear their heads.
With cunning they conspire against your people;
they plot against those you cherish.
“Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation,
so that Israel’s name is remembered no more.”
With one mind they plot together;
they form an alliance against you—
the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,
of Moab and the Hagrites,
Byblos, Ammon and Amalek,
Philistia, with the people of Tyre.
Even Assyria has joined them
to reinforce Lot’s descendants.
Do to them as you did to Midian,
as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon,
who perished at Endor
and became like dung on the ground.
Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,
all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
who said, “Let us take possession
of the pasturelands of God.”
Make them like tumbleweed, my God,
like chaff before the wind.
As fire consumes the forest
or a flame sets the mountains ablaze,
so pursue them with your tempest
and terrify them with your storm.
Cover their faces with shame, LORD,
so that they will seek your name.
May they ever be ashamed and dismayed;
may they perish in disgrace.
Let them know that you, whose name is the LORD —
that you alone are the Most High over all the earth.

In this psalm, Asaph paints a picture of various nations and tribes conspiring to destroy Israel. The psalmist calls upon God to arise and defend his people, thwarting the enemy's plans and bringing them to defeat. While the psalm speaks about real —meaning physical— enemies, it can also serve as a metaphor for the spiritual battles we face today. 

In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul speaks about the spiritual battle Christians face against the forces of darkness. He says, "For 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).

We are all in a battle, but in this battle, we are not fighting against other people. Instead, we're fighting against negative thoughts, temptations, and the forces of darkness that try to pull us away from God. The enemy, the devil, wants to keep us away from God and make us feel hopeless, afraid, or tempted to do wrong things.

However, there is good news. We are not alone in this battle. God is on our side, and he has given us weapons to fight back. Paul writes: "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds" (2 Corinthians 10:3-4). These weapons include prayer, worship, praise, and reading the word of God, which Paul says in the "sword of the Spirit" (Ephesians 6:17). And of course, depending on the Holy Spirit himself, who dwells in us. 

Let us, therefore, like the psalmist, seek God's intervention and protection in times of trial and opposition. Let us trust in his power and rely on his promises, knowing that through Christ, we have the ultimate victory over the forces of darkness. 

God bless you.