Title: An Unlikely Weapon/ Topic: Spiritual Warfare

Today’s Reading: Job 5; Psalm 108; Acts 10; Acts 11

Scripture: Psalm 108:3, 5-9, 12-13
3 I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples.
5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and let your glory be over all the earth.
6 Save us and help us with your right hand, that those you love may be delivered.
7 God has spoken from his sanctuary: "In triumph I will parcel out Shechem and measure off the Valley of Succoth.
8 Gilead is mine, Manasseh is mine; Ephraim is my helmet, Judah my scepter.
9 Moab is my washbasin, upon Edom I toss my sandal; over Philistia I shout in triumph."
12 Give us aid against the enemy, for the help of man is worthless.
13 With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies.

Observation: There is a progression through this psalm that describes how praise and worship are used as a weapon in spiritual warfare. It starts with David praising God and asking that God let his glory be known in all the earth. Then comes a prayer of supplication asking for the Lord's help in gaining deliverance from the enemies of Israel (v.6). God answers from his sanctuary declaring that his people are his to protect and that he can do whatever he wants with all the nations. God himself promises deliverance to Israel through David's praise, worship and prayer. After God speaks, David declares that they will have victory through God.

Application: Praise and worship are powerful spiritual weapons. We need to realize that when we are in church or in our homes that our worship engages God's activity on our behalf. We need to purpose ourselves to ask him to defeat our enemies while we are engaged in worship and then we need to declare, as David did, that God will give us the victory! Gratitude is the appropriate response to God's actions on our behalf.

Prayer: Father, may we all, as the church, rise up and take the weapon of praise and worship and wield it for all it's worth. May we recognize the power of this weapon (one that's actually fun to use) and combine it with faith so that we may produce much fruit without the interference of our enemies. Thank you for working so powerfully on our behalf. I love you Lord.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.