Trusting God When You Are Attacked

Psalm 3:3

But You, O LORD,
are a shield about me,
my glory,
and the One who lifts my head.

It is amazing to me how God’s Word speaks with a specific connection to our experiences and challenges. That is true throughout God’s Word, and especially true in the Psalms.

Perhaps today’s Psalm describes your current challenge. Psalm 3 helps us to know what to do when we are attacked. Have you ever found yourself in a place where you were being attacked? I don’t necessarily mean physical attacks, although they do happen. Attacks come in a number of different ways. 

For example, it could be relational. Perhaps there is a person you know, perhaps a family member, a friend, or coworker, that has wrongly accused you. You find yourself the talk of the office, and feel you are unjustly accused. 

Or perhaps the attack is emotional, and you find yourself feeling anxious and depressed. 

There are any number of ways Satan will attack us, and often his attack can come from several directions at once. The enemy never fights fairly.. I Peter 5:8 says it this way, “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert, your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” You can mark it down, as followers of Christ we are always ripe for an attack.

King David, from the Old Testament, knew what it was like to be attacked. He was attacked by the lion and the bear when he was a shepherd boy tending the sheep. He was attacked by his brothers when he went to the front line of the battle against the Philistines. He was attacked by King Saul out of jealousy and envy. He was attacked by many armies that fought against the people of Israel. And later in his life, he was attacked by his own family seeking to overthrow him from leading the Kingdom. That is the occasion of this Psalm. David has been wrongly attacked by his own son, Absalom. Psalm 3:1 says, “O LORD, how my adversaries have increased! Many are rising up against me.” 

It is from this Psalm that we can learn the proper mindset to stand victorious under the attack of the enemy. Whether our attack is spiritual, physical, or relational, we do not have to fear. In fact, we can have a mind to follow Christ. We can trust that God is working on our behalf to guide and protect us. With that in mind, here are 3 principles to hold on to when you experience attack.

God is Our Refuge

Simply put, you can know that God is the one to whom you can run and hide. Psalm 3 tells us that God is our shield, our glory and the one who lifts our head. God is a shield to us. When the enemy attacks, we can run to God and know that He is our shield. The Bible isn’t saying that God has a shield; rather He is our shield. In the midst of arrows shot in our direction each day, God shields us with Himself. As our refuge, God protects us. We also know God is our glory. The Bible says in vs. 3 that God is “my Glory.”  Absalom’s uprising against his father had forced David from the palace. At one time, David walked about the palace in honor and glory, but no longer is that the case. He is now a fugitive on the run. Where is the glory in that? Where is the glory in being attacked by the enemy? Where is the glory in battle and conflict? Especially from attacks inside the camp - the people we trusted. David gives us the answer; God is our glory. He not only protects us, but God encourages us. You may feel discouraged or disillusioned today. Look to God who will encourage you, to lift your head, to protect you, and strengthen you. Perhaps you are battle worn, tired and weak. God will lift your head. As a tender Father, He looks down and with His tender hand and  strengthens us. God is a refuge for us. 

God is Our Rest

This part of Psalm 3 really encourages me. Do you know what David did when the enemy attacked? David took a nap; he rested from his fear and anxiety! In vs. 5 the Bible says, “I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the LORD sustains me.” Because David so trusted God, he could rest. Can I be honest with you? Sleep and rest is one of the first things to elude me when I am under attack. I lose sleep, have trouble falling asleep, and even when I do sleep, I find myself waking up in anxiety and fear. I am so grateful that God is my rest. I can lay my head down and rest knowing God will uphold and secure me. 

God will Restore Us

You may have been wrongly attacked, accused or lost your place and position. You may be the ridicule of others, and you may find yourself starting over. Can I encourage you to remember that it is God who will restore you. Vs. 8 says, “Salvation belongs to the LORD; Your blessing be upon Your people!” David was certain of God’s call on his life and certain God would one day return him to the palace in restoration. 

In a greater sense, our enemy is not flesh and blood. Our enemy is not a person. Our enemy is Satan and his demonic forces. And daily he wants you and me to fall and fail. Here is the good news. We can walk in the same victory David did in Psalm 3. We can trust God when we are attacked. We can know refuge, rest and restoration as we trust in our great God as our helper.