Face Down Fighting

For the enemy has persecuted my soul; He has crushed my life to the ground; He has made me dwell in dark places, like those who have long been dead. Psalm 143:3

Crushed – This is not the most famous verse that uses daka, but it gives us a clear picture of the kind of life that awaits those who follow the Son. If you look at Isaiah 53:10, you will see this word again; this time as a description of the path of the cross. No one who ever took up the challenge to follow Jesus could ever say that the Christian life is easy. Let’s be perfectly clear. Striving for holiness and obedience is not easy. Sin is easy. The issue at hand is not the effort. The issue is the result. Sin is easy but it leads to death. Obedience is hard but it leads to life. Which do you prefer?

So, now that we have settled the issue of the result, we have ipso facto settled the issue of the process. The enemy will crush you. That is his game plan. He will make you dwell in dark places; places that feel just like the grave. The only serious question is this: who told you it would be otherwise? Why did you expect something else? Don’t you see that once you embrace the path of holiness and obedience, all of the enemy’s army turns in your direction? Why would you think the Christian life should be free from mortal blows?

Somewhere along the way, contemporary Christians came to believe that following the Master guaranteed advantage in the world. It’s as though we adopted an operating principle that said: add Jesus to your success equation and life will be dramatically better. Don’t be fooled! Jesus is the paradigm of obedience. Look at His life to see what’s in store for those who follow. He told us as much (John 16:20).

But that’s not the end of the story, is it? Go ahead. Read the rest of this psalm. Yes, David is overwhelmed by inner attacks. Yes, he cries out for help. Things look dark. But David turns the corner when he is face down on the floor. When he can no longer fight, when God is his only source of strength, then we hear these words: “I trust in You. You are my God. In Your righteousness, bring me out of trouble.”

If we believe that the crushing attack of the enemy does not belong in our lives, then we will either be dismayed and confused or we will surrender when the blows arrive. But if we expect them, then their arrival opens the way for an different strategy – face down fighting. The defeat of the enemy comes by total surrender to God. I cannot overcome the enemy within, but I can prostrate myself before the Lord and call on His righteousness. Some days that is all I have. But it is more than enough.