Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men and women
Preserve me from violent people
Who plan evil things in their hearts; (Psalm 140:1-2)
David begins this psalm with a plea for deliverance from evil men, likely his enemies, who wanted to overthrow him. His request for preservation underlines a dependency on God for safety. For modern believers, these verses can be a prayer point when facing spiritual or physical enemies.
Ephesians 6:12 reminds us that our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces.
They sharpen their tongues like a serpent; The poison of asps is under their lips. Selah. (Psalm 140:3)
Here, David uses vivid imagery, comparing the deceitful words of his enemies to the venomous bite of a snake. It reminds us to be cautious of false and deceptive speech.
James 3:8 likens the tongue to a restless evil full of deadly poison.
But the human tongue can be tamed by no man. It is a restless (undisciplined, irreconcilable) evil, full of deadly poison. (James 3:8)
The proud have hidden a snare for me, and cords; They have spread a net by the wayside; They have set traps for me. Selah. (Psalm 140:5)
The tactics of David’s enemies are compared to hunting techniques—snares, cords, nets, and traps. This verse reminds us that pride often motivates people to set traps for others.
O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, You have covered my head in the day of battle. (Psalm 140:7)
David acknowledges God as his protector, specifically mentioning that God has "covered his head," a reference to a vital part of armour. For contemporary believers, this symbolises God's protection of our minds and thoughts.
We need protection for our heads because this is where most of our battles take place. Our heads contain the thoughts and attitudes of our mind, where many troubles begin.
The difficulty is we’re often unaware of what we think and have to practice ‘catching ourselves’ in our thoughts. Once we realise what occupies our mind, we can decide if our thoughts are “true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy” (Philippians 4:8).
Are we consistently bringing our thoughts to Christ so that they can be brought into “the obedience of Christ”? (2 Corinthians 10:5 KJV)
People talk about having a song stuck in their heads. Likewise, we can get stuck in a bad pattern of thinking. The best way to remove an unwanted song from our mind is to replace it with a better one. Similarly, if we’re stuck in a bad pattern of thinking, we can call Jesus to mind and ask him for better thoughts. He will shield our heads in the day of battle.
Chapters
- Chapter 1
- Chapter 2
- Chapter 3
- Chapter 4
- Chapter 5
- Chapter 6
- Chapter 7
- Chapter 8
- Chapter 9
- Chapter 10
- Chapter 11
- Chapter 12
- Chapter 13
- Chapter 14
- Chapter 15
- Chapter 16
- Chapter 17
- Chapter 18
- Chapter 19
- Chapter 20
- Chapter 21
- Chapter 22
- Chapter 23
- Chapter 24
- Chapter 25
- Chapter 26
- Chapter 27
- Chapter 28
- Chapter 29
- Chapter 30
- Chapter 31
- Chapter 32
- Chapter 33
- Chapter 34
- Chapter 35
- Chapter 36
- Chapter 37
- Chapter 38
- Chapter 39
- Chapter 40
- Chapter 41
- Chapter 42
- Chapter 43
- Chapter 44
- Chapter 45
- Chapter 46
- Chapter 47
- Chapter 48
- Chapter 49
- Chapter 50
- Chapter 51
- Chapter 53
- Chapter 54
- Chapter 55
- Chapter 56
- Chapter 57
- Chapter 58
- Chapter 59
- Chapter 60
- Chapter 61
- Chapter 69
- Chapter 70
- Chapter 71
- Chapter 72
- Chapter 76
- Chapter 77
- Chapter 79
- Chapter 80
- Chapter 81
- Chapter 82
- Chapter 83
- Chapter 85
- Chapter 86
- Chapter 87
- Chapter 88
- Chapter 89
- Chapter 90
- Chapter 105
- Chapter 127
- Chapter 128
- Chapter 130
- Chapter 131
- Chapter 132
- Chapter 133
- Chapter 138
- Chapter 139
- Chapter 140
- Chapter 142
- Chapter 144
- Chapter 145
- Chapter 148
- Chapter 149
- Chapter 150