Your hand will lay hold on all your enemies;
your right hand will seize your foes.
When you appear for battle,
you will burn them up as in a blazing furnace.
The Lord will swallow them up in his wrath,
and his fire will consume them.
You will destroy their descendants from the earth,
their posterity from mankind.
Though they plot evil against you
and devise wicked schemes, they cannot succeed.
You will make them turn their backs
when you aim at them with drawn bow.
Be exalted in your strength, Lord;
we will sing and praise your might.
Psalm 21:8-13
Wow! There is weaponry and ammunition in abundance here! (See what we have in our salvation, and stay to see what we may do with it!)
The weapon I propose is that of discernment. We have enemies! From without and within, there are those who would trap us, whose aim is to steal, kill, and destroy.
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. (John 10:10, NASB)
And from within, from the flesh,
What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? (James 4:1, NIV)
As we pray for those we love, we must fight with that two-edged sword, for the battle must be waged against both the temptor and the tempt-able part of us. We push back darkness, enemy schemes, lies, slanders, presumptions, and more, and we put to death our own cowardice, sloth, and all idolatry.
All by the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of the Lord.
Let’s try this together. “Father, this day I am before You on behalf of _________, asking You, petitioning You, that Your hand will lay hold of his/her enemies, that Your right hand will seize all foes!
“Appear in battle, Lord God, burn them up, swallow them, consume them. Those that come against my loved one, destroy, and wherever they are themselves deceived, destroy arguments and speculations that keep them confused and doubting. (2 Corinthians 10:5)
“Let anything that lifts itself up against the knowledge of God in them or against them be destroyed for all generations by Your great lovingkindness and Your truth.
“Enemies have plotted against You and devised wicked schemes, but they cannot succeed. Make them turn their backs, aim at them with drawn bow and even with the Word of the Lord that I speak and pray.
“Be exalted, O Lord, in Your strength, and I will sing and praise Your might! In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Soren Niedziella, by permission, Wikipedia
Sword of St. Maurice of Turin
Marketplace Monastics 