We need a warrior and God is in our presence to help us as we face so many challenges. Along with His presence, we have weapons like faith, hope, and love to fight this war. It’s up to us to sharpen these weapons within us to be used when needed so that victory is delivered. – Thoughts from sermon of Ryan Barnett, 07-11-2021

To sharpen our weapons, today we are reading Psalm 68:19-35. The occasion for writing this Psalm is the arc of God being brought into Jerusalem and the sanctuary. There is something like a victory parade as the people worship God’s power. He saves, He crushes enemies, is awesome, and powerful. The people know that God is on their side and this gives confidence for their future.

The people ask God to scatter their enemies and bring victory. We have a bigger picture today because of how history has played out over the years. Today, we have the advantage and are assured of the victory by being dedicated to the Good News teachings found in the gospel. By accepting the Lamb of God, there is grace and we receive assistance from the Holy Spirit with the power to finish victoriously.

Lord … for winning our battles in life, we need the proper spiritual weapons to face the enemy like the sword of the Spirit, the shield of faith, and the helmet of salvation. Your goal is to build us up and lift us up out of the hole we dug for ourselves, so the enemy no longer has control. We are thankful that Jesus confronts our sin and brings victory. We see brighter days ahead and know that the ultimate victory is when Your kingdom on earth is established so that Christ reigns as Prince of Peace. For it is in His name we pray … Amen.