Since Christ feared the Lord perfectly on our behalf, and took the wrath of God upon Him, our enemies will not be exulted over us, and our past sins need no longer haunt us. Christ reconciled us to God so that we might have friendship with the Lord, not the world. And Christ redeemed us, so that we can experience true freedom.
Several years ago I missed a turn for one of my speaking events. It didn’t take me long to realize I was on the wrong road, but I didn’t know how to find my way without help. So I pulled into a gas station and asked the locals for directions. Thankfully, they were kind and helpful, and before long I was on my way again on the right road.
Missing a wrong turn for a speaking engagement isn’t nearly as bad as missing the wrong road in life. Scripture tells us that there is a right road, the way of the righteous, and a wrong road, the way of the rebellious (see Ps. 1:1-6). Only by God’s grace can we walk on the road of righteousness.
The road of righteousness is not a popular road, but it is a rewarding road. God’s glorious presence is with us each step of the way. But once we are on the right road, Scripture teaches us that we are confronted with three enemies that tempt us to doubt the way we have chosen is good.
The enemy within (the flesh) is ready to engage in sin and remind us of past sins. The Enemy without (the devil) seeks to seduce us and persecute us. And the world tempts us to walk in its ways of idolatry and immorality. Thankfully, Psalm 25 reminds us of four important truths as we fight against our enemies.
Fear of the Lord
First, we must fear the Lord (Ps. 25:1-7). In response to the Lord’s salvation, we are to walk in His ways, love Him, serve Him wholeheartedly, obey Him, and hold fast to Him (Deut. 10:12-13, 20). When our enemies threaten to undo us, we must trust in the Lord and wait for Him to deliver us. During times of waiting we must worship Him, accept His plans and purposes, incline our hearts to wisdom, and trust Him as our Leader and Teacher.
