Psalm 35:19 “Let not those gloat over me who are my enemies without cause; let not those who hate me without reason maliciously wink the eye.”
David had a lot of enemies who were jealous of his position, power, wealth and standing, people who were glad to see him in trouble. Satan has the same motives in attacking us.
We have been given eternal life, while he is doomed to eternal death; we have the Holy Spirit living in us, the power of the living Lord, while he is separated from God; we have been made heirs with Christ while he has lost all; and we are children of the King, members of His family, citizens of His Kingdom and partners in His great plans, while Satan is an outcast, a loser and a reject by his own decision.
He will do whatever he can do to help us forget who we are in Christ and urges us to veer off onto our own selfish course of life and action, just as he has done himself and led Adam and Eve to do.
Psalm 35:20, 21 “They do not speak peaceably, but devise false accusations against those who live quietly in the land. They gape at me and say, “Aha! Aha! With our own eyes we have seen it.”
[Satan uses people with their lies and unjust accusations to pressure us to get our eyes off of God and onto the natural desires for safety and comfort, significance and fulfillment. And yet in Christ we already have a super abundance of each of these!
We must be carefully and consistently listen to Truth, recognizing the lies of the enemy. We can do this by daily reveling in the richness of belonging to Christ, nurturing our first love for Him, rejoicing in and delving into His powerful living Word.]
Psalm 35:22, 23 “O LORD, you have seen this; be not silent. Do not be far from me, O Lord. Awake, and rise to my defense! Contend for me, my God and Lord.”
[David here makes exactly the right move: when threatened he comes immediately to God for help, seeking input from the Rock, from Truth Himself, from the Most Powerful and Wise One.
Sadly for us, prayer is usually our last resort when it should be our first response. Forgive us, Lord, for trying to do things on our own; help us to follow David’s good example, to turn first to you, our rock, and make you, “my God and Lord” our refuge right away!]