Lord willing, we're going to finish out this psalm this evening. I'm going to be covering verses 25 down through verse 50, looking at several different thoughts that come from that. So far in our overview of Psalm 18, we've looked at different aspects of David's divine protection from those who desired to destroy him. This psalm was written sometime around the realm of when Saul was seeking to kill David. And so this psalm has an air of deliverance, an air of protection. And we've looked so far at a position of safety, a place of sorrow, and a powerful savior, and a passionate service. That's the thoughts we've seen so far come out of this text. But tonight we're going to begin down in verse 25. And we'll read through verse 40 for this first thought that is present in this section. It says, With the merciful, thou wilt show thyself merciful. With an upright man, thou shalt show thyself upright. With the pure, thou wilt show thyself pure. And with the froward, thou wilt show thyself froward. For thou wilt save the afflicted people, but wilt bring down the high looks. For thou wilt light my candle, the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness. For by thee I have run through a troop, and by my God have I leaped over a wall. As for God, his way is perfect. The word of the Lord is tried. He is a buckler to all those that trust in him. For who is God? Save the Lord. Or who is a rock? Save our God. It is God that girdeth me with the strength and maketh my way perfect. He maketh my feet like hinds feet. and setteth me upon my high places. He teacheth my hands to war, so that the bow of steel is broken by mine arms. Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation, and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great. Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip. I have pursued mine enemies and overtaken them, neither did I turn again till they were consumed. I have wounded them that were not able to rise, they are fallen under my feet. For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle, thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me. Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies that I might destroy them that hate me. And in this first section of verses, you'll notice a preserving stand that is had from verse 25 down through verse 40 as David is dealing with the battle that he is fighting. He understands that he is in a place of war. He's in a place that requires some strategic battles. And he understands that without the help of God, without the moving of God, he has absolutely no hope of victory. In our lives today, we try so often to do things in our own power and in our own way. We'll say something like this, well I'll handle this, I'll take care of it, I'll do this, I'll do that, when the reality is, without the help of God, we have no hope of ever conquering anything in life. There's so many out there today that when you try to talk to them about God, they'll say something like this. Well, let me clean up first. Let me do this first. And they'll try to do things in and of their own self. But the reality is the only way that we can wage war as saved people today is to understand that my help comes from the Lord. It's the only way that we can overcome a supernatural enemy. In Ephesians chapter 6, we see this played out throughout that section of verses there, and he gives us the armor. But understand that the battle is there, and if you try to fight it without the armor of God, you will find yourself as a casualty. David says here, it's by the supernatural help of God that I have been able to stand upon the things that God has given me. It's the only way that a church will ever stand for any kind of truth is if God is in the midst of it. Otherwise it will fold and it will fail. It's much easier to go by the way of the world. It's not near as complicated to do things the world's way. It does not cause us near as many problems. But the problem is with that is there is no power in fighting that way. There is no fight in that. He understands there in verse 31, he says, For who is God? Save the Lord. Or who is a rock? Save our God. It is God that girdeth me with strength and maketh my way perfect. David understands that in the battles that he is fighting, in the wars that he is waging, he's fighting against a wicked king that would desire to kill him. He's fighting against the armies of Saul that would desire to kill him. And they are many more than he is. Then how can David expect to fight that battle? By understanding that God is the one that fights it. I just get to get in on it. I've heard it said from an old preacher and I like what he said. He said, there's an old song that goes like this, I'm on the winning side. Yes, I'm on the winning side. He said, I'm not on the winning side. I'm on the side that's already won. He's already won the battle. He's already won the war. All I have to do is walk in the victory that God has offered for us to have. In verse 25, He lets us know. He says, I'm going to be merciful to those who are merciful. He's letting us know that how I am will be reciprocated. You ever heard the saying, what goes around comes around? Well, God is a good repairer of what we send around. If all you ever send around is bitterness, hatred, anger, malice, and aggravation, then guess what's coming? That's what you'll get in return. But in this text, we can notice in the section of verses from 25 down to verse 40, that there is a promise for salvation, there is a promise for protection, There is a promise for preservation that comes from the Lord working in my battles. Verse 36 he says, Thou hast enlarged my steps under me that my feet did not slip. He says, I've been able to do some things in a supernatural way. I've been able to leap over walls. I've been able to do all of these things. I've been able to fight these battles because of the power that you have given on my behalf. The preservation that you have given on my behalf. But there is a key to this and then we'll move on. How many of us, if we were honest, would say we desire to have the power of God in our life? How many of us, if we were honest, would say that we desire to be a good soldier in the battles God gives us? That requires one thing that I'm afraid in my life has been neglected far too often, and that is standing. It's much easier when life gets tough. It's much easier when things go wrong. It's much easier when things are inconvenient to walk away from the battle, to leave the battle. But understand where David is at here. In this section of verses, David understands that the only place victory is had is in the midst of the battle. He will not get it. If he lays down, he will not get it if he quits. He will not get it if he runs somewhere else and hides. He will not get it if he folds on what God has given him. He says in verse 39, For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle, and thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me. Thou hast also given me The necks of mine enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me. He says the only way I get victory is if the Lord helps me, if the Lord touches me, and if the Lord works on my behalf. A preserving stand. But in verse 41, down through verse 45, we'll notice a people that is subdued. They cried, but there was none to save them, even unto the Lord, but he answered them not. Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind. I did cast them out as the dirt in the streets. Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people, and thou hast made me the head of the heathen. A people whom I have not known shall serve me. As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me. The strangers shall submit themselves unto me. The strangers shall fade away and be afraid out of their close places. So what is being talked about here is that there will be nobody that can stand against David. He understands that in the battles God has given him, he has already been anointed king. Samuel has already came in and has anointed David as the king of Israel. And at no point in David's life from that point was he ever not the king of Israel. Now it took a little while to get to the throne, but it did not change the fact that God had set him up as the king. Now in our lives we sometimes forget that we are the children of God. And we can forget what God has done for us. But what God desires for you and what God desires for me is to understand that as long as I'm one of His, hell hath no power over me. There's not a single thing in this world that can stand against a saved person when they're fighting the battle in the Lord. You say, but it seems impossible. I would say when David was in the cave of Adullam, he probably thought a few times, man, this seems like it's impossible. But he understands that God is a God of His promises. He keeps His word. And when he says in the book of Romans, who shall separate us from the love of God? He goes in and he lists all these different things. He says, Nothing can separate us. Nothing can pluck us out of the hands of God. Nothing can pull us away from God. The only thing that can get you away from God is you. And the only thing that can get me away from God is me. This world has no power as long as the Lord is my strength. Then in verse 46, down through the end of the chapter, It says here, the Lord liveth and blessed be my rock. Let the God of my salvation be exalted. It is God that avenges me and that subdued the people under me. He delivereth me from mine enemies, yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me. Thou hast delivered me from the violent man. Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O Lord. among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name. Great deliverance giveth he to his king, and showeth mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed forevermore. So we've seen a preserving stand, we've seen a people that has been subdued, but now we see a praising servant in these last few verses of Psalm 18. He says, begins the little section here by understanding where his help comes from. He's just got done saying, I'm beating these enemies into a pulp. I'm beating them into oblivion. I've beaten them down to where they're dust. But then he recognizes and he understands, he says, my help is found in the Lord. He is my rock. And it is God that avengeth me and subdueth the people under me." How many times in life have you desired to fight your battle and in fighting your battle you just made a bigger mess than when you started? What David is saying here is, Lord, I recognize that nothing I can do is significant. But all you do is significant. It's not me. It's not my power that has subdued these nations. It's not my power that has worked in the wicked. It's not my power that has brought me to where I am. But Lord, it is your exalting that has brought me to where I am. It's your strength that has brought me to where I am. There comes a point in everyone's life as a Christian to where we have to throw up our hands and say, Lord, I know I can't do it on my own. I have no power to change what I'm in. I have no ability to affect a change. Verse 48, he says, It is He that delivereth me from mine enemies. Thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me. How many times have you had somebody that's risen against you? And your first thought was to punch him in the nose. I've felt that way. But to understand that that will never accomplish anything for God. And to understand that in our lives, if I will just allow Him to, He is the great Deliverer. You say, our nation's in a mess. What do we do? All I know to do is rely on His delivering grace and His delivering power for His children. He's promised to never leave us nor forsake us and He's always promised that there would be a remnant of His people. And so God has promised to you and I that He will deliver us one way or the other. As the Hebrew boys there stood before a wicked nation and stood before a wicked king, and they desired for them to bow down, they said, Be it known unto thee, O king, our God, whom we serve, is able to deliver us. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, we will not bow down to what you desire. Those boys understood that one way or another they were about to be delivered. Whether it was from the flame, itself or whether it was from that king in death. When they went into that fiery furnace they understood that they were coming out different than they went in. They were either coming out on this side of glory unbound or they were coming out on that side of glory unbound. And I just am reminded we're almost to the election season and y'all know I don't preach politics and I don't get involved in a whole lot of that from the pulpit. But I am here to tell you, no matter what comes, we've got to deliver. And we get out and we do our part and we We vote and we try to do our best to vote in Christian counsel and Christian principles and all of that stuff. But I can promise you this, no matter what happens next month, you and I have a great deliverer. And he's good at looking after his people. And there's a battle to fight. There is a war that is raging. There is a war that we are to wage. We aren't to sit on the sidelines and say it's somebody else's fight. But in the midst of it, we are to remember and we're to recognize where our power comes from. That the power we have is not found in my strength. My strength fails fairly quickly, but I'm hooked up to something that's so much stronger and has an ability to affect a change that is eternal in nature. Therefore, in verse 49, therefore, will I give thanks unto thee, O Lord. among the heathen and sing praises unto thy name. He says, I'm in the midst of people that have no idea who you are and I'm going to praise you in the midst of it. We're living in a world that knows not of God. You can go talk to people in town and they'll have an idea what they think God is, but very few people actually understand. But He's given us the opportunity to wage war on their behalf and he's given us the opportunity to praise him in the midst of what's going on in our lives. David had a lot to say in Psalm 18. If we were to try to go verse by verse it would take me several years probably to get through it. But the principle is As the old song goes, God's bigger than any mountain that I can or cannot see. He's bigger than all my problems. He's bigger than all my fears. David understood that, and that's where David is at here in Psalm 18. There's a lot of things he could fear. There's a lot of things he could dread. But he understands that he's got a heavenly Father that loves him and that desires to deliver Him to where He needs to be. You notice what He says? Great deliverance giveth He to His King, and showeth mercy to His anointed. I'm sure glad, I believe it says over in the New Testament, I don't believe I'm misinterpreting that, but I believe He calls us kings and priests over in the New Testament. And I believe He calls us His anointed. We are His beloved. And He loves us tonight. And He's going to look after us no matter what happens. No matter what comes. We've got a God that will do the work that is needed on our behalf. Father, I believe that's a distance you'd have us go tonight. We're thankful for these Psalms. We're thankful for all the things that you're teaching us through it. Lord, helping us to understand where our power comes from. Lord, we understand that this world is in a mess and we understand that there are fighting's and there is warring's that's going on. There is a battle that is raging. Help us to be good soldiers. Lord, help us to fight the way you would desire and help us to do the things you would desire. Lord, I'm asking that you would give us what we stand in need of, each and every heart, to make the stands that you've called us to make. Lord, when it comes time and we're dealing with different folks, that we would have the words to say and a boldness to stand on the principles that you've given us. Lord, we sure love you tonight. Go with us now as we get ready to go our separate ways. In Jesus' name, amen.