Claiming Refuge in God

Attitude Toward Evil

Psalm 91:5–10

5 Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,
    nor the arrow that flies in the day.
6 Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness,
 nor the disaster that strikes at midday.
7 Though a thousand fall at your side,
    though ten thousand are dying around you,
    these evils will not touch you.
8 Just open your eyes,
    and see how the wicked are punished.

9 If you make the Lord your refuge,
    if you make the Most High your shelter,
10 no evil will conquer you;
    no plague will come near your home.

  In Psalm 91:1–4, the songwriter has acknowledged the Lord as his refuge when under attack by the forces of evil. Now in 91:5–10, he sizes up his enemy and calculates his (and our) chances of surviving the battle. (Spoiler alert: we stand a 100 percent chance of victory.)

  Beginning in verse 5, the songwriter makes a series of predictions about you, presuming that you have placed your trust in the Lord and you're coming to Him for refuge from the enemy. Here are his predictions.

  You will have no fear (91:5–6). Look over the descriptive terms that describe our enemy's tactics: terrors . . . arrow . . disease . . . disaster.  All these describe satanic and demonic assaults against us. Notice also that these assaults take place at any time of the day or night. Our enemy will stop at nothing to make us afraid! Intimidation is one of his sharpest darts of deception.

  But the psalmist assures that you won't be afraid because the truth of God's faithfulness will wrap itself around you like a warm blanket in winter. While the enemy relentlessly fires arrows in your direction, you're safely surrounded by the protection of God's fortress. The psalmist has you standing in a safe place, high above the range of the most powerful bowstring. You watch in complete peace as thousands of missiles fall pathetically to the ground before reaching you.

  Your faith will prevail, while others fall (91:7–10). I see faith written between each line, don't you? Our Lord expects us to stand firmly on His Word—His promises—His strength. Read Ephesians 6:10–11, 16 and you'll see that the "shield of faith" is able to deflect everything the evil one throws at you. Remember, faith demands an object. There are at least four specific biblical truths for the Christian to claim when undergoing or seeking release from satanic/demonic attacks.