Adversaries of My Soul

Psalm 143

This short prayer of David, only twelve verses, is packed with emotion and lament. The crisis driving this prayer is an unnamed enemy. David refers to “the enemy” (singular), “my enemies” (plural, twice), and “the adversaries of my soul” (plural). Unlike other prayers of David, he does not describe in detail exactly what these enemies are doing to assail him.  

But that does not mean that the prayer lacks emotion. Their attacks are described as pursuing his soul, crushing his life to the ground, making him sit in darkness, and causing him some undefined trouble. Whatever form the attacks might be taking, the result is that David’s life is crushed, his spirit is faint, his heart is appalled, and his soul thirsts. Could a deeper expression of inner pain be found? 

In this moment, David calls out to God for help because He believes God to be faithful, loving, trustworthy, and righteous. In addition to who he believes God to be, David also remembers the great works of God in the past and in his personal past. David also believes that God is both transcendent (sovereign over all creation) and immanent (close to him and willing to help). He has full confidence that God will deliver him, be his refuge, preserve his life, bring him out of trouble, and destroy his enemies. 

So, what exactly is David asking the Lord to do? Specifically, he asks the Lord to answer him, to hide not His face, to make him know the way he should go, to teach him to do His will, to lead him by His Good Spirit, to preserve his life, to bring his soul out of trouble, to cut off his enemies, and to destroy the adversaries of his soul. In twelve short verses, David asks the Lord to do at least nine different, life changing things. 

We should not miss the fact that David knows he is unworthy of the Lord’s intervention. That is why he asks the Lord to not judge him for his sins for no one is worthy or righteous before a holy God. Even so, he is confident to present his requests before the Lord.  

This prayer is guide for anyone who has ever felt crushed in spirit, thirsty in soul, or appalled in heart. The confessions of who God is and how He acts in the earth is a reminder of why we should cry out to Him for deliverance from the adversaries of our soul. 

But speaking of adversaries, as we read this prayer in light of the new covenant, it really comes to life. We know from Ephesians 6 that our real enemies are the spiritual forces of darkness. The “enemies” that David was unable to name are clearly named in the New Testament. The spiritual forces of darkness assail our soul, crush our lives, and make us sit in darkness. Our enemy uses the weapons of condemnation, fear, anxiety, loneliness, and a host of other attacks. But like David, we know that we need outside help to win this battle. 

In the High Priestly prayer of Jesus as recorded in John 17, Jesus asked the Father to keep us from the evil one. In the model prayer, we are taught to ask the Father to deliver us from evil. This is what David is praying for, to be delivered from evil. There are other parallels to the High Priestly prayer in this psalm, too. For instance, David prayed that God would not “hide His face” and Jesus prayed that we would know “the name of the Father.” David prayed that God would “preserve his life” and Jesus asked the Father to “keep us in His name.” Jesus promised the Good Spirit to lead us in His path and to sanctify us in truth, essential parallels to David’s prayer. This prayer of David comes alive in the prayer of Jesus for His disciples and for us. 

Why should new covenant believers care about this psalm? Why would we not? 

Have you ever felt that the enemy is assailing your soul, crushing your spirit, covering you in his darkness and you don’t know how to pray? These twelve verses give words to the cry of your heart. 

Do you know someone who is downcast in soul, suffering the condemnation of the enemy, falling to his lies? These twelve verses guide you in praying in the Spirit for their deliverance. 

Have you been called out of this world but are still in this world? Do you feel the burden of striving to do His will, to walk in His paths, to follow the Spirit’s leading? Then this prayer is your guide. 

The psalms are not pretty poems that sits on the shelf. The psalms are prayer guides for people in crisis who are in so much pain they are at a loss for words. If you have ever been there, or know someone who is there right now, then you desperately need Psalm 143.