What would have happened “if the LORD had not been on our side
Who can be against us if God is for us? the apostle Paul wonders in Romans 8:31. With God on our side, we can overcome anything. Believers can feel safe in the face of every danger because the Lord has promised to be with us, protect us, and grant us victory in His name. In contrast, we are completely helpless without the Lord. As they sing Psalm 124 in praise of God, worshippers echo David's words: "If the LORD had not been on our side when people attacked us, they would have swallowed us alive when their anger flared against us; the flood would have engulfed us, the torrent would have swept over us, the raging waters would have swept us away" (verses 2–5).
David was aware of the impact God's presence had on his life. David earned the courage to face the Philistines and declare, "When I am terrified, I put my trust in you," thanks to a strong relationship with the Lord. I put my trust in God, whose word I adore, and I will not be scared. What harm can flesh cause to me? I am aware that God is on my side (Psalm 56:3–4, 9, ESV).
It is helpful for Christians to reflect on the past and imagine how their life may have turned out without the Lord's help. These thoughts ought to make us feel incredibly grateful to God for his divine deliverance and owe him a debt of gratitude. Let all that I am praise the LORD; may I never forget the excellent things he does for me, as David did: "Let all that I am praise the LORD; may I never forget your generous gifts of protection and defence." He cleanses me of all my sins and cures me of all my ailments. He saves me from death and gives me a crown of love and mercy (Psalm 103:2–4, NLT).
We would never have experienced freedom from sin, Satan, death, and hell—our greatest foes—had the Lord not been on our side. Jesus Christ, who "gave himself for our sins to save us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father," is powerless over Satan (John 14:30). (Galatians 1:4). According to 1 John 3:8, Jesus came to undo Satan's schemes and "break the power of the devil, who had the power of death." He could only release everyone who had lived their lives in fear of dying in this way (Hebrews 2:14–15, NLT).
The "triumph over them on the cross" of Christ rendered the devil and all of his evil forces powerless (Colossians 2:15). Jesus overcame death's power, so we no longer need to be afraid of it. Nothing, not even the forces of hell, can separate us from God's love since He now lives within us in Christ: "Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our concerns for the present nor our worries for the future. Nothing in this world, not even the forces of darkness, will ever be able to take away from us the love of God, which is made manifest in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38–39, NLT). All of God's adversaries, including the ultimate adversary of death, will be vanquished in the end (1 Corinthians 15:24–26).
In this life as well as the next, God is our only source of hope. We are doomed to failure if we strive to succeed without Him. We admit, like David, that "without the LORD's help, I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death" (Psalm 94:17). But if we have God on our side, nothing can stop us or hurt us.
Comments