Alicia's Bible Blog
Psalm 54:5 "He will requite my enemies with evil; in thy faithfulness put an end to them." Often in the Psalms, and in the Old Testament in general, there is this theme of trusting God to requite our enemies with evil; to visit vengeance upon them, and it is true - even God says vengeance is His and He will requite each according to his deeds. But I used to struggle with readings like this, it doesn't sit well with me to be waiting or hoping for evil to be visited on anyone - even on my enemies. Jesus told us to pray for our enemies, to hope for their salvation (He died for them, as well, after all!). David's understanding of how God works is an Old Testament understanding - it is not wrong, but it is not further informed by the life and teachings of Christ. It wasn't until I realized who our real enemies are that this all started making sense. (There is a definite theme of discerning who my "enemy" is going on in my last few days of readings! God has really been stressing to me that our battle is not with our fellow man, no matter how far astray he has gone, but with principalities and powers; with the diabolical forces running rampant in the world right now!)
When I first made a conscience decision to start praying for my enemies, I didn't really think I had any, at least not any personal ones. I started praying for politicians and others who were voting for and supporting things, like abortion, that I knew are evil and are hurting our world and their own souls. I prayed for my children, who certainly weren't my enemies, but who I could see being influenced by the world in ways that were not good. Again, I didn't see any of these people as my enemies, but the more I prayed for them, the more I came to see the real enemy - the forces of evil in the world who are leading many astray. These are the enemies that God will requite with evil, because that is what justice demands.
A few years ago, I started watching the TV show Lucifer (I'm a big Neil Gaiman fan!), in which Lucifer is depicted a little too humanly as a misguided and misunderstood "son" who has been cut off from God's good graces due to one mistake. It took me a whole season, but I eventually realized this show was making me have inappropriate sympathy for the devil! Being human, we cannot fully understand the gravity and magnitude of what the fallen angels chose when they turned from God, but God understands, and God is all good and all just. The exorcist Father Ripperger says that the demons know they deserve everything God gives them - we should not feel sorry for them.
So now, when I read things like this Psalm, I understand that I am not hoping that God requites any of my fellow human beings with evil, but that He justly punishes the principalities and powers who are themselves trying to visit evil on humanity, and often succeeding due to our cooperation. It is against that cooperation that I have to pray for my "enemies" - asking God to break its power and save their souls. And we are all subject to sin, so I very much hope that my "enemies" are praying for me - I have my blindspots and temptations that must be broken as well! We all help each other get to Heaven when we pray for each other, even those we may see as our enemies, and let God requite as He sees fit.
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