“Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence” (Psa 42:5).
In Psalms 42–43, we witness the inspired psalmist in a heated debate with himself. Three times he asks: “Why are you in despair, O my soul?” (Psa 42:5, 11; 43:5). Why was he in despair? His enemies continued to mock his unanswered cries to heaven. While they said to him, “Where is your God?” (Psa 42:3, 10), he began to question God: “Why have you forgotten me?” (Psa 42:9 [10]), even saying, “Why have you rejected me?” (Psa 43:2).
…we can take our thoughts captive by fixing them on the goodness, love, and grace of God.
This is the essence of spiritual warfare.
Given his parched soul and the sense of a distant God (Psa 42:1–3), it is important to consider his personal interrogation: “Why are you in despair?” This is not a passive expression of self pity, but an active confession of faith, for each “why” is followed by a command: “Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence” (Psa 42:5, 11; 43:5). His self-interrogation serves to preach to his downcast soul about the covenant faithfulness of God (Psa 42:8).
The enemy of our soul wants us to doubt God’s declarations and His promises. In such moments, we can passively follow our thoughts into despair, or we can take our thoughts captive by fixing them on the goodness, love, and grace of God. This is the essence of spiritual warfare. When the enemy seeks to shake our faith with a barrage of lies, we must preach the gospel to ourselves, for this is how we take up the armor of God.
“Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph 6:13–17).
