What Can Man Do to Me?
Psalm 56
The short answer is, “quite a lot.”
In this song, David cries out to the Lord in a situation that few of us may ever know. He has enemies who are trampling on him (1), oppressing him (1), attacking him proudly (2), injuring his cause and twisting his words (5), stirring up strife (6), lurking and watching his steps (6), and waiting to take his life. The one bright spot is that at least these enemies are not his close companions like in Psalm 55. The enemies are the dreaded Philistines (see the subtitle of the psalm).
The emotional impact on David is vast. David feels fear (3), sheds many tears (8), wondering if this is the time his feet will fall into death (13). In his fear, he cries out to the Lord to be gracious (1), to cast down his enemies (7), to turn his enemies back (9), and to deliver his soul from death (13).
The situation, emotional response, and request of David in this situation is not that surprising to me. I would certainly feel fear and shed many tears if this were happening to me. What does surprise me is how David actively works out his faith in this moment.
David is not passively waiting for God to deliver him. No. He is actively putting his trust in God (3 and 11), praising the word of God (4 and 10), calling upon the Lord (9), praising the word of God (10), and performing his vows to the Lord with thank offerings (12).
This song demonstrates active faith in the face of extreme trials and tribulations.
The question that David asks twice in this short song is stark: what can man do to me (11)? Well, it seems that man can do quite a bit to us, especially if these are enemies who attack and oppress and trample and lurk.
What makes David’s answer to this question effective is the context. Both time when he asks the question, he precedes the question with this statement: in God I trust, I shall not be afraid (4 and 11). David’s active trust in God is what delivers him from fear and leads him into trust. Once again, this active trust is praising the word of God, offering thanksgiving, and seeking the Lord in prayer.
David is able to actively trust in the Lord because of what he believes to be true about the Lord. David knows the Lord to be gracious (1), trustworthy (4), and sovereign over the enemies (7). He fully believes that God is for him (9). And his offerings of thanksgiving have reminded him of how God has delivered him from death in the past (13). Thanksgiving empowers active trust, which is why David knows that he “must” render thank offerings to the Lord (12).
In the face of enemies, David not only wants to be delivered but wants to walk before God in the light of life (13). This is not a “God help me and then leave me alone” prayer. This is the prayer of a man who wants to walk before God, who praises the words of God, who knows the graciousness of God, and who trusts in His steadfast love.
How does this prayer help us to pray?
Obviously, if you find yourself in a situation where you do have enemies who are attacking, oppressing, trampling, and lurking to injure your cause, then this is the prayer for you. Follow David’s example. Pour out your tears before the Lord, ask Him to deliver you, and activate your faith in God through praise and thanksgiving. Draw near to the Lord and He will draw near to you.
But even if we do not have human enemies, Scripture makes it clear that we wrestle with the spiritual forces of darkness. And the enemy seeks to steal, to kill, and to destroy. Or to use David’s words, the enemy seeks to trample, to oppress, to attack, and to injure our cause. How do we fight this kind of enemy? The apostle Paul and King David speak the same language. In Ephesians 6, we are told to put on the full armor which includes the word of God, prayer, and faith. Perhaps Paul was building upon the model of David adding truth, righteousness, peace, and salvation, but the basics are the same.
When the enemy assails, activate your faith with praise, thanksgiving, and prayer.
Finally, even if we do not need this prayer in this moment, this kind of moment is almost sure to come. When an earthly enemy does show up at our door, attacking and trampling and oppressing and lurking, is our faith prepared to trust in the Lord? Are we prepared to say with confidence, “What can man do to me? I am trusting in God. How can I be afraid?”
May we become so adept at praise and thanksgiving and prayer that we wield them with ease in the face of enemies both earthly and spiritual.