Sword Praises

May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands (Psalm 149:6).

This is a psalm of praise to God, bookended by the phrase, "Praise the Lord." The opening half is delightful, a wondrous call to God's people to get up and bodily worship him. But in our verse, there is a dramatic shift that endures to the end of the psalm. What are we to make of this turn to violent warfare imagery? This is where The Lord's Prayer is helpful. It's about the battle between God's kingdom and all the dominions that seek to thwart his purposes.

Psalm 149 addresses this cosmic struggle between good and evil, between God and Satan. Christians understand ourselves as living within that struggle. If we are followers of Christ, then we are soldiers in His army.

The psalm is often paired with Ephesians 6:10-20 in which Paul reminds us of our part in the battle. "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (12). The sword that we carry does not cut flesh, for it is the Word of God (Hebrews 4:12). It penetrates to the spiritual heart bringing either judgement or life.

The two phrases of our text describe each other. Thus, "May the praise of God be in their mouths like a double-edged sword in their hands." Praising God is like wielding a sword. Our faithfulness to God and the proclamation of his sovereignty furthers His reign in this world.

This psalm invites us to look beyond the troubles that fill our news feeds. Not ignoring the pressing issues of the day but remembering that we are involved in a spiritual struggle. It calls us to live and pray with confidence, remembering that we are on the winning side. There is no fear that we will lose. We pray in the assurance that through His resurrection Christ has won the war.

And therefore, we use divine strategies, not human ones. In a hymn, we sing that the battle for God's kingdom and justice is fought "not with swords' loud clashing or roll of stirring drums. With deeds of love and mercy the heavenly kingdom comes."

In Our World Belongs to God, we read, "Our hope for a new creation is not tied to what humans can do, for we believe that one day every challenge to God's rule will be crushed. His kingdom will fully come, and the Lord will rule…We live confidently, anticipating his coming, offering him our daily lives-our acts of kindness, our loyalty, and our love-knowing that he will weave even our sins and sorrows into his sovereign purpose. Come, Lord Jesus, come (55, 57).

That's the confidence inspired by Psalm 149.

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

"May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it" (1 Thessalonians 5:23).