A Look at Psalm 119:78

Psalm 119:78 “May the arrogant be put to shame for wronging me without cause; but I will meditate on your precepts.”

David tells us in this verse that even though he has been wronged, he will follow God’s instruction. The word “precepts” generally means “instructions.” He is describing the essence of spiritual warfare. At the core of spiritual battle is the image a person projects. 

Satan does not want us to project the image of Christ, that of lowliness and humility. When we are confronted by an arrogant person, Satan wants us to react in kind. He wants us to project the same image as the arrogant person confronting us.

In Matthew 11:12 Jesus is looking for forceful people who can lay hold of heaven or take heaven by force. He then ends His teaching in verse 29 of the same chapter by saying, “Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble.” The powerful people in the Kingdom of God are those who emulate Jesus Christ.

In Spiritual warfare, Satan is defeated as we become the opposite of him. We are to never go head to head against him. Pride in the life of someone else cannot be defeated by our becoming more proud than they. This is why a militant foe will never be defeated by a militant church. Jesus is the opposite of Satan in every respect. What David is teaching us in essence is this: the arrogant (the enemy) will be put to shame by our meditation on the precepts of God. Our undying dedication to God will silence all of our critics.   

Take some time to let this verse sink in – chew/meditate on it; consider how you react to the arrogant. Do you show them Jesus?

Continued