6. The World as a Battlefield

A Meditation of Psalm 27

In psalm 27, the world is a battlefield, and human life is a battle. David could assert this from his own experience. He had to lead his nation in battle against several neighboring nations. He learned that he had to be constantly watchful of the enemies day and night in order to keep himself alive. He also learned the importance of courage while in the battlefield. Even the slightest fear in one’s heart will lead to his failure in the battlefield.

Any perceptive person will realize that the world is a battlefield for all human beings— no, not just for the human beings, but for all living beings. It is the law of nature that only the fittest can survive. One needs to be constantly vigilant against the forces of death. We, human beings, who claim to be the crown of creation, are still at the mercy of not only the mighty forces of nature such as hurricanes and earthquakes but also the minutest of all living beings, the viruses.  

The battle is not only with death but also with evil. One who tries to live according to the will of God will constantly face the threat of death from the evildoers. We are living in the same world in which Jesus was crucified. Those people who crucified Jesus are still there at every corners of the earth looking for people who follow the footsteps of Jesus.  The evildoers are implicitly compared to wolves when David says, “they intend to devour my flesh”. 

However, one can’t effectively win the battle without a strong sense of security at the bottom of his/her heart. Even an iota of fear can lead us to failure. How can someone feel secure in a battlefield? Isn’t it ironical? Yes, it is! One needs to be a superhuman to feel secure when surrounded by bloodthirsty wolves. David claims that he feels secure even if a whole army is there to fight against him. He claims that he has no fear in his heart. One may pretend to be courageous, but it is not easy to be really courageous without having any fear even at the bottom of one’s heart.  

What was David’s secret? How could he feel secure in the battlefield? He knew at the bottom of his heart that God was on his side. He claims: the Lord is my light in darkness; the Lord is my salvation whenever my enemies capture me; the Lord is my refuge whenever I come face to face with death. David asks the rhetorical question:  If God is on my side, who am I afraid of? If the mightiest and the most powerful person is on my side, who am I afraid of?  

Such faith and trust in God goes hand in hand with one’s innermost desire of life. David’s heart sought only one thing: be with God and see the beauty of God (v.4). David’s heart was pure with only one desire of his life. He did not have any egoistic desires that bring misery and suffering. Buddha observed that desires cause suffering. He probably meant that egoistic desires for pleasures, wealth, and popularity cause suffering. But David’s desire was not egoistic. His desire was to see the glory of God. Only someone with such singular desire will have courage and feel secure in the battle of life.   When surrounded by wolves, such a person will seek the face of the Lord (8). And such people will enjoy the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living (13).  

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