Be safe from your enemies
Almighty God,
look upon the heartfelt desires of your humble servants,
and stretch forth your right hand,
to defend us against all our enemies;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Who exactly are our ‘enemies’? We can have lies told about us; people can act unfairly against us; friends can turn on us — but does that make them our enemies? The Psalms have many references to ‘enemies’ who do such things — and frequently there will be a prayer for protection or a turning of the tables. Take Psalm 35 for instance: ‘Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me!’
The New Testament is clear that God’s people will encounter enemies, but its primary concern is to help us face the spiritual battles that are involved. So far as human enemies are concerned, the Gospels are clear that Christ’s followers are to pray for, and even bless those who are hostile to them: ‘But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you’ (Luke 6:27-28). This is not because wrongdoing and injustice don’t matter. In Romans 12:19, the reason we can leave all thoughts of personal revenge aside is because of our trust in the God of justice: ‘Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”’
The spiritual battle to love human enemies is also matched by the battle so to live in hope that we are enabled to endure suffering. In the New Testament the main enemy of God’s people is the devil: ‘Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith … And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm strengthen, and establish you’ (1 Peter 5:8-10). Faithful Christians are those who endure suffering because they live by faith in the God who promises both restoration and glory, when ultimately the devil is disposed of and, as 1 Corinthians 15:26 puts it, ‘The last enemy to be destroyed is death’.
This understanding of the spiritual issues faced in dealing with enemies helps us to understand the earlier part of the collect which speaks of the ‘heartfelt desires of your humble servants.’ A cursory look at the collect might tempt us to think that we are simply praying that God will stop people doing harm to us. After all, isn’t that our heartfelt wish? However, as we understand that what is at stake is our spiritual health — our willingness to trust the God of justice and restoration — then our heartfelt desire becomes not that of wanting comfort, but of wanting not to be drawn away from Christ as a result of the enmity we are experiencing. We seek protection from an Enemy who would love to do that.
Psalm 37 puts the issue raised by this Collect well:
Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
be not envious of wrongdoers!
For they will soon fade like the grass
and wither like the green herb.
Trust in the Lord, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
Delight yourself in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
So pray this with me:
Almighty God,
look upon the heartfelt desires of your humble servants,
and stretch forth your right hand,
to defend us against all our enemies;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.