When the enemy is at the table

 

Faced with challenges of one sort or another, we pray asking God to take them away and there are times when He does and there are times when He does not.

Three times Apostle Paul pleaded with the Lord to remove a thorn in [his] flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment [him] (ref. 2 Corinthians 12:7-8).

It’s not always God’s will to simply remove our enemy, as He chooses to try us and purify us by means of that enemy.

Sometimes it’s the only way to strengthen our faith and lead us into spiritual maturity; maturing can be very painful.

David must have understood this when he wrote You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies (Psalm 23:5). However, other verses in Psalm 23 reveal that that was not the only thing David understood.

Throughout this beloved psalm, David never once asked God to get rid of his enemy, in fact he acknowledged that his enemies were very present.

David knew that even though his enemies posed clear and present danger, the Lord being his Shepherd, he was well-protected and provided for. From the jump he made that declaration,

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.

David had an acute comprehension of what Jesus said in Matthew 10:28 (CEV),

Don't be afraid of people. They can kill you, but they cannot harm your soul. Instead, you should fear God who can destroy both your body and your soul in hell.

David did not have a fear of people but a reverential fear of God and that is why despite all that he’d done, God could testify that he was a man after my own heart (see Acts 13:22).

He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

David obviously knew that he was from God and [had] overcome them, for he who is in [him] is greater than he who is in the world (see 1 John 4:4) so, he did not possess a spirit of fear and timidity but of power.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil,
for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Unlike you and me, God’s Spirit, the Comforter, was not in David but was with David for he proclaimed to God, you anoint my head with oil.

In the ancient Middle East, the shepherd rubbed oil on his sheep to keep harmful pests, like flies, away; David considered himself the Lord’s sheep. In the Old Testament, to be anointed with oil is symbolic of the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

We see in Psalm 133 that the anointing is correlated to the unity of spiritual brethren.

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!  It is like the precious oil [of consecration] poured on the head

The Good Shepherd anoints His sheep with the Holy Spirit to protect us from the enemy, even in the presence of that enemy.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

God blesses us in the presence of our enemies.

That with the outpouring came the promise of lifelong Presence, was not lost on David; he had no doubt that God’s goodness, lovingkindness and steadfast love were his constant companions.

Surely goodness and mercy and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life,
And I shall dwell forever [throughout all my days] in the house and in the presence of the Lord.

Beloved, Psalm 23 is assurance that even when the enemy is at the table with you, there is no need to fear.

David was not fearful, because he was keenly aware of the anointing of the Holy Spirit upon him and was therefore confident of His presence.

After his transgression, as seen in Psalm 51, David beseeched God,

Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me

You are better off than David because the Holy Spirit is not just with you, the Holy Spirit, God’s own Spirit, lives within you because of Jesus’ sacrifice.

Please understand that fear causes you to feel disconnected; fear dampens your faith, spiralling you into a state of unbelief.

In fear is exactly where the enemy wants you to remain, as your own fear steals your reward (see Matthew 25:24-29) and makes you blind to your true spiritual authority and power.

There are no excuses for fear, even when the enemy is at the table, for the Spirit of God is in you.

So, beloved, keep walking through the sunless valley of the shadow of death without fear, confident that the light of the Comforter is shining from within you, His rod is protecting you and His staff is guiding you through.

 

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “When the enemy is at the table” © 2026 October 3, 2026