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

One day, Jesus was praying. When he was finished a disciple asked, \u201cteach us to pray\u201d (Luke 11:1). He offered them the words we now call \u2018the Lord\u2019s Prayer.\u2019 I wonder if Jesus\u2019 disciples had overheard him praying the psalms when the question was asked. It was the Israelite prayer book. More importantly, Jesus\u2019 prayer picks up themes found through out the psalms. We need Jesus to truly understand Psalm 149.

It is a psalm of praise to God, bookended as it is by the phrase, \u201cPraise the Lord.\u201d The opening half is delightful, a wondrous call to God\u2019s people to get up and bodily worship him. It\u2019s a shame that many of us relegate such raucous worship to VBS.

But in the middle of our verse, May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands, there is a dramatic shift that endures to the end of the psalm. What are we to make of this shift into violent warfare imagery? This is where Jesus and his prayer are helpful. Jesus\u2019 prayer is about the battle between God\u2019s 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 and his forces. The church has long understood that this psalm gives voice to that battle. Further, that Christians understand themselves as living within that struggle. If we are followers of Christ, then we are soldiers in His army.

Thus, this Psalm is often paired with Ephesians 6:10-20 in which Paul reminds us of our part in the battle. \u201cFor 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\u201d (12). We put on the armour of God to stand strong in the fray. The sword that we carry does not cut flesh, for it is the Word of God. It penetrates to the spiritual heart bringing either judgement or salvation.

Hebrews 4:12 says that The Word of God is a \u201cdouble-edged sword\u201d. Unlike the physical sword that can stab and slash someone to death, this sword penetrates soul and spirit to bring life. Echoing Psalm 149, this double-edged sword of the Lord \u201cjudges the thought and attitudes of the heart\u201d.

The two phrases of our text are meant to describe each other. Thus, they could be read as 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 calls us to look beyond the struggles of the current pandemic and the squabbles and misdemeanors of our politicians. It invites us to remember that there are greater issues at hand. This is not to ignore the pressing issues caused by the pandemic, nor to overlook the bad behaviour of our politicians. But to remember that no matter who leads us, regardless of length of this pandemic, we are involved in this larger struggle.

This psalm calls us to live and pray with confidence. It invites us to pay attention to the fact 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. As a composer once wrote: the battle for God\u2019s kingdom and justice is fought \u201cnot with swords\u2019 loud clashing or roll of stirring drums. With deeds of love and mercy the heavenly kingdom comes.\u201d

The Contemporary Testimony puts it this way, \u201cOur 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. Come, Lord Jesus, come.

On that day we will see our Savior face to face, sacrificed Lamb and triumphant King, just and gracious. He will set all things right, judge evil, and condemn the wicked. We face that day without fear, for the Judge is our Savior, whose shed blood declares us righteous. 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\u2019s the confidence inspired by Psalm 149.