​In Psalm 22 we are given a perfect picture of the suffering Savior on the cross-and the price that was paid for my redemption, and yours. Below is the entire psalm, with cross references added to emphasis the preciseness of the descriptions given hundreds of years before Jesus was born-that describes in vivid detail what he endured. 

Psa 22:1  To the chief Musician upon Aijeleth Shahar, A Psalm of David. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? 

Mat 27:46  And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? 

​Psa 22:2  O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent. 
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Mat 26:39  And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. 
Mat 26:40  And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? 
Mat 26:41  Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. 
Mat 26:42  He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. 
Mat 26:43  And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy. 
Mat 26:44  And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. 

Psa 22:3  But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. 

Psa 22:4  Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them. 

Psa 22:5  They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded. 
Psa 22:6  But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. 
see also: Mat_11:19, Mat_12:24; Mat_27:20-23

Psa 22:7  All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, 
Psa 22:8  He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him. 

Mar 15:28  And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors. Isa_53:12

Mar 15:29  And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, 
Mar 15:30  Save thyself, and come down from the cross. 
see also:
Mat_9:24, Mat_27:29, Mat_27:39; Mar_15:20, Mar_15:29; Luk_16:14, Luk_23:11, Luk_23:35-39 Mat_26:66-68 Mat_27:39-40; Mar_11:29-32

Psa 22:9  But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts. 

Psa 22:10  I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother's belly. Luk_2:40, Luk_2:52

Psa 22:11  Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help. 
Psa 22:12  Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round. 
Psa 22:13  They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion. 

Mat 26:3  Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, 
Mat 26:4  And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty, and kill him. 
see also: Mat_26:59-65

Psa 22:14  I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. 
Luk 22:44  And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. see also: Mat_26:38
Joh_12:27

Psa 22:15  My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death. 

Joh 19:28  After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. 
Joh 19:29  Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth.

Psa 22:16  For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. 

Mat 26:57  And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. 
see also: Luk_11:53-54, Mat_26:57; Mar_15:16-20; Luk_22:63-71, Luk_23:4-5, Luk_23:10-11; Luk_23:23

Psa 22:17  I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me. 
Psa 22:18  They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture. 

Mat 27:35  And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots. 
Mat 27:36  And sitting down they watched him there; 
Mat 27:37  And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. 
see also: Mar_15:24; Luk_23:34; Joh_19:23-24

Psa 22:19  But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me. 
Psa 22:20  Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog. 
Psa 22:21  Save me from the lion's mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns. 

Luk 22:52  Then Jesus said unto the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and the elders, which were come to him, Be ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and staves? 
Luk 22:53  When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness. 

Psa 22:22  I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee. 
Psa 22:23  Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel. 
Psa 22:24  For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard. 

Luk 23:46  And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. 
see also: Mat_27:46-49; Mar_15:34-36

Psa 22:25  My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him. 
Psa 22:26  The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever. 
Psa 22:27  All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. 
Psa 22:28  For the kingdom is the LORD'S: and he is the governor among the nations. 

Rev 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. 

Psa 22:29  All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul. 

Php 2:8  And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 
Php 2:9  Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 
Php 2:10  That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 
Php 2:11  And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 
see also: Rev_21:24, Rev_20:12-15
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Psa 22:30  A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation. 
Psa 22:31  They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this. 

God's blessings this Easter season,
Lorna Couillard

This commentary from F.B. Meyer sums this psalm up very well:

                                           THE TESTIMONY OF THE DELIVERED
​                                                             Psalms 22:16-31

In the middle of Psa_22:21 there is a remarkable change from the plaintive to the triumphant: supplication and entreaty break out into exultation; hope saves the broken harp from the hands of despair, restrings it, and extracts from it strains to which angels, on their way home to God, are constrained to listen.
He who had said, Thou hearest not, Psa_22:2, confesses that all the while God has been hearing and helping. Now Jesus will join the saints in psalms of praise. See Joh_17:26 (will make it known) and Heb_2:12. Man may abhor a worm, but God uses worms to thresh mountains, Isa_41:14-15.
In the closing verses there is a sure forecast of the effects of the death on the Cross not only upon the Jews, but also upon the ends of the earth, that is, the Gentiles. The usurper shall be dethroned, Psa_22:28; resurrection shall be accomplished, Psa_22:29; and a spiritual seed shall satisfy the Redeemer’s travail, Psa_22:30. F.B. Meyer

I'll add my amen to Dr. Martin's teaching on spiritual warfare, and add a few points. Knowing we are on the winning side, and Jesus has already won the battle is important, our perspective changes and we view the conflicts we face differently. Some important points to realize are:

1. Don't try to win your battles with somebody else's armor on. This could be an entire study in itself. But, the essence is- your life, your trials, your battles, your daily opposition is unique to you. The only One who can give you the needed equipment to fight your battles and help you win them, is the Lord Himself; and the only way your going to find out what you'll need is to be in daily contact with Him, and be seeking Him for your guidance. I can assure you, He will, but if we don't ask we will flounder around, waste a lot of time, and likely fail, because like Saul-there's no shortage of people who would like to give you advice, and sometimes equipment that looks like it should work-but God's not in it. When God isn't in it-you can expect the same response as David-when he tried to wear Saul's armor-and found he couldn't use it. You'd find it very interesting to read the entire story of David standing against Goliath. It's a great faith builder.

1Sa 17:38  And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail. 
1Sa 17:39  And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him. 
1Sa 17:40  And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine. 

2. There's times when the best thing to do is say nothing, and walk away from meaningless conflict. This is not running from a spiritual battle-it's knowing when to draw the "sword of the Spirit"-and when to keep it in it's sheath. Many in this world who are enjoying their life of sin-are blinded by sin, unteachable, and cannot be reasoned with. There's a time to preach the Gospel-and then leave, and let the Holy Spirit use what was said to bring conviction. We are the Lord's servants, and once we've spoken out on an issue, it's important to use discernment to know  when to stop. God never forces anyone to believe. Paul emphasizes these points in the verses below.

2Ti 2:14  Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers. 
2Ti 2:15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 
2Ti 2:16  But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.

3. There's many ways to be a witness, and be an effective soldier in the battle against the forces of darkness-one very important way is to be uncompromising in your daily life and walk. What you choose NOT to do is a loud witness to a world of sin. When you choose not to go to movies with friends, not get involved in violent, sexual video games, not participate in dirty jokes-get away from the TV. When you start appropriating what the bible teaches into your life-you'll draw the attention of your unbelieving friends and relatives without saying a word, and the battle now will escalate-and the temptation to return to the world's ways to be accepted by them will rage in your heart. This is a spiritual battle that goes on until you die. It's the power of the word of God, prayer, and seeking the presence of God, that will bring the victory-and help you say no to the world, and the old life you once lived in. Your armor will get harder and your heart more cloven with the Lord's-as you get deeper into His word, and cling to him each day in prayer. 

If you make unwavering stands on life issues-you will be attacked, from every angle-in and out of the churches. Get used to it.

2Ti 2:3  Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 
2Ti 2:4  No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

4. Stop expecting the acceptance from the world-it will save you a lot of heartache. Learn to know the Lord and his viewpoint of you-and learn to be satisfied with His presence-and not lean on the need for other's. They may praise you today-and curse you and slander you tomorrow. Learn to not depend on man to give you a sense of worth-know your worth according to God's eyes. 

This is a great divide among believer's today. The big mega ministries are some of the greatest deceiver's-because they teach that if your truly walking in obedience, and in the blessings of God-the money will start coming in, and people will like you. In today's churches most of the people go with no bibles with them, they do not study themselves during the week, and read what they want to hear and see. These preachers never go to the verses that teach on trials or suffering-not in context.

Joh 15:18  If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. 
Joh 15:19  If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. 
Joh 15:20  Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. 
Joh 15:21  But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me. 

5. Along with our dependence being only on God-we need to find our peace-and the ability to walk in that peace-saturated in it, which comes from His presence-regardless of the circumstances we may find ourselves in. This is a very important weapon of warfare not spoken of much by most Christians-but one the Lord has given me insight of through my years walking with Him. Matt. ch. 10:12-13

Mat 10:12  And when ye come into an house, salute it. 
Mat 10:13  And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you.

In these verses Jesus is speaking of the interactions with people as we witness, visit someone's home, or church. But it also speaks of the important abiding presence of God in these interactions-present in the believer who is conducting himself as a servant of the Lord.

Example: Perhaps your out in a community doing business, and find yourself in an atmosphere of hostility, and can see and feel it. The presence and peace of God will remain on you, but will also act as protection from the spiritual attack your surrounded by. You may feel a strong urge to leave the situation-heed the warning and go. This is God's hand of protection and guidance for your well-being. As I've studied the life of Jesus, it's very interesting to see how many times he left the crowds, and got away from them. It's also sad to read the many accounts he was told to leave.

In this warfare, if you lose your peace, you've lost an important weapon in this battle. It's one I pay special attention to, because when you've lost that solid peace in your soul that only God can give, the devil is right there to fill you with every manner of torment, and temptations. When peace is restored the strength and wisdom to deal with the problems renews. I won't say the trials will become less, or the attacks from many angles-but you'll be better equipped to deal with it. 

There's a great deal more to learn concerning the strategies of warfare in this life as a Christian soldier, but this is enough for this blog. I'll leave with the ending to the verse that the video below had unfortunately accidentally cut of; as Dr. Martin was closing his message:

...this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
~1 John 5:4
Lorna Couillard

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