The LORD is on my side
“The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?”Psalm 118:6
Reflection
Much of our fear has to do with PEOPLE. The fear of what others will think, of what they might say, of what they are capable of doing to us. The fear of rejection, of criticism, of opposition, of persecution. We live, often, as hostages to the opinion and power of others over our lives. And the psalmist, who knew human hostility well — he was surrounded by enemies — declares a truth that sets us free from that prison: "the LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?". God’s presence relativizes the power of people over us.
Notice the logic of the sentence. It does not say "man can do nothing to me" — they can, in fact, cause real harm. What it says is that, with God at our side, man’s power over our life finds a limit. If the almighty God is with me, then whatever any person can do to me will never have the last word. Human opposition, however strong, is always smaller than divine protection. It is a matter of proportion: when you place man’s power side by side with God’s power, fear loses its size.
The apostle Paul echoed this same principle centuries later, with a question no one can answer: "if God be for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31). Not that no one will be against us — many will. But if God is on OUR side, no opposition can prevail in the end. That is the security of the child of God: you may have the whole world against you, but if you have God in your favor, you are in the majority. One with God has always been a majority against any multitude.
This does not mean arrogance nor that we should despise people — it means freedom from the FEAR of them. How many wrong decisions do we make out of fear of what others think? How many times do we fail to do the right thing, to defend the faith, to be who God called us to be, out of fear of the human reaction? The psalmist frees us from that: when God is your greatest "audience", the human crowd loses the power to control you. If today you walk afraid because of someone — of their opinion, their threat, their opposition — repeat the psalm’s declaration: "the LORD is on my side; I will not fear what man can do unto me". You answer first to God, and He is on your side. That is enough to walk without fear.
Prayer
Lord, I confess how often I live hostage to the fear of people — of what they think, what they say, what they can do. Today I stand on the truth: You are on my side. If You are for me, man’s power over my life has a limit. Free me from the fear of human opinion and opposition, and help me answer to You first. With You at my side, I will not fear. Amen.
Put it into practice
Identify a decision or attitude you have avoided out of fear of what someone will think or do. Do the right thing before God today, upheld by the truth "the LORD is on my side; I will not fear what man can do" — answering first to Him, not to the human audience.
To reflect on
Whom or what among people have you feared — and how does it change to know the LORD is on your side, greater than any human opposition?
Bible text: King James Version (public domain).