King David spotted Bathsheba having a bath and, totally controlled by his lust, plotted to have her for himself. After she became pregnant to David, He sent her husband Uriah into a savage battle where he was killed. Bathsheba then joined David's household.
God brings Nathan to David to show him his sin
The prophet Nathan spoke bluntly to David and powerfully showed David his sin.
2 Samuel 12:1-7 describes this event for us. "The Lord sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, 'There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.
Now a traveller came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveller who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him.' David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, 'As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this deserves to die! He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.'"
Then Nathan said to David, "You are the man!"
David prays "Create in me a pure a heart"
In response to Nathan's rebuke, David replies by saying "I have sinned against the Lord" (2 Samuel 12: 13). David pours out his heart to God saying, "Create in me a pure heart and renew a right spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of my salvation and give me a willing spirit to restore me" (Psalm 51:10-13).
Fighting the battle within
The words in Psalm 51:10-13 are the words of a man battling his way up from the most degrading thing he had ever done. He is determined to find God's help and his way back to a cleansed and purified personality. David prayed to be freed from the chains of sin.
Do not believe the lies … your sins can be forgiven
When a person sins and is confronted with the reality of their sin, despair can set in. The devil would have us believe that our sin is too grievous for God to forgive or that somehow God is not really interested in us. The devil is referred to as 'the accuser of our brethren' (Revelation 12:10), 'a murderer from the beginning' and 'a liar and the father of lies' (John 8:44). Don't let despair set in and take hold of your heart but turn to God and pour out your heart like David did in prayer.
"'Come, now, let us reason together', says the Lord. 'Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson they shall be like wool'" (Isaiah 1:18).
Godly sorrow brings repentance and healing
Paul the Apostle explains what our response should be when we see sin in our lives. We are to be sorry for our sin. Godly sorrow brings repentance and restoration. (See 2 Corinthians 7:8-10.)
God forgave David
After David repented of his sin, God forgave him. Nathan the prophet told David, "The Lord has taken away your sin" (2 Samuel 12:13). King David, a great warrior, fought his greatest battle in thrashing the evil in his personality. David faced the truth and threw himself on God's mercy. This battle took place on the battleground of prayer. Prayer is where the inner struggle for moral purity is fought out. Prayer is where victory over sin is achieved.
We war against spiritual forces of evil
The apostle Paul used battlefield analogies to teach us about the Christian life. We can almost hear the sound of trumpets and the clash of arms!
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For 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. Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests" (Ephesians 6:10-19).
Standing firm ... nothing is impossible for God
Paul knew prayer was often a battle. It was a weapon used against Satan. He wrote the above words in prison when he needed courage to keep fighting. In this prayer he fought and defeated his fears and is filled with the power of God, which helps him stand firm. Paul knew that God could take this situation and use it to make him a better and more courageous man. "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28). It is vital to see that the power that makes us more than conquerors comes from outside ourselves.
PRAYER
Lord, forgive me for wrong attitudes, thoughts and desires. I thank you for the authority you have given me to live a life of victory. In the name of Jesus, I forbid the evil forces having any influence over my life today. Fill and empower me with the Holy Spirit so that I can please and serve you.
