Psalm 91:9-16 - "Security of Believers"

Psalm 91:9-16

"Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation."

Psalm 91 brings before us the true security of the believer—not a security rooted in human resolve, decision, or perseverance, but a security established entirely in the Person and work of the LORD Jesus Christ. From beginning to end, this psalm directs our eyes away from ourselves and fixes them upon Him Who alone dwells in the secret place of the Most High.

The promise of Psalm 91:9 rests upon a dwelling already established: “Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation.” For a sinner to dwell where God dwells is not a natural possibility. God is holy, and we are not. Yet Scripture reveals that this dwelling is found in Christ. He alone entered fully into God’s Presence as the Righteous High Priest, bearing the names of His people upon His breast. Where He dwells, they dwell. Their lives, as Scripture declares, are “hid with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3).

The language of Psalm 91 moves us continually back to Christ as the One Who fulfilled it perfectly. He trusted His Father without reserve. He made the LORD His refuge in every step of His earthly obedience. What Adam failed to do, Christ did. What Israel could not accomplish, Christ fulfilled. And having done so, He established a dwelling place not only for Himself, but for all whom the Father gave Him.

The promise follows: “There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling” (v.10). This does not deny suffering, trial, or affliction. Christ Himself endured sorrow, rejection, and death. Rather, it declares that no evil—nothing with the power to separate from God—can ever come upon those who are in Him. The true evil would be condemnation, separation, or loss. That evil has already been removed. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

The psalm continues with a striking assurance: “For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways” (v.11). These words were fulfilled first in Christ. Angels ministered to Him from His birth to His temptation, from His death on the cross to His resurrection. They served Him not as equals, but as servants of His redemptive purpose. And now, as the writer to the Hebrews declares, they are “ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation” (Hebrews 1:14). Their service does not replace Christ’s keeping; it flows from it. The promise is careful and precise: the keeping is “in all thy ways” (v.11). Satan himself omitted these words when he tempted Christ, revealing his aim to distort God’s promises. He misquoted this Scripture in Matthew 4:6 by quoting it partially and out of context. He omitted the phrase “to keep thee in all thy ways,” which refers to walking in God’s appointed path, not acting presumptuously. By doing so, Satan twisted a promise of God’s protecting care into a temptation for Christ to test God by reckless self-will rather than humble obedience. God's promise to keep Christ was not permission to tempt Him, but assurance that His purpose cannot fail. The way in which God keeps His people is Christ Himself—He Who declared, “I am the way” (John 14:6).

Verse 13 moves us to the victory already accomplished: “Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder.” This is not a call for believers to engage Satan in their own strength. Adam could not withstand the serpent, nor can we. But Christ has already done so. At the cross, He crushed the serpent’s head, fulfilling the promise of Genesis 3:15. Scripture declares that He “spoiled principalities and powers” and “triumphed over them” (Colossians 2:15). His victory is complete, and it is shared with those who are in Him.

The psalm concludes with the Voice of God Himself: “Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him” (v.14). These words speak first of Christ, Who loved the Father perfectly and was delivered through His resurrection and exaltation into glory. Yet they also speak of all whom He represents. Because Christ called upon the Father and was answered, those in Him are heard. Because He was honored, they are accepted. Because He lives, they live also.

“With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation” (v.16). Because of Christ's Resurrection, His people inherit Life without end. Christ now lives forever, and so do all who dwell in Him. Here is the believer’s security: not in holding fast to God, but in being held forever in Christ (Hebrews 7:25). The risen and exalted Christ continually represents His people before God. His intercession is not a repeated sacrifice, but because of His finished work, Christ obtained full salvation for all whom the Father gave Him. Because He lives forever, His Priesthood never ends, and His people are kept by His ongoing, effectual mediation.