A Christian cannot feel completely at home in a world where religion is just a mild curiosity or even a target of violent attack. However, we will not give in, we will not forget who we are, nor will we wait passively for the end, but will vigorously defend ourselves against the attacks the Church faces.
The passionate love for Jerusalem and the Lord is above all else. Revelation 14:8; 16:19; 17:5; 18:2; 10:21 highlights the contrast between the psalm’s Jerusalem/Babylon axis and the reference to the new Jerusalem, representing the great city symbolized by evil. Does faith cause us pain? Do we sweat blood to maintain a loving faith for the Lord? Whom do we love with all our hearts, even at the risk of our physical well-being? We pray with this psalm, united with all who love God above everything.
This may be one of the most difficult psalms. It should remind us that evil will continue to surround us.