Here is a war time Psalm that was given by the chief priests to King David before David marshaled his forces onto the field of battle.  

Wars back then, just like today, can be a cause for a lot of anxiety.  Imagine young soldiers hearing horror stories about their peers being slaughtered on the battlefield….so the audience was likely pretty worked up about what kind of danger they were about to venture into.  

Also keeping in mind that back then, it wasn’t like you were shot in the head and then fell over and died instantly, if you were in the infantry or the ground forces, chances are you were going to get stabbed of maimed by some sharp weapon that inflicted lots of pain.  There wasn’t much in the way of anesthesia back then either.  So hopefully that helps set the stage for what these young soldiers were thinking on the eve of going to war, and also demonstrate their complete dependence on God to deliver them from their enemies:  

Psa 20:1  For the choir director. A Psalm of David. May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob set you securely on high!

The Psalm is saying Lord deliver us in the day of trouble, where we might be surrounded by our enemies and Your Holy Name set us securely and safely on high.  When someone is higher that their adversaries, they have the advantage.  God is Whom endows us with the advantage and can set us in a safe place out of harms way.  A good prayer to remember when we are faced with insurmountable odds, May The Lord answer us in the day of trouble, May His Name set us securely on high!