“Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress. Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.” (Psalm 71:3,4)
Sinful man is naturally cruel. He seeks his own and is cold and hard to the concerns of others. He will easily step on another to get ahead. He will cut you off to get to where he wants to go. He will discard any and all he doesn’t deem important enough.
To encounter, let alone to fall into the hands of, an unrighteous and cruel person prompts instincts of self-preservation and deep indignation. It is so easy to pick up a sword to save ourselves when confronted with a cruel spirit. But the only way to be saved from such a hard spirit is to take refuge in God. The Lord will deliver you, not from having to experience any more cruelty, but from becoming cruel in return.