The apostle Paul, by the Spirit of God, says in Romans 8:36, "As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." His words are a quote of the Psalmist's same words in Psalm 44:22. The Psalmist under the heavy hand of God's providence groans his complaint before God in a measure of evident confusion. There are three things to be noticed in these words.
First, the people of God in every age endure a daily "killing" and "slaughter". We are killed all the daylong. This does not mean they die in martyrdom but that they suffer slaughter by tongue and deed at the hands of this evil world, particularly this religious world. This world that hated Christ, hates us. Trials, tribulations, afflictions and persecutions are the lot of God's sheep. They are foreknown, predestinated, justified, called and shall be glorified by God. He even works all the daily killing and slaughtering they endure together for their good and His glory.
Secondly, the "killing" the sheep endure is for the Shepherd's sake. "For thy sake. . ." The Lord Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd, the Great Shepherd and the Chief Shepherd. God has given to Him the responsibility of saving His sheep. He has given His life of obedience to God as the righteousness for His sheep, and He has laid down His life in the satisfaction of divine justice against the sins of the sheep. Our suffering is not worthy to be compared to His or the glory that shall be ours. We count it a joy and privilege if our killing is for His sake.
Thirdly, it is as "sheep" we are killed. Let men say or do to us what they may be allowed of God to do so long as we are "accounted" His sheep. His sheep ever hear the Shepherd's voice above the slaughtering words of the world. As sheep, we have eternal life in the Shepherd and shall never perish, neither shall any pluck us out of His hand. Slaughtered? Yes, but for His sake and as His sheep! Slaughtered but never separated from God's love which is in our Shepherd, Christ Jesus The Lord.