God Fights And So Do We - His Way
Christianity is a fight. The moment you forget that or deny it is the day you start playing right into the hands of your roaring enemy the devil. Joshua 6 has arrived, the people are consecrated, nourished and spiritually awakened to the promises of God. They are now instructed for warfare of a sort that was never practiced before by any army nor since. The whole episode of Jericho is a wonderful picture of the kind and style of warfare the Christian Church is engaged in to this day.
First, we need to see that our enemy is restricted:
Joshua 6:1 (ESV) Now Jericho was shut up inside and outside because of the people of Israel. None went out, and none came in.
Just as Jericho was stopped from growing or expanding... our spiritual enemy has been disarmed. He can only "seem" imposing. The truth is, the work of God for us has already made his threat impotent against us.
Second, we need to hear the voice of our God:
Joshua 6:2 (ESV) And the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor.
Joshua has already heard from Rahab's report that the city is stunted with fear of Israel, now he hears it from the Lord AGAIN. How poignant that the Lord sees fit to assure Joshua the city is his. The Lord seeks to remind you, Christian, that this battle is yours, the territory of your peace and prosperity is yours, do not let what you've heard seep out of you. Remind yourself regularly, the grave is empty and Jesus Christ has overcome.
Third, we need to fight as the Lord directs, not as the world recommends.
Joshua 6:3–5 (ESV) You shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once. Thus shall you do for six days. 4 Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. On the seventh day, you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. 5 And when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people shall go up, every one straight before him.”
This is the strangest battle plan in history. But it worked. Why? Because it was God's plan. How often we are misled to think - by constant messaging in our world - that the plans and concepts of men can win for us what God's Word alone can win for us. The battle is not fought with the weapons of carnal minds or strategic initiative but rather with an hear ready to hear what God would say. Instead of hiding, we come out boldly, instead of fighting, we sound the trumpet of God, instead of standing our ground we walk forward in faith!
Fourth, we fight from the satisfaction God gives.
Every temptation is overcome not by willpower but by LOVE-power. We fall in love with the blessings God gives and the flavor of satan loses its appeal. This is the only way to win spiritual victory in your life. Humans are emotional beings who make illogical choices based on love ALL the time. The good news is God reaches us through a greater and more effective LOVE for us (See John 3:16).
In this story, the number 7 is emphasized. Seven trumpets, seven days, seven times around the city on the seventh day. Why is God so concerned that seven be emphasized? Because the Hebrew word translated “seven” (shevah) comes from a root that means “to be full, to be satisfied.” God finished His work on the seventh day having declared it all "very good" and being satisfied. We were created to live in satisfaction with Him. The battle began when Eve was convinced what satan had to offer was better and every inclination of our hearts for that poisonous fruit of sin MUST be overcome with a greater savor in the delight of God's goodness.
First, we need to see that our enemy is restricted:
Joshua 6:1 (ESV) Now Jericho was shut up inside and outside because of the people of Israel. None went out, and none came in.
Just as Jericho was stopped from growing or expanding... our spiritual enemy has been disarmed. He can only "seem" imposing. The truth is, the work of God for us has already made his threat impotent against us.
Second, we need to hear the voice of our God:
Joshua 6:2 (ESV) And the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor.
Joshua has already heard from Rahab's report that the city is stunted with fear of Israel, now he hears it from the Lord AGAIN. How poignant that the Lord sees fit to assure Joshua the city is his. The Lord seeks to remind you, Christian, that this battle is yours, the territory of your peace and prosperity is yours, do not let what you've heard seep out of you. Remind yourself regularly, the grave is empty and Jesus Christ has overcome.
Third, we need to fight as the Lord directs, not as the world recommends.
Joshua 6:3–5 (ESV) You shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once. Thus shall you do for six days. 4 Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. On the seventh day, you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. 5 And when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people shall go up, every one straight before him.”
This is the strangest battle plan in history. But it worked. Why? Because it was God's plan. How often we are misled to think - by constant messaging in our world - that the plans and concepts of men can win for us what God's Word alone can win for us. The battle is not fought with the weapons of carnal minds or strategic initiative but rather with an hear ready to hear what God would say. Instead of hiding, we come out boldly, instead of fighting, we sound the trumpet of God, instead of standing our ground we walk forward in faith!
Fourth, we fight from the satisfaction God gives.
Every temptation is overcome not by willpower but by LOVE-power. We fall in love with the blessings God gives and the flavor of satan loses its appeal. This is the only way to win spiritual victory in your life. Humans are emotional beings who make illogical choices based on love ALL the time. The good news is God reaches us through a greater and more effective LOVE for us (See John 3:16).
In this story, the number 7 is emphasized. Seven trumpets, seven days, seven times around the city on the seventh day. Why is God so concerned that seven be emphasized? Because the Hebrew word translated “seven” (shevah) comes from a root that means “to be full, to be satisfied.” God finished His work on the seventh day having declared it all "very good" and being satisfied. We were created to live in satisfaction with Him. The battle began when Eve was convinced what satan had to offer was better and every inclination of our hearts for that poisonous fruit of sin MUST be overcome with a greater savor in the delight of God's goodness.
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