Joshua 6:1-2, “Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in. And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valor.”
Joshua 6 is probably the most recognizable chapter of Joshua, because here we read that “Joshua fit the battle ‘round Jericho and the walls come tumbling down!” If you’ve been around church world at all, then you’ve heard about the Battle of Jericho. Nothing wrong with that. Just be sure to not allow your familiarity to cause us to miss the point because Joshua 6 reveals the primary point of the entire book. Believers claim the victory God has promised as we fight from, not for victory, and faith is the victory that overcomes the world. What does faith look like? Faith is trusting in spite of the consequences. Faith is obedience. Believing that God has already won the victory. Understanding that we must still fight the battle.
Must I be carried to the skies
On flow’ry beds of ease,
While others fought to win the prize
And sailed through bloody seas?
Sure, I must fight if I would reign
Increase my courage, Lord!
I’ll bear the toil, endure the pain,
Supported by Thy Word.
That is how Isaac Watts poetically stated this truth in the hymn Am I a Solder of the Cross? That is a good question to ask yourself, believer, because the Christian life involves challenge and conflict whether we like it or not. Our warfare, according to Eph. 6:12, is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, powers, and rulers of this present darkness, against spiritual forces of evil. Elsewhere, Paul reminds us that though we walk in the flesh we don’t wage war according to the flesh (2 Cor. 10:3). The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds.
What strong holds need pulled down in your life? Not listening to God? Not acting on what you know to do? Some root of bitterness? Some rebellion or restlessness? Immorality? Fearfulness? Faithlessness? Believer, we are in a war, and we cannot be passive. We must fight. We will struggle, but we do not achieve the victory. God does! He brings the walls crashing down, and we move forward through obedience, claiming the victory God promised.
