Promised Victory

During the conquest of the land, the kings of northern Canaan banded together to fight against Joshua and his troops.

The army was immense. "...like the sand that is on the seashore, with very many horses and chariots" (Joshua 11:4).

It must have seemed like an impossibility to Joshua, because the LORD comes to encourage him. "Do not be afraid of them for tomorrow at this time I will give over all of them, slain, to Israel" (v 6).

But they still had to fight.

Some battles are recorded in the history of Israel where the enemy killed each other in the night, or an angel wiped them out, or they fled in fear.

But not this one.

The next morning, Joshua and his soldiers pursued this enormous army, not leaving anyone alive.

All the horses were hamstrung. All the chariots were burned.

Think of all the physical exertion. Think of all the blood. Think of the mess they had to clean up over the next days.

God promised victory, but they still had to fight. The Israelite soldiers must have been sweaty, dirty and tired at the end of the day.

They were victorious, but it had taken great effort on their part.

The same is true in our battles against temptation.

Think of all the commands in the New Testament about how to live the Christian life.

Flee temptation.

Love your wife.

Submit to your husband.

Obey your parents.

Support the widows.

Work with your hands.

Don't be angry, vengeful, or bitter.

Don't gossip, slander, or lie.

And on and on.

Those are all commands. And God promises us victory. But we have to fight.

We'd like God to just make all of that easy. But if He did, we would soon learn that we don't need Him.

God promises victory, a way of escape from every temptation. He promises strength, so that we can endure, work hard, bear up under temptation (1 Cor 10:13).

Giving in to temptation is the easy way out. But it means certain defeat. If Joshua and the army had simply waited, the immense army would have run them over. They went out and fought, claiming God's promise of victory.

They came back bloody, dirty and tired. But victorious!