To fight the spiritual battles…
I. We must Acknowledge The Commander In Chief. (5:13-15)
A. Joshua is looking over the city of Jericho; probably consider what strategy he might employ.
B. Jesus is the Commander in Chief.
C. This is the Lord’s battle. It’s not between Israel & Jericho; it’s between Jehovah God and the false gods of Jericho.
D. Stop, Listen & Learn. God has a plan. We will only be victorious in our spiritual battles if we acknowledge Jesus as the commander in chief and follow his plans and strategy.
II. We must Accept The Victory.
A. God had already promised victory. (6:1-2). We also have been given the victory. Through Jesus Christ our victory has already been secured. We must accept that victory by faith. Satan is a defeated enemy, but not a vanquished foe. Not yet!!
B. Notice the defensive posture of Jericho. (6:1) This was a demonstration of their fear. What do people do when they’re afraid? The build walls around themselves, some literal, some figurative. Walls that cannot be penetrated by the methods of the world.
C. As we battle the spiritual strongholds in us, and around us, we will find that we fight from victory, and we will be confronted by demonstrations of fear aimed at stopping the advance of the kingdom of God.
III. We must Access The Power of God Through Obedience. (6:3-5)
A. Strange battle strategy
B. Obedience is the sign of whether our worship is authentic. We may have the victory in Christ, but we will only be victorious against the spiritual strongholds if we fight by God’s plans and God’s strategy.
C. Obedience is a word that’s fallen out of favor. Like submission, moral absolutes, etc. Success is dependent upon obedience. Victory in battle does not come to the rogue warrior who picks and chooses which commands he will obey and which ones he will not. We access the power of God through obedience.
D. Obedience is also a sign of faith. (Heb. 11:30) By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days.
IV. We must Acquire a Different Spirit Than The Spirit of The World. (6:15-16; 20)
A. The world’s way: Gun’s blazing, swords drawn. And, hey, if you lose a few, you lose a few.
B. God’s way: patient, not offensive, not antagonistic, praising God (trumpets). How do you fight against a nation when all they’re doing is shuffling around the city in their sandals? The Spirit that guided the Israelites was completely opposite of the spirit of the people of Jericho.
C. A major weapon in our spiritual arsenal is to follow the way of the Spirit, not the spirit of the world.
D. Consider Jesus’ teachings: “love your enemy,” “turn the other cheek,” “go two miles, rather than one,” “blessed are those who are persecuted,” “store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,” “he who wants to be great must be the servant of all,” “he who wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.”
E. We must acquire a different Spirit than the spirit of the world.
Closing:
Two questions.
1. What is the Jericho, or what are the Jerichos in your life?
Doubt,
Taking God at His word,
An unforgiving spirit
Resentment and bitterness
A struggle with an illness,
Loss of a loved one,
Struggle with an addiction,
Struggle with a partner or a child,
Struggle with conflicting emotions,
2. Are you letting God conquer your Jerichos for you?
Jericho is the model for victory.
Acknowledge Jesus as the commander in chief of your life.
Accept the victory that is already yours
Access the power of God through obedience to His will
Acquire the Spirit of God.
The battle belongs to the Lord.
Let me close by reading God’s will for our lives.
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 6:10-12).
