Conquering Canaan: We are Going to Have to Fight
Num 33:50-53
50 And the LORD spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying,
51 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye are passed over Jordan into the land of Canaan;
52 Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their pictures, and destroy all their molten images, and quite pluck down all their high places:
53 And ye shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land, and dwell therein: for I have given you the land to possess it.
(KJV)
Our text this morning takes place in the plains of Moab and the Israelites have been wondering in the wilderness for 40 years and they are now receiving instruction on how they are to take the land: how they are to CONQUER CANAAN. And this is what I want to talk to you about this morning.
Sometime around 600 years prior to our text God spoke to Abraham...
Gen 12:7
7 And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.
(KJV)
And so we find this being fulfilled here this morning. Although, they have not yet gone over into Canaan just yet. They are here receiving instruction on what to do.
We as a church, as the people of God, have been given a promise. We have a land awaiting us in which we have yet to inherit. It is already ours but for us to receive it, we like the Israelites need some instruction.
The land I am talking about this morning is not the blessed promised land of heaven but the promise of God building a church with this group of people here.
We, like the Israelites have done our share of wandering and have had our times of discouragement, but as time goes on, I find that it is time TO MOVE TOWARD CANAAN, and then we must CONQUER CANAAN.
In order to do so we must realize that it is not going to be
pie in the ski or smooth sailing.
It is going to be a road that will lead to many battles, battles that many are facing today.
The Israelites didn’t have the land just handed over to them
and we aren’t going to have the land just handed over to us.
The Israelites had to fight many battles
We are going to fight many battles
The Israelites fought with sword and shield
We will fight with shields of faith and the sword of the Spirit
The Israelites fought flesh against flesh
But the battles we fight we cannot fight in the flesh
The Israelites won because they obeyed The Captain of the Lord’s Host
We will win because we will obey The Captain of our Salvation
What made the Israelites so powerful was the Lord their God
What makes us so powerful is the Lord our God
for God is never changing...he was looking to give his people their promise and he is looking to give us our promise.
The Israelites coming out of Egypt and going into Canaan had to become warriors and so must we, we must be warriors if we are going to Conquer Canaan. We must understand that we are at WAR.
And there is some organization to War.
1. Planning and Organization of Warfare
The overall plan devised to defeat an enemy is called strategy.
To fight in this war we have to have a strategy-a plan.
1. Recognize the enemy-----Satan—throughout the word of God he is known as....
- Abaddon (Hebrew: Destroyer)
-The accuser of our brethren
-The adversary
-The Devil
-Our common enemy
-Evil spirit
-The father of all lies
-Great red dragon
-The liar
-Lying spirit
-The murderer
-That old serpent
-The power of darkness
-The prince
.Of this world
.Of demons
.Of the power of the air
.Ruler of the darkness of this world
.The serpent
.The spirit that works in all disobedient people
.The Tempter
.The god of this world
.Unclean spirit
.The wicked one
It is he that we are at war against!
His mission is to wear out the saints of the Most High God and to destroy the life of man.
A.
His weapons are Deceit
Discouragement
Complacency
Temptation to sin and the list goes on
**Mom and Dad he doesn’t only want you but he wants your children.
He is invading their lives through TV, Music, Video Games, and even through their schools by having the ten commandments stripped of the walls and prayer put to a halt.
He is using Musical Artists such as EMINEM, NELLY, CHRISTINA AGUILERA, AND THESE SO CALLED BOY BANDS TO POLLUTE YOUR CHILDREN MIND WITH VERBAL PORNOGRAPHY AND GLORIFYING THE LIFE STYLE OF MULTIPLE SEXUAL PARTNERS AND DRUGS.
One of the biggest tools Satan is using to steal away your children is MTV, which has made the claim that they own this generation.
We must do everything we can to stop the assignment of the devil on our personal lives, our childrens lives and on this church...it is no time to lay down!!!
2.
The actual techniques carried out against the enemy are tactics, which consist of the procedures for winning on the battlefield, in naval battle, and in aerial combat.
procedures for winning on the battlefield—orders we have to have them. We do have them...
Matt 22:37
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
(KJV)
Ps 1:1-2
1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
(KJV)
Ps 119:11-12
11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
12 Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes.
(KJV)
Prov 3:5-9
5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.
9 Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
(KJV)
1Thes 5:17 -24
17 Pray without ceasing.
18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
19 Quench not the Spirit.
20 Despise not prophesyings.
21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.
23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
24 Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
(KJV)
James 4:7
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
(KJV)
3.
The execution of plans, making possible the attainment of military objectives, involves functions carried out by a field commander whose tactical judgment and leadership are critical.
We are not in a military battle but a spiritual, but we can fight it with a militant mind. Our objectives should be to....WIN THE LOST
Build our S.S.
Build our FTH
Build our Prayer Meeting
Build our Youth Group
Build our Mens Ministry
Build our Ladies Ministry
ADVANCE THE KINGDOM OF GOD BEYOND ENEMY LINES!!!
TAKING BACK WHAT THE ENEMY STOLE FROM US.
We need to press on attaining our objectives AND GIVE THE DEVIL A BLACK EYE!
4.
If we are going to attain our objectives then we must follow the FIELD MASTER - Jesus is captain, and he orders the field master which is the Pastor. So in order to get the job done we must follow the Pastors lead, even if we don’t like what he commands.
5.
Logistics, which involves transporting troops and furnishing continuous supplies in support of military operations, is essential to the success of the mission.
We must not only have the work of the Kingdom being done within these four walls, but we also must send out labourers, men and women on the front lines spreading the Gospel. And we must furnish them with supplies, giving them whatever we can.
B. There are two types of Warfare I want to share with you
1. Offensive Warfare
Offensive actions involve operations that will force the defeat of armed forces and destroy an enemy’s will to fight. Offensive action permits initiative—the choice of immediate objectives and direction of attack, and the organization and timing of attack.
It is high time that we stop running from the enemy, it is time for us to launch a full force attack. Instead of our homes, our schools, our churches being invade by the devil, it is time for us to get rallied up and take back what the devil has stole. (I like patriotic movies....Someone takes the Flag and rallies up the men...) What we need is to take that cross and rally up the men...and over come Satan and his kingdom.
2. Defensive Warfare
Defense entails the employment of all means and methods to prevent, resist, or destroy an enemy attack.
The key to fight of any attack of the enemy is faith. He will come roaring....whom resist steadfast...
And like a flood...though the enemy...
At one time Jesus told Peter, Satan hath desired thee...but I have prayed for the that your FAITH faileth not...
Faith, will every quench the fire darts of the devil.
Closing:
God has promised us Canaan, but we are going to have to fight.
