Fight on!

Based on Joshua 7-9, Proverbs 9

The walls of Jericho falling down was a miraculous victory-but that wasn't the last battle! Remember, if victory is going to be a lifestyle, we can't rest on our past success...we need to be prepared to fight on with The Lord's strength for whatever may come our way next!

Unfortunately, the battles the Israelites faced were without AND within...just when Joshua was preparing to go up against the city of Ai, sin took place in the camp, and this sin would temporarily halt the streak of victory:

"But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel."
Joshua 7:1

This sin allowed for some of God's people to be slain in battle. Joshua was very emotional over this-he did not understand why God had not given them favor in battle. They were fighting on as they should have been, pressing on like they should have been....

"And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord God, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan!" Joshua 7:7

Joshua did not yet know of the sin which was committed in the camp of God's people. He did not realize that they weren't just up against outward enemies, but the inward enemy of sin! But God told him what was up:

"And the Lord said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff." Joshua 7:10‭-‬11

Joshua knew then that he must root out the sin if they wanted to take down their enemies! What do we need to root out of our lives? What sin may be holding us back from our next great victory in Jesus? We must fight on-not just in the war against our enemies, whom we still must pray for...but in the war against the sin which can so easily infiltrate us if we are not rooted in The Word of God!

"And thou shalt do to Ai and her king as thou didst unto Jericho and her king: only the spoil thereof, and the cattle thereof, shall ye take for a prey unto yourselves: lay thee an ambush for the city behind it."
Joshua 8:2

After the sin was dealt with, God told Joshua victory was ahead of them against Ai! The fight we face is more of a spiritual battle then anything else-because the people we feel are outwardly against us have sin they are dealing with too, which probably makes them come against us in the first place. It all goes back to sin. It all goes back to our spiritual preparation to fight on!

So Joshua and his men lured the people of Ai out of their city, and in doing so were able to win! And just like the staff of Moses, Joshua stretched out his spear:

"And the Lord said unto Joshua, Stretch out the spear that is in thy hand toward Ai; for I will give it into thine hand. And Joshua stretched out the spear that he had in his hand toward the city." Joshua 8:18

"For Joshua drew not his hand back, wherewith he stretched out the spear, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai."
Joshua 8:26

Don't let down the fight until the victory is won! We need to look at what we can defeat in ourselves first before we can prosper in anything else!

"Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth." 3 John 1:2

Enhance the Spiritual connection with God first for the strength to fight on!

"And it came to pass, when all the kings which were on this side Jordan, in the hills, and in the valleys, and in all the coasts of the great sea over against Lebanon, the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, heard thereof; That they gathered themselves together, to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord."
Joshua 9:1‭-‬2

In fighting on, the shout continued to be heard round the world, and there some people who became very fearful of God's people! So much so that they tricked Joshua and said they came from a far country to make peace with them, when really they did not come from far at all!

"And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord. And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware unto them."
Joshua 9:14‭-‬15

Joshua & his men should have sought The Lord on this one first! Even if making peace seems like the right choice, you may be inviting in the enemy! Same reason we have alarms & lock our doors...it's not because we don't like people, but it's because we want to be protected and prepared!

"Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars:"
Proverbs 9:1

Wisdom is PREPARATION!

So, the deceivers ended up being servants. They could not be defeated because Joshua had already made peace with them:

"And so did he unto them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, that they slew them not. And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation, and for the altar of the Lord, even unto this day, in the place which he should choose."
Joshua 9:26‭-‬27

Be prepared with God's Word. Fight on against sin & the enemy, but pray for all to get the revelation to repent and make things right! Root sin out on the inside before looking to be blessed outwardly!