February 22 – The Promise of Warfare (Joshua 23:6-11)

“One of you routs a thousand, because the Lord your God fights for you, just as He promised.”(Joshua 23:10)

IN WORD:
Few of us knew that the day we became a Christian was the day we enlisted in the armed forces. We might have hoped for a serene, pastoral way of life, with the Lord as our Shepherd and a scarcity of wolves in the pasture. But we soon found that the Christian life was not like that at all. To be a citizen of the Kingdom of God is to be a soldier in its military. There is no area of our kingdom not targeted by the enemy. There is no peacetime service — not yet, anyway.
The battle is worth the cost, of course. There are great victories to be won and an eternity to celebrate them. And the warfare, though intense, is backed by an unlimited source of power on our side. Joshua’s observation in verse 10 does not just apply to Israel’s conquest of Canaan; it applies to the nature of God. He fights for His people. There are no odds great enough to overwhelm a true servant of God. Any one of us can rout a thousand of the enemy. Why? Because of a warrior God and a promise. Those who have forsaken sin and devoted themselves to Him will lack no strength for the battle.
Victory belongs to those whose heart is completely god’s. We may wonder, in this fallen world, why it often seems to elude us; but the problem is likely in our definition of victory. Yes, we will be wounded at times, and eventually death comes to all. But for the faithful, never at the wrong time, and never without a promise. God’s Kingdom purposes will be established through us. Victory is certain.

IN DEED:
A wise assessment of our struggles will always include this glorious fact: Almighty god fights on behalf of those whose hearts are His. When we look at a problem with a sense of defeat, we are not wise to the reality of God’s power or His promise. We must always know who holds victory in His hand, and we must never lose heart.

“Christianity is a warfare, and Christians are spiritual soldiers.”
-Robert Southwell-