When they returned to Joshua, they
said, “Not all the army will have to go up against Ai. Send two or three
thousand men to take it and do not weary the whole army, for only a few people
live there.” So about three thousand went up;
but they were
routed by the men of Ai…
At this the hearts of the people
melted in fear and became like water.
Joshua 7:3-5
There are two factors at work in this
story. First, the warriors got cocky; secondly, nobody was aware of the secret sin
in their camp. These are two things we need to watch for in our homes and
churches. For today, let’s look at a common problem for winners—overconfidence.
When the Israelites first reached the
Promised Land they were afraid to enter it, even though God had promised it to
them and brought them all the way from Egypt to claim it. He had performed signs
and wonders all the way. Yet they still lacked faith to believe they, with His power, could conquer the “giants” living
in Canaan. Their lack of faith got them a forty year time out in the desert
until that whole faithless generation died.
Now there’s a new generation of
Israelites.
They started well; Jericho was a huge
success. But, one win into the season and they got overconfident.
“Yeah, Josh, you should see how little
this city is. We don’t need all our men for this one.”
“We can win with one hand tied behind
our backs.”
“In fact, let’s just send our mamas to
do the job; we can stay home and take a break.”
“It’s in the bag, man.”
Their confidence wasn’t in God’s power to deliver them, but in
their own abilities.
Have you ever enjoyed a little success—at
work, in ministry, at home—and started strutting around challenging the enemy
to ‘hit you with his best shot’? Your marriage is strong, your kids are
obedient, the mortgage is paid, your job secure. Then suddenly, what you
thought would be an easy win turns into a catastrophe. The enemy annihilates
you and you are completely demoralized.
It’s easy to start believing our
successes are our own. We need to make sure we’re careful to give God the
credit for any and every victory. We desperately need His help in order to
claim this land for Him. And we need every soldier involved.
Prayer walking is not something every believer
practices, so it’s easy to start feeling like a super saint when God answers
our prayers. We get proud of our own holiness, and believe we have won the battle, when in fact we just opened the door for
the real army to come on the field.
Last Sunday our pastor gave a sermon
on Pride and the Word went deep. “Ouch!” Thank you, God; thank you Pastor Jeff
(just don’t get a big head, okay?). We don’t need to fear Satan and his demon
army, but we can’t boast and swagger or we’re in for a fall.
When Jesus’
disciples came back from their first mission excited about their power over
evil spirits, He was quick to remind them, “Do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you,
but rejoice that your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20).
That’s where our focus needs to be—not
it talking smack, but in gratitude for what our Savior has done for us, is doing
now, and will do in the future. Only then can we get the victory.
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil
with good.
Romans 12:21
#pride #itshardtobehumble #Igotthis #prayerwalking
#spiritualwarfare #claimingterritory #Joshua7 #Rom12:21 #halloween
#AllSaintsDay
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