Day Forty

“When the trumpets sounded, the people shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the people gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed;
so every man charged straight in, and they took the city.” (Josh. 6:20)

Scripture Reading: Joshua 6:1–20

Some years ago, a newspaper ran an article entitled “The Walls of Jericho Really Did Come Tumbling Down.” Imagine that. God always does what He says, but sometimes He gives conditional promises: “If you will—then I will.” Such was the case in Jericho. God said, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men.” Joshua must have looked at that imposing city with its impenetrable wall and thought, It doesn’t look like mine to me! God’s message was: “The victory is already yours, but I want you to do a few things to take it!”

God often directs us in similar ways. In the battles we face, victory is already ours by position, but victory may never be ours by possession if He gets no cooperation. God has overcome our every enemy by the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ. But some victories are ours, not just to have but to take. Here are a few biblical suggestions for possessing the victories that are ours because of Christ:

1. Stay armed for battle (see vv. 3, 9). These men were armed with swords, not guns. The Word is our sword (see Eph. 6:17). We’ll never possess our victories without it.

2. Stay on course (see vv. 3, 14). Continue to “march” in the center of God’s will. Don’t give up. Don’t lose hope. The battle is the Lord’s, and He will be faithful. He will not only give you the victory if you remain faithful, but He also won’t waste a moment of the battle.

3. Stick close to your battalion (see v. 13). March closely to fellow overcomers—those dedicated to living in victory. We win very few battles disconnected from other victors in Christ. Remember, not everyone in Christ is pursuing victory. Be careful not to surround yourself solely with victims.

4. Stay alert (see v. 18). Aggressively avoid things you know will be your own destruction. Most of the time we are well aware of our potential pitfalls. The enemy often wraps temptations in appetizing, colorful, or sensuous packages, “but keep away” (see v. 18) for your own good!

These steps are not easy, but the victorious life is worth the work. Do you suppose Joshua and the Israelites preferred to stay home and read about the crumbled wall in the Canaan Chronicle? Or do you think they were astounded and privileged to participate and observe God at work firsthand? We want to be smack in the middle of God’s victories. No way to do that without being smack in the middle of the battlefield.

Want a little extra motivation? These steps don’t just lead to victory. Each step represents a victory of its own! Until the big one—hang in there. Victory is coming!