TUESDAY October 5, 2021

Battles Won, Battles Lost

“...Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9

In the Old Testament, we can read stories about God’s people and the battles they went through. They were often under great attack from their enemies. Yet God was their substance. Whenever they put their trust in Him, they were protected. He gave them the victory! However, when they took their eyes off God and placed their trust in something else, they experienced defeat. God often chastened His people; He loved them. God had an incredible purpose for their lives.

It is in the Old Testament that we learn about typology. God’s people were slaves in Egypt–– a type of the world. Moses was used to deliver God’s people; he led them on dry ground through the Red Sea. What should have been about an eleven-day journey through the wilderness to the Promised Land was extended for forty years! Unbelief kept them from the blessings of God. The only people that went into the Promised Land were those above twenty, Joshua and Caleb (Numbers 14:30; 32:11).

When a believer in Christ wanders in the wilderness, it speaks of a life not in full submission to Christ. When God chastens them, they have to learn obedience through the difficult experiences they will suffer. They miss out on God’s blessings, until they finally come to a place where they say in surrender, “Your will be done.” Are you wandering in the wilderness? Surrender to God and choose to walk in obedience to Him.

Joshua led Israel across the Jordan River. This is a type of reckoning the old man to be dead. A Christian is to walk in newness of life through the power of the Holy Spirit. They will enjoy God’s blessings in life because of their obedience to Christ. When God’s people finally entered the Promised Land, there were giants to be fought and battles to be won. The Promised Land is not a type of heaven. As a believer, you will have your own battles to be fought and won on this earth. Fight your battles with the spiritual weaponry God has supplied to you. Then you shall have victory––not defeat.

Faith in God has not saved people from hardships and trials, but it has enabled them to bear tribulations courageously and to emerge victoriously.
~Lee Roberson~

For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!