In Victory
“…and put their feet on their necks.”
Great was Joshua’s victory in the longest day ever recorded in history! The sun stopped…or was it the Earth that stopped rotating around the sun? The fact is that there was daylight for a long time and the Israelites defeated strong armies; conquered fortified cities; and captured five enemy kings, all in a day’s work.
But the battle had finished before it began. God gave their enemies into their hands, so the Israelites under Joshua’s command, fought from a position of victory, not to obtain the victory.
Christians also go to battle in power and victory. This triumph was consummated two thousand years ago, when Jesus defeated the devil, sin and death through his sacrificial death on the cross. His complete victory was sealed three days later, when he arose from the dead.
The devil, our adversary, knows that he is already defeated, and that “his time is short!” (Revelation 12:12). He uses the schemes of deceit, fear, intimidation and temptation against us. He does all this and much, much more to drag as many people as he can, to hell.
Do not fear the devil my brethren. He is nothing but a toothless lion and a snake without venom. Jesus crushed his head, broke his teeth and took away most of his power against believers on the cross. The only way in which he can hurt us, is if we “make room for the devil.” (Ephesians 4:27), or if we defeat ourselves by listening to his lies, following his schemes or retreating in fear.
