Joshua 11:23
“So Joshua took the whole land, in accordance with everything that the LORD had spoken to Moses; and Joshua gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. So the land was at rest from war.”
This is a key point with Joshua and Israel. This is an acceptable time to pause from war. This is interesting because there will be more fighting. Probably more in Joshua, but certainly in Judges and beyond.
Are they wrong to say they are at rest from war? No, they are entering a different phase. They are generally done. They are at a point in which they will divide up the land for the tribes to live. Once done, the tribes can deal with the small skirmishes.
Romans 15:4 says, “For everything that was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures, we might have hope.” As we come to Christ, we are baby christians. God nurtures us in the faith. The devil has lost us. He wants us back or at least to neutralized us so as to be ineffective.
As we mature in the faith we become warriors for Him. I John 2:13,14 says, “I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father. I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God remains in you, and you have overcome the evil one.” John speaks of the three stages of faith, children, young men and fathers. Israel is at the young man phase, yet transitioning to the father stage. They fought and drove out the enemy. We will have battles at all phases, but that middle phase seems to be defined by the battle.
What is our battle? When we are born again God gives us a new nature. One that wants what He wants. Unfortunately our old nature is still present. Romans 7:21-23 gives a description of the two natures within, “I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully agree with the law of God in the inner person, but I see a different law in the parts of my body waging war against the law of my mind, and making me a prisoner of the law of sin, the law which is in my body’s parts.”
How are we to deal with the old nature? Matthew 16:24 says, ‘Then Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.”‘ We are to deny it. Galatians 2:20 expounds on it, “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”
We not only battle against the flesh, but the devil and his demons tempt us in our weak flesh. Ephesians 6:12 says, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” This chapter in Ephesians speaks of spiritual warfare and how we do battle.
We come to Christ and are babes in Him and He nurtures us, we are in the bible and grow in Him. We become youths in the faith and engage in the battle. We will never stop this battle until we die and go to heaven. However, like Israel we will be at rest from war. We become adults in the faith. I will quote part of the I John passage listed earlier, “I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning.” We walk with God. We know Him. We are no longer plagued by a guilty conscience or anemic with spiritual malnutrition. We are secure in our faith. We walk with our God.
This level took about a decade for me to reach. I came to Christ when 17. I had natural maturity to grow through at the same time. It is wonderful. God is so good. We share the good news of salvation. I can share from a healthy place.
Thank You, Lord, for bringing us to this level of maturity. What a blessing to walk with You. You’ve brought us so far. Help us to bring others with us.
