Make War
Take the Promise
September 2, 2018
Rev. Gabe Sylvia
Using Joshua's conquest as a model, the sermon urges Christians to see their spiritual life as a holy war led by God against unbelief and sin—following his commander, using prayer and repentance, and fighting until victory by the Spirit.
Summary
The sermon wrestles with a difficult biblical text in Joshua and presents it as a template for Christian courage: Yahweh wages war against unbelief and sin, and his people are enlisted as soldiers who must follow him into that holy battle. The Ark-led procession into Jericho illustrates that the campaign was religious and sanctified, making places and actions holy when the Lord is present. The call to 'devote' things to destruction in Deuteronomy and the Old Testament descriptions of holy war are reinterpreted as a call to put sin to death—not to attack people—and to purge the church of corruption. Practical application draws on Ephesians and Colossians: pray continually, repent when you fail, take concrete spiritual steps (seven steps outlined), put to death earthly sin, and rely on the Spirit to secure the victory until the war is finished.
Key Points
- Scripture calls believers to courage by framing spiritual struggle as a holy war.
- Joshua portrays Yahweh at war against unbelief, with the people as his soldiers.
- The Ark and procession show the campaign was religious and sanctified, making ground and action holy when God is present.
- Holy war targets unbelief and sin, not people or nations; the command to 'devote' is about destroying sin's power.
- The church can be corrupted and must be purified by decisive spiritual action.
- Practical steps come from Ephesians and Colossians: continual prayer, repentance, and intentional practices to 'put to death' earthly sin.
- Seven concrete steps (including praying in the Spirit) guide believers in spiritual warfare.
- Victory is assured by the Spirit, but Christians must follow God into the fight and persevere until it's finished.
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