God Has Already Won Our Battles

Joshua 1:2–3: “Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses.”

God told Joshua to inform His people that every place they walked in the Promised Land would become theirs. God had already clearly said, “I have given you” the land, past tense. But they still had the responsibility of walking in and believing His promise, by taking possession of what He was giving them. They had to walk in the land, place their foot there, which meant living in and occupying the land. This is a clear picture of God’s promise and man’s responsibility working side-by-side.

Of course the same is true for us as believers today. God has given us victories but we must walk in them by faith. I love the way English pastor, Alan Redpath, says it:

Full blessing in the Christian life is not bestowed except to eager, hungry people who press in to receive it. True, God has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, but the blessing is in heavenly places, and these are places to which Satan has access, and where he can still cast all his fiery darts. God does not bless His child unless He sees him eager for the blessing . . . He desires every one of His children to press in against all the assaults of the enemy, that we may lay hold of that which is our inheritance in the Lord Jesus Christ, knowing that every foe we shall ever meet in that battle has already been met and conquered by our Joshua.

Every one of us will face battles, even today. In these battles we struggle against lust, pride, greed, etc., but God has given us victory over them. Paul told the Philippians: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13). However, if we don’t walk in that truth, believing God’s promises and giving the battles to the Lord, we won’t see that victory. How we need to step out and face the battle, knowing He has already promised us victory if we will, by faith, walk in it.

“We thank You, LORD, for Your victory in our lives already. Go before us today, we ask in Jesus’ name.”