IOI CHRISTIAN MEAN
TOPIC: THE ENEMY CAN BE DESTRUCTIVE
TEXT: JOSHUA 9:14-21
A. 14 Their Ability To See Clearly Was Disrupted - Notice that in verse 7, Joshua initially was a little skeptical of these so-called ambassadors. He questioned them about their origin again in verse 8. Joshua is to be commended for his caution, but he gave up just a little too soon! When the Gibeonites showed him their clothes, their food and the broken wineskins, Joshua was more than impressed and he believed their story!
If the Lord has done anything for His children, He has given us a perfect Book and powerful Spirit. These two items give us a distinct advantage when it comes to fighting the devil! Using the Bible and the inner leading of the Spirit of God, we can do what 1 Pet. 5:8 says and we can be "sober and vigilant". These words carry the idea of being in control of ourselves and of being watchful. You do not have to fall for everything the devil tells you! He is a liar and the father of it, John 8:44. Hey folks, we do not have to fall into his traps! Thank God ,we can walk in victory over the devil if we will be sober and vigilant!)
My friends, when your spiritual vision gets dim through neglect of the Word of God and prayer, you are very susceptible to the tricks and traps of the enemy. It is impossible to have the victory over him when we neglect the very things which are designed to make us strong! The Bible tells us in Eph. 4:27, that we are not to give "place" to the devil in our lives. This word refers to a beachhead. If we give the devil room in our lives to attack us, you can count on the fact that he will! We must always be on guard to avoid his attacks. Don't even let him have so much as a foot in the door!)
B. 14 Their Ability To Seek Counsel Was Disrupted - Notice that Israel ate with the Gibeonites and did not even take the matter to the Lord in prayer. To break bread with someone in that day was considered to be a sign of unalterable friendship. But what they considered to be the right thing to do turned into a problem because they did not take the time to take the matter to the Lord in prayer first and neither did they take the time to wait on His answer. As a result, they stepped out of the will of God and had to suffer the consequences!
How many times has this been true in your life and mine? We look at what the devil has to offer us and we join up with him without even seeking the Lord's will in the matter. At other times, we stack the deck in our favor so that even the Lord's attempts to speak to us and change our direction are made to appear like His blessings on our decision. I am trying to tell you this morning that you need to be sure that it is the Lord's voice you are listening to and not the devil's or even that of your own flesh! God will is that we seek His face and that we give Him time to give us His answer! What does the Lord say? Ex. 14:13; "Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord..."; Isa. 40:31, "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."; Psalm 27:14, "Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD." Well, you get the idea! God expects His people to seek His will and wait on His answer!)
C. 15-21 Their Ability To Stay Clean Was Disrupted - In these verses, we see that the Israelites ability to be a separate people before the Lord was marred by their decision to make a league with the Gibeonites. God had told them to utterly destroy the inhabitants and to make no covenants with them at all, Deut 7:2, "And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them:" However, Israel disobey this command and as a result they sinned before the Lord.
Before we judge them too harshly, let's look at ourselves for a minute. How many times have we been guilty of following Satan instead of the Lord? The Word of God plainly tells us what the Lord's will is for our lives, 2 Cor. 6:17, "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,". Yet, all too often, we will aloow the flesh, the word and the devil distract us and defeat us.)
If you let him, the devil will get you into such a shape that the Lord cannot bless and use you you at all! I can think of many, many preachers this morning who listened to the siren song of the devil and found themselves castaways as far as the Lord's work is concerned. Don't think it can happen to you? Just ask David, the sweet singer of Israel, the man after God's own heart, what the devil can do to your life. You follow the devil and you, like David might find yourself in a place of prayer begging God just to restore the joy of your heart and life, Psa. 51:12. Don't let that happen in your life! Take the steps that are necessary to defeat the devil and walk in victory!)
PRAYER
I pray with you today, before your enemy destroy you, God will destroy them totally in Jesus name
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