This article will build on a previous piece, A Footstool Fit For A King. The first identified the conquest of Canaan as a type of the New Testament conquest of the world and Joshua as a type of Christ. In this second part, we will explore the pragmatic implications of such a conquest as we take lessons from Joshua and others in defeating enemies.
God’s Justice Among the Nations
The conquest of Canaan was one of divine origin and of judgment. The people who dwelled in the land were wicked and had set themselves against God so that they might bow before the pagan gods. They practiced every abominable deed that was contrary to the natural law of the created world, the law of God written innately upon the human conscience. In their rejection of God, they found themselves in the bullseye of God’s target of judgment upon which Israel was the swift arrow of God’s justice.
One of the great and wicked cities that God excised judgment upon was the city of Jericho. The story of the destruction of Jericho not only bears significance in most of our memories but also as the first city the Israelites encountered after the crossing of the Jordan. This city was surrounded by impressive walls designed to protect it from invaders. However, in God’s providence, Israel brought the city to destruction through the means of marching around the city, the blowing of a few horns, and the shouting of a great multitude.
God had decreed the destruction of this city as a punishment for their idolatry. Indeed, the city was completely destroyed. The walls around and structures within completely crumbled, and everything that breathed died, with the exception of Rahab and all that were in her house. This was the beginning of God’s judgment of the land and giving it to the people of God.
I previously made the case that Joshua and the conquest of Canaan could be seen as a type, picture, or at least a parallel of Christ and the conquest of the world as Christ is putting all his enemies under his feet in this present age. Here I will build off of that notion and seek to draw out certain biblically consistent, practical principles regarding methods in defeating the enemies that raise themselves against the Lord in rebellion.
The attempt to do so carries with it the risk of allowing the reader to think that, in drawing out parallels and principles from a narrative, we do so on a one-to-one basis. But this is not a direct parallel, as we in the New Testament era have not been commanded to wage a fleshly war on all the enemies of God. Fleshly war may be and has been necessary at times upon righteous grounds but this, by and large, is not the manner of war we are engaged in.
Backing Up
Now, it is necessary to back up and get context. Throughout the book of Joshua, there is a common phrase used: “There was none left that breathed.” Where the phrase is not present, the concept of complete destruction remains. This is to fulfill that which Yahweh had commanded Joshua, that the whole of the land should be devoted to destruction.
Not only in the book of Joshua do we see this, but we see it thoroughly embedded in the story of God’s people, for they failed in their duties to obey what God commanded, and they kept alive some that should’ve been destroyed. Those that remained alive drew the hearts of the people of Israel away from Yahweh to worship foreign gods which they had not known. They did what was right in their own eyes and did not abide by the statutes and stipulations set forth in the covenant.
At times throughout Israel’s history, God raised up judges, prophets, or kings who would challenge the pagan gods and tear down the idols in the land. I think of Gideon, lowly and timid, yet called by God to challenge the Midianites and tear down the statue of Baal and the Asherah pole. Beside it he built an altar of sacrifice to the LORD and burned an offering upon it. I think of stalwart Elijah and the prophets of Baal as he puts on display the foolishness of their belief by mocking their god and killing all the prophets of Baal. Again, I think of King Jehu and King Josiah, among others, who removed the idols and tore down the high places in Israel. The Old Testament is full of stories in which the enemies of God are being confronted and dismantled from their high places of worship. Enemies are abundant, but Yahweh is victorious over them.
No More Half Measures
How is it then that Joshua was so successful in his conquering of the land? Joshua did not stop the battle as soon as the enemy was put to flight. No, he pressed in harder and pursued the enemy until there were none left. He ensured that once the victory was won it would be won forever and that no enemy would be able to rise back up and build back the high places and raise up new idols. Joshua did not come at his enemy with a dulled sword and practice arrows. He did not care about the enemies’ well-being, and he did not care if he offended them. This is the first lesson we can learn: we do not handle the enemies of God with kid gloves. Our concern in those instances of “combat” is not niceness but rather righteousness.
The eleventh commandment is ‘thou shalt be nice’ and we don’t believe the other ten.
The second lesson is one I believe we cannot afford not to learn. That is, just as Joshua pursued his enemies until they were utterly destroyed, so must we. We are far too comfortable in Christian spheres with half measures both within the church and politics. We are satisfied when a pastor moderates a progressive view of sexuality instead of demanding total conformity to the law of God. We are satisfied when taxpayers no longer have to pay for trans surgeries instead of fighting the moral absurdity of the existence of trans people in the first place. It is not only a sin against nature but also an abomination against God’s law. We are satisfied with no abortions after six weeks instead of destroying the practice of abortion altogether. No more half-measures. We fight until the idols of abortion, sexual perversion, feminism, wokeness, and Christian mediocrity cannot raise their ugly heads anymore. There are enemies, idols, and high places in our day that must be torn down, and they will not be destroyed by pool noodles and therapy (I say all this without any nuance while understanding that nuance does indeed exist).
Coexist No More: Weapons for War
Joshua is a fantastic example for us on how we should practice defeating the enemies of God. We cannot be satisfied to coexist with our enemies. Otherwise, our children’s children will grow up, forget the Lord, and worship at the altar of gods that they have not known. Like Joshua, we need to learn that any enemies that hide in a back ally are just waiting for a complacent generation to once again pass off.
All this has been pretty heavy on the war rhetoric and maybe not very helpful from a practical standpoint. But hopefully, by now, we see the point being made that when it comes to countering our enemies we cannot do so by being nice while ignoring the weight of God’s law. We also cannot be satisfied with winning halfway: We must press on until “there is none that breathes.” (Metaphorically, obviously)
All this is a litmus test of what we actually believe about what Christ’s work on the cross actually accomplished. Did he actually put to shame all the “principalities and powers?” Did Satan’s head actually get crushed? Did he truly receive all power and authority in heaven and earth such that he commands us to go and make disciples of every nation? If we really believe these things, then how are we using the tools available to us to participate in the work of the gospel in the world? What tools or weapons do we have at our disposal to accomplish the mission that the church is called to? First and foremost, our greatest weapon in the arsenal of the church is the gospel, which is the “power of God unto salvation” (Rom. 1:16). The mission of the church is not accomplished by coercing conversion but rather through proclaiming the message of the gospel. When paired with the real work of the Holy Spirit, it has actual power to transform lives and shape cultures. Not only is the gospel a weapon for our use, but so is the law of God. The law of God is not only used for the conviction of sinners unto repentance but is also used for judgment upon civil magistrates. The law is used as a mirror and a measuring rod by which we can rightly judge the righteousness of those who govern so that they might be called to account. Lastly, but not exhaustively, we have the word of God as a teacher so that we might learn to obey all that Christ has commanded and teach others to do the same. As the power of the gospel takes its full effect, the Word of God, through its faithful teaching and application, brings about obedience to Christ (Matt. 28:18-20).
Same Fight, Different Roles
So what should we do? Well, for each person, it is going to look different. For the politician, the stakes are higher, and courage must be greater. They are front and center in the effort to ensure that our nation is aligned with righteousness. For the pastor, preach the word without cowardice. Don’t allow the rot of modernism to creep in and destroy the theological heritage that our fathers left for us. For the everyday man, you’re not inconsequential by any means. Do your work and do it well, take courage when courage becomes necessary, and most of all, love your wife, manage your home well, and train your children in the way they should go. Cultural decay is a choice and the grip of idolatrous practice can stop at the threshold of your home and you can say, “as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15) For the moms who feel like the world is passing them by, it’s not, and you bear responsibility for the next generation. Your daily tasks are part and parcel to future successes. It takes courage to raise children “differently” in a world that is hostile to the things of God. Do it anyway.
There is a battle, and it is here at the doorstep, whether we like it or not. But we also have a King who fights for us. One who conquered by his rising from the dead putting all his enemies to open shame (Col. 2:15) so that all his enemies might be put under his feet (Ps. 110:1). It is with hope that we wage war on the enemies of the Living God. Fight in your arena with the weapons at your disposal and know this: the Lord fights for you. Whatever sphere you are in, whatever opportunity you have, fight there and fight till the enemy can rise no more. “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the tearing down of strongholds, as we tear down speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).
