Joshua – Lesson 3- Our Spiritual Heritage

· Hebrews 7:25, Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

This verse has two meanings; first He is able to save from condemnation and also he is able to daily save us from the enemy---the world, the flesh and the Devil.

Paul said in:

· Ephesians 1:18-20, I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20 which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms.

Here we learn of the incredible power of Jesus as the One who intercedes for us. If God can cause the Israelites to defeat the Amalekites on behalf of the Israelites, isn’t He able to do for us more than we can even imagine?

Then in chapter 2 Paul says:

· Ephesians 2:5-8, And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

We are here told that we have been blessed by being given a spiritual position in heaven. So, as Joshua was fighting the battle against the Amalekites, Moses was interceding with God. As Moses continued to pray the battle was finally won. This pictures what takes place in heaven on our behalf when we are being obedient to God, as well as when we desire to be obedient.

Israel’s victory over Amalek required two things: the aggressive warfare of Israel led by Joshua and the faithful intercession of Moses. It is the same with our spiritual warfare. We have the assurance of the intercession of Jesus and it is our responsibility to exercise our faith and obedience to God’s Word under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Now having said all that lets look at who our enemies are that we must overcome, who our Amalekites are.

The Bible tells us that there are three enemies of God that we are dealing with: the flesh, the world and Satan. The flesh is the old self-life, our fallen nature. The world is the world system of mankind that is alienated from God. The Devil also includes all the fallen angels that he controls.

Let’s start with:

· Romans 6:6-7, For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin- 7 because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.

This is our defense, our basis for victory over the old self’s three enemies.

With regard to the world we read:

· Galatians 6:14, May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

This is why Jesus said in:

· John 16:33, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

Further emphasis is given to us:

· 1 John 5:4-5,  for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

Our victory over the flesh and the world is based on what Jesus did for us. And this is especially true of what is necessary for victory over Satan and his agents. Satan is called the ruler of the kingdom of the air, meaning that his agents are active throughout the world in an invisible way to attract mankind to his lies and deceptions.

· John 12:31, Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out.

Though Satan is the prince of the power of the air, he is nevertheless subject to Jesus. The defeat of Satan can be traced to the cross where Jesus died. The cross was surely in Jesus’ mind when He said:

· John 12:32-33, But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." 33 He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.