Joshua - VS the Fleshنموونە

We learn God’s strength at Jericho. At Ai, we discover our weakness.

Israel, excited by their victory over Jericho, thought they could easily defeat Ai. They overestimated themselves, underestimated their enemy, and they assumed God was with them. When Israel was defeated, Joshua tore his clothes and cried out to God.

How often do we charge into spiritual battle, high from a recent victory, only to be defeated by an enemy we thought we could handle?  

How did we, who have victory over the World, lose to something as weak as the flesh?

• We overestimate ourselves 
• We underestimate our enemy
• We assume God is with us
• We use the wrong tactics
• We are blind to our inner weakness

This leads to ignorance and unrepentance of hidden sin.

We think we win because we are good warriors. We forget that God wins every battle. Scripture tells us that the flesh is weak. 

Here is how Paul put it:

For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For I want to do the good, but I cannot do it. - Romans 7:18 NET

God expects His warriors to fight against the flesh, but it’s a battle we can not win on our own.  

Paul continues:

Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? -Romans 7:24 NET

We cannot live the Christian life. God never asks us to. God wants to live it through us.

Challenge:

• Memorize Romans 8:13
• How does Paul’s struggle in Romans 7 play out in your life?