Hear the Word of God to you today: “Look, I have given that to you in victory! The walls will fall down, the gates will crumble, the sin will be destroyed!” Learn to see the invisible, that is, to put faith in what God says rather that what you see with your physical eyes.
It’s important to note three more truths about this experience:
First, this declaration of victory over Jericho was made before the Israelites lifted a finger, or took one single step to destroy it. The outcome was sure before the battle began.
Second, the victory was a gift of God. “I have given you Jericho…” This was God’s victory and God’s gift to His people, not Israel’s hard-fought battle.
Both of these truths remind us of the victory won for us at the cross, before we were even born. Before we took one step toward the enemy, Jesus had already defeated him. Our outcome in battle is sure before the battle began, because with the cross Jesus won our victory for us.
Colossians 2:15 (NCV) God stripped the spiritual rulers and powers of their authority. With the cross, he won the victory and showed the world that they were powerless.
Kelly writes, "My victory was declared before the battle ever begun. It was declared at the Cross. As I think about the Cross just now, I think what's even more compelling and astonishing is that my victory was declared before I even knew there was a battle to be fought. He died for me on the Cross while I was sinner. When I wasn't battling against sin but rather heartily joining myself to it, glorying in them and happily approving them. Romans 8:5 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
It's like marching into a Nation with a huge victory parade declaring they have won the "great war" without the Nation even realizing they were ever at war in the first place.
Your victory over sin, over the world, the flesh and the devil was declared for you at the cross of Calvary. There Jesus died with your sins on Him, and in so doing He stripped the evil one of his authority in your life. Jesus died as if He were guilty, therefore you, as a believer in Jesus Christ, have absolutely no guilt; and if you have no guilt then Satan has no power over you.
Third, please notice the humbling aspect of this victory. The Israelites had nothing about which to boast. It was not by the physical might of the Israelites that they won the battle, it was not by their power that they defeated their enemy, it was by the Spirit of God (Zechariah 4:6) leading them in victory.
Likewise, may we never boast of how we overcame, of how we are so many days free, but rather, let us boast in Jesus, His death and resurrection, which alone wins all battles for us who believe. “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” (Galatians 6:14).
Please take a moment and watch this video and then answer the question below:
Kelly D. writes, "I should have excessive confidence only in what Jesus accomplished for me on the Cross. If I put myself in it in any way it should only be to gladly admit the spiritual poverty of my heart and my incessant neediness of the power of His Grace pouring out from the Cross. 1 Corinthians 12:9 . . "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me."
Kelly O. writes, "Believers who trust in Jesus should boast in him, in the cross, in his death and resurrection. This is where I have died to the world and where I have a new beginning. If it weren’t but the cross, I would still be living a life of sexual immorality and pornography. So I boast in him and his cross."