SHOUT THE VICTORY!

“It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him.”  (Joshua 6:5)

Johnny Jones was a mischievous boy.  He was more likely to get into trouble in Sunday School than to study his Bible.  One day the teacher was discussing Joshua 6, when she noticed Johnny whispering with another boy.  “Johnny!” she said.  “Who caused the walls of Jericho to fall?”  He quickly answered, “I didn’t do it!”  The teacher had reached her limit.  Grabbing little Johnny, she hustled him to the Pastor’s study.  When she unfolded the story, the Pastor looked at the boy and said, “This is serious.”  Then addressing the teacher said, “I know Johnny gets into a lot of trouble, but I’ve never known him to be destructive.  If he says he didn’t do it, then I don’t think he did it!”  The teacher let out a cry of exasperation, causing the deacon chairman, who was walking by, to run into the room.  Talking loudly and rapidly, the teacher told what had happened—including the pastor’s response.  The deacon said, “Let’s not cause problems in the church.  We can take up some money and pay to repair those walls.”  Hopefully, we know our Bible better than that!  We can know the story, however, and miss the spiritual implications for believers today.  God intends for us to shout the victory!

Jericho was the first obstacle the Jews faced on the other side of Jordan—a massive fortress where the enemy was firmly entrenched.  They would never experience the abundance of Canaan until this stronghold of the enemy was overthrown.  The chances are there is a Jericho in your life—a stubborn sin where the Devil has dug in.  If you never gain victory in that area, you will never know the abundant life God has for you.

Israel would not tear down the walls by military might.  It would not be the weapons of the flesh, but spiritual power that was required to bring down the walls.  They would follow their Commander—the Lord Jesus—who would lead them to victory.  He was there (Josh.5:13-15).  Try as hard as you might, resolve repeatedly, and you will still fail miserably to overcome that satanic stronghold.  Here is what Scripture says,

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.  For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ….  (2 Cor.10:3-5)

Their faith that prompted their obedience—when the strategy made no logical sense—brought the walls down (1 John 5:4).  They shouted the victory first, and then experienced it!  Man says, “I’ll believe it when I see it!”  God says, “You’ll see it when you believe it!”  If we would see ourselves as God sees us—overcomers, more than conquerors, triumphant (all Biblical descriptions of the people of God)—then we would behave as we believe!  You do not have to wait to reach heaven to shout the victory!