“These are the kings of the land whom the Israelites had defeated and whose territory they took over…” (Joshua 12:1, 12:7)

When I think about my life, there are so many different areas of sin that need to be conquered daily.

Paul reminds us in Romans 3:23 that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” and there is not one person on this earth who is righteous. Knowing this makes me eternally grateful that “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us,” (Romans 5:8), and that “while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son” (Romans 5:11).

Chapter 12 is essentially a summary of the first half of the book of Joshua, listing the names of the defeated kings and nations conquered by Moses, Joshua, and the Israelites on both the east and the west sides of the Jordan river. As I mentioned in my post A Response of Love, God used the Israelites as an instrument of His judgment upon sin in the land. Reading over the list of numerous names, it reminded me of the numerous temptations and sins that I in my flesh, battle against daily.

While we have no power over sin on our own strength, rejoice that we who are under the saving grace of Jesus Christ are no longer slaves to sin! As the Israelites defeated nation after nation, we can likewise move forward knowing that we have victory over sin in Christ alone.

Thank God for His grace, love, mercy, and patience as we go through our on-going journey of sanctification. May we confess our sins, repent, and pray from the heart of the Lord’s Prayer every day, that by the power of His Spirit we are led not into temptation, but are delivered from evil.

If you are struggling with any stronghold of sin, pray and confess your sin to the Lord, and also take a step of faith by confessing your sin to a brother or sister in Christ who can pray with you and hold you accountable. When we expose sin to the light, darkness has nowhere to hide.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. (James 5:16)