HOW TO THRIVE IN ENEMY TERRITORY (2)

MONDAY AUGUST 24

“When you came to Christ, you were ‘circumcised.’” Col 2:11 NLT

Before allowing His people to conquer and inhabit the Promised Land, God commanded all the males to be circumcised (see Jos 5:2). Circumcision was first introduced by God to Abraham as “a sign of the covenant between Me and you” (Ge 17:11 NKJV). The act of circumcision meant they were set apart from the surrounding nations who didn’t know God and that they belonged to Him. During the wilderness wanderings, the Hebrews let this practice lapse. But before they began their new life in Canaan, God introduced it to them again as a condition for enjoying a covenant relationship with Him. What’s the secret of survival in enemy territory? First, remember what God has done for you. Second, remember whose you are. The Hebrews did what God commanded—and God protected them and gave them spectacular victories over their enemies. “So it was, when all the kings of the Amorites who were on the west side of the Jordan, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan...their heart melted; and there was no spirit in them any longer because of the children of Israel” (Jos 5:1 NKJV). Their devotion to God brought protection from God. And it still works that way. “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (Jas 4:7-8 NKJV). These Scriptures teach that when you are surrendered to God, He gives you the power to overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil.