Transcript: Casting Down Vain Imaginations with Faith and Prayer

For the sake of a title, I know you like titles And I'm calling this message today, Casting Down Vain Imaginations. And it seems like I've taken a different route or a different way in getting to the very subject of the title, Vain Imaginations. But I do want to begin the message in and with the story, the famous story describing Jericho and the march around the city before it fell. And it's really very significant for our Christians' experience and walk as a sojourner and also a soldier on the way today. And the story is told of the Israelites who had wandered for nearly 40 years in the wilderness and were now standing on this side of the Jordan within the borders of the long-awaited time of entering into their promised land. They were in Canaan, but the land was not yet theirs. And there was a powerful nation which held possession of their land. And they were told that once they entered the land, they would have to possess it. And I'd like us to look at Joshua 5.5 to begin our account of this message today. And I know we have read this story many different times, but I believe you're going to see something different today through this story and through the course of this message that's going to be very life-saving and very quipping as a soldier on your journey. We're just going to break into the setting for our lesson today in the chapter prior to the series of requirements which God had commanded the people. So in Joshua 5.5, though all the people who came out were circumcised, yet all that speaking about coming out of Egypt, yet all the people who were born in the wilderness on the way after Israel came out of Egypt, they'd not been circumcised. Verse 6, For the Israelites walked forty years in the wilderness, till all who were men of war, who came out of Egypt, perished, because they did not hearken or listen to or be obedient to the voice of the Lord. To them the Lord swore that he would not let them see the land, which the Lord swore to their fathers, to give us a land flowing with milk and honey. Verse 7, So it was their uncircumcised children whom he raised up in their stead, whom Joshua circumcised because the right had not been performed on the way. When they finished circumcising all the males of the nation, they remained in their places in the camp till they were healed. And the Lord said to Joshua, This day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you. So the name of the place is called Gilgal, rolling. It's what it means, rolling to this day. And the Israelites encamped in Gilgal, and they kept the Passover on the 14th day of the month at evening in the plains of Jericho, verse 11. And on that same day, they ate the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. And the manna ceased on the day after they ate the produce of the land. And the Israelites had manna no more, but they ate the fruit of the land of Canaan that year. Verse 13. When Joshua was by Jericho, he looked up, and behold, a man stood near him with a drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said, Are you for us or for our adversaries? And he said, No, neither, but as a prince or a captain of the Lord's host have I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshipped and said to him, What says my Lord to his servant? And the captain of the Lord's host said to Joshua, Loose your shoes from off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy. And Joshua did so. Joshua did so. We see here that God commanded his leader to remove his shoes while he was talking to him. And where God is, dear people, it is holy ground, and we should always treat it respectfully. Joshua was paying honor to God by being obedient in removing his shoes, thus showing humility by this act required by God before he'd speak to a servant. Now, standing barefoot in the presence of the Lord, Joshua then receives his orders. And that's Joshua 6, verse 1. Let's pick up there. Now Jericho, a fenced town with high walls, was tightly closed because of the Israelites, and no one went or came in. And the Lord said to Joshua, See, I've given you Jericho, its king, and mighty men of valor into your hands. I want to pause here and say how wonderful. Is, is not, but is. The walls have not fallen, but the Lord spoke as if it was already done. And I believe that we should think like this too. just like this, that God has stated in his word promises for us that it's already done, though we do not yet see it or the evidence of it. Nevertheless, it's already done. And so it was for Joshua as well. It was good as done because the Lord spoke it and it was done, good as done. Hallelujah. Now let's pick back up in verse 3. You shall march around the enclosure, all the men of war going around the city once. This you will do for six days. Verse 4. And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of ram's horn. And on the seventh day you shall march around the enclosure seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. And when they make the long blast with the ram's horn, you hear the sound of the trumpet. All the people will shout with a great shout, and the walls of the enclosure shall fall down into its place, and the people shall go up over it, every man straight before him. Verse 6. So Joshua, son of Nun, called the priests and said to them, Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of ram's horns before the ark of the Lord. He said to the people, go on, march around the enclosure and let the armed men pass before the ark of the Lord. When Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of ram's horn passed on before the Lord and blew the trumpet. And the ark of the covenant of the Lord followed them. Verse 9. And the armed men went before the priest who blew the trumpets and the rear guard came after the ark. the priests blowing trumpets as they went. But Joshua commanded the people, You shall not shout or let your voice be heard, nor shall any word proceed out of your mouth until the day I tell you to shout. Then you shall shout. Verse 11. So he caused the ark of the Lord to go around the city once again, and they came to the camp and lodged in the camp. Verse 12. Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priest took up the ark of the Lord. And the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of ram's horns before the ark of the Lord passed on, blowing the trumpets continually, and the armed men went before them, and the rear guard came after the ark of the Lord, the priests blowing the trumpets as they went. On the second day, they compassed the city enclosure once again and returned to the camp. So they did for six days. Verse 15. Those who are in her house shall live because she hid the messengers whom we sent. But you keep yourselves from the accursed and devoted things, lest when you have devoted it to destruction you take the accursed thing and so make the camp of Israel accursed and trouble it. But all the gold and silver and vessels of bronze and iron are consecrated to the Lord and they shall come into the treasury of the Lord. Verse 20. So the people shouted and the trumpets were blown. And when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, they raised a great shout and the Jericho walls fell down in its place. So that the Israelites went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. Verse 21. Then they utterly destroyed all that was in the city. Both men and women, young and old, ox, sheep, donkeys, with the edge of the sword. You see, the Israelites, dear church, were without great military resources at that time. But the word of the Lord was that that city was going to be theirs. And the promise was that the walls should simply fall down once the shout and the trumpet blast went forth. Notice that the enemy did not run out of the walls and scattered, but were kept confined within the walls, ruined, and destroyed therein. We learn of the power and the might of God, first of all here, and secondly, the importance of precise and strict obedience on the part of the people. If you at this moment were to look at your own spiritual condition, Or as you might look back, you would probably say, my, my, my. I can see that the captain of my salvation has done much in my life thus far. And you might say as well, I didn't even know many times that I was in a battle until I looked back and saw great warfare and understood my faithful God and Father provided protection for me. Maybe you didn't know because of ignorance of what Scripture declares, that you must learn to wage a good warfare for your eternal salvation. And you didn't even know how the battle was to be won. All you really knew is that you had a lot of conflicts and you didn't understand that your enemy was really unseen. Well, this town that the Israelites had to take was called a strong place. And can you see the picture here of Jericho as a type of place, a strong place within your own heart? In the past, we all believed that we were just fine. Thank you. And if somebody tried to talk to you of the holiness of the gospel and the joy that it would bring, you thought that they were weird. Come on, we all did. We thought people who approached us with the gospel of holiness and the joy that it would bring, we thought they were just weird. They were the strange ones. You see, people naturally shut the knowledge of God out and put up barricades or walls to prevent him from coming in. And you thought that you were just fine and there was nothing wrong with the condition of your soul let alone oppose God God Moi Me Oppose God Look with me please in Colossians 2 Colossians 2.13 And you who were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, your sensuality, your sinful carnal nature, God brought to life together with Christ, having freely forgiven us of all of our transgressions. Let's pause right here and remember that in Joshua 5.5, we began with an important significance given to the people before they entered into the promised land. And that was, let me just remind you of it, in Joshua 5.5, Though all the people who came out were circumcised, yet all the people who were born in the wilderness on the way after Israel came out of Egypt had not been circumcised. Verse 6. For the Israelites walked forty years in the wilderness, till all who were men of war came out of Egypt perished, because they did not hearken or listen to or be obedient to the voice of the Lord. And to them the Lord swore that he would not let them see the land which the Lord swore to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. Verse 7, So it was their uncircumcised children whom he raised up in their stead, whom Joshua circumcised, because the rite had not been performed on the way. And when they finished circumcising all the males of the nation, they remained in their places in the camp until they were healed. Well, Unger's Bible Dictionary tells us that circumcision was used as a symbol of purity of heart. But it was also a symbol of readiness to hear and obey God. And so in Christian circumcision today, Christians are said to be circumcised in Christ. And the circumcision is declared in the book of Colossians 2.9. To be made without hands, that is a spiritual reality and not a physical right. And physical circumcision was putting off a part of the flesh as a symbol of covenant relationship of God's people with the Holy God. And Apostle Paul is telling us in this scripture that Christian circumcision is a removal of, not a part of, but the entire body of flesh. And the body of flesh is the physical body controlled by the old fallen nature like that of Jericho, which we all possessed. Colossians, let's pick it back up. Colossians 2.9. For in him the whole fullness of deity, the Godhead, continues to dwell in bodily form, giving complete expression of the divine nature. And you are in him, made full, and having come to fullness in life, in Christ, you too are filled with the Godhead, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and reach full spiritual stature. He is the head of all rule and authority of every angelic principality and power. Verse 11. In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, but in a spiritual circumcision performed by Christ by stripping off the body of flesh, the whole corrupt carnal nature with its passions and lusts. Verse 12. And you were circumcised when you were buried with him in your baptism, in which you were also raised with him to a new life through your faith in the working of God as displayed when he raised him up from the dead. Verse 13, and you who were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, your sensuality, your sinful carnal nature, God brought to life together with Christ, having freely forgiven us all of our transgressions. 14. Having canceled and blotted out and wiped away the handwriting of the note bond with its legal decrees and demands, which was in force and stood against us, hostile to us, this note with its regulations, decrees, and demands, he set aside and cleared completely out of your way by nailing it to his cross. God disarmed the principalities and powers that were arranged against us and made a bold display and public example of them in triumphing over them in him and in it the cross. Since most of you know, since you are taught in the ways of God, that you must now admit and be truthful in your admission, our own soul was entrenched against Christ and his salvation. We really fought against him. We had the walls of our hearts set up like the walls of Jericho and shut the knowledge of Christ out. And we truly had uncircumcised hearts which were opposed to Christ. Oh, you know, some of us thought we really knew something, but we really didn't since the battles raged around us. and we could admit we really didn't have peace within our hearts. And just like the Israelites, we were in the wilderness. And when we truly accepted Christ, we learned that the battle had just begun and we must overcome in order to take our Canaan land or promised land too. This is our spiritual journey, our spiritual life and journey. And it seems our trials and conflicts are the ways by which we take our promised land. And the Lord allows these conflicts for our growth and strengthening. And we can learn much through this story of the Israelites taking over the strong city called Jericho. And we can see through this account how the Lord gave explicit instruction which the people were to follow. And if they followed the instruction to the exact command of the commander-in-chief, they would be successful in taking over the stronghold. For us today, as believers, we know not how to master Satan or our own evil hearts, any more than we know how to control the waves of the sea, or control the movement of the sun, moon, or the clouds in the sky. Our Lord must give us instruction in all things. And the real key for us here is to be aware of our need of Christ's instruction and lead as our commander-in-chief in taking us to our promised land. And our real wisdom here, precious ones, is to be aware of our ignorance. We must be aware of our ignorance. In this battle of Jericho, they were given a strange course of action in their campaign against their enemy. And if we would have the strongholds of Satan pulled down in our hearts, we must expect that God will give us many strange commands and deal with us very often in similar ways. And these ways of God are foreign to our mental reasonings. And we really set ourselves to oppose God and his ways or commands because they seem strange to us. Seems exaggerated at times or just doesn't fit with our mental reasoning. but when we look to Jesus for our strength he may answer us by making us feel our own weakness yes when we look to Christ for our strength he may in this time show us our own weakness and when we're burning with zeal and desire to become active and take our enemies by storm The Lord might just say, you sit still and be content to know my strength and I will bring you through. And you will just learn to be still as you go back to your post and wait and rest and you'll be saved. There are many reasons why God commanded the people in these what seems strange ways to take the city of Jericho. God's ways are not our ways. And we must remember God sees the beginning and the end of any and every matter concerning us. And you must remember that God holds the matters of your eternal good close to his heart. God, our Father, always is concerned about our well-being. and all future generations of believers would read this account of the miracle signs and wonders when the walls of Jericho fell down by what seemed like a series of strange course of activity and be comforted knowing and seeing our God is faithful. We learn that God's requirements are not based on our logic. But what was God's motive and lesson for this? what appears to be for us a very unusual happening. What would be God's motive? What would be the lesson for us here? By what we read in this account of Jericho and the orders given to Joshua by the commander-in-chief, we see the orders or commands were the key factors for us to pay attention to, too, as well. And first of all, we see that there was a simplicity of obedience that was required of them. Simplicity of obedience. And obedience is always first on God's list for all true and faithful Christians. And this was certainly one thing this story was intended to teach the Israelites and all future readers of this scripture from that day on. Whatever God commands in his word must not be taken lightly or treated as child's play or trivialized. We are not to sit in judgment of what God requires or debate what he commands in his word. But we are called to just obey them. We must obey them. And the second lesson for us in this account is the simplicity of faith. was also infused or implanted here. Plain, simple, unsophisticated orders were given to the people to follow. And God loves to be trusted as well as obeyed. And God delights in the confidence of his people. And when you trust in God, precious ones, you make him very happy. Simple faith is trusting in God. Look, please, in Hebrews 11.28 with me. Hebrews 11.28. By faith, simple trust and confidence in God, he instituted and carried out the Passover and the sprinkling of blood on the doorposts so that the destroyer of the firstborn, the angel, might not touch those of the children of Israel. Verse 29. Urged on by faith, the people crossed the Red Sea as though on dry land. But when the Egyptians tried to do the same thing, they were swallowed up by the sea. Verse 30 Because of faith, the walls of Jericho fell down after they'd been encompassed for seven days by the Israelites. Prompted by faith, Rahab the prostitute was not destroyed along with those who refused to believe and obey because she'd received the spies in peace without enmity. And what should I say further? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon Barak Samson Jepheth and David and Samuel and all the prophets who by the help of faith subdued kingdoms administered justice obtained the promise blessings closed the mouths of the lions, extinguished the power of raging fire, escaped the devourings of the sword. Out of frailty and weakness won strength and became stalwart, even mighty and resistlessness in battle, routing alien hosts. Although you see him not, you believe. You trust him through the reading of his word and obeying what he tells you in his word is placing your faith in him. Just as we've read of those, the accounts of those who went before us. We trust in God. We delight God. We make him very happy when we trust him. And a third point here, and most important point, is that the people were taught on the weight and magnitude of waiting on God. They were taught the importance of waiting on God. God always considers our good, not only in the things that he gives us, but in the day-to-day, hour-by-hour, and teaches us that patience is good and best for us to learn early on. It's good and it's best for us to learn early on. And the good things are not always ready for us to have in the moment that we desire them, but we must learn to wait on God for them. Just like in our story of the Israelites who had to wait for the command to get up and shout, sound the trumpet and wait for the walls to fall before they took the city. And God will certainly teach us to wait on him, precious ones. In 1 Corinthians 1, please. 1 Corinthians 1, 4. I thank my God at all times for you because of the grace, the favor, and spiritual blessing of God, which was bestowed on you in Christ Jesus, so that in him, in every aspect, you were enriched in full power and readiness of speech to speak of your faith, and complete knowledge and illumination to give you full insight to its meaning. Verse 6, in this way, our witnessing concerning Christ the Messiah was so confirmed and established and made sure in you that you are not consciously falling behind or lacking in any spiritual endowment or Christian grace, the reception of which is due to the power of divine grace operating in your souls by the Holy Spirit while you wait and watch constantly, living in hope for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and his being made visible to all. Verse 8, and he will establish you to the end, keep you steadfast, give you strength, and guarantee your vindication. He will be your warrant against all accusation or indictment so that you will be guiltless and irreproachable in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, reliable, trustworthy, and therefore ever true to his promise, and he can be depended on. By him you were called into companionship and participation with his son Jesus Christ, our Lord. I would like us as well to look at Jude 20, verses 20 through 21. 20 and 21. And this is where we're speaking about the point, an important point about learning to wait on God. Jude 20. But you, beloved, build yourselves up, founded on your most holy faith. Make progress. Rise like an edifice higher and higher, praying in the Holy Spirit. Guard and keep yourselves in the love of God. Expect and patiently wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, which will bring you into eternal life. And also, let's look at one last scripture here on this point in pertaining to waiting on God is found in Titus 2, verse 11. Titus 2, verse 11. For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. Verse 12. It teaches us to say no to the ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age. Verse 13, while we wait for the blessed hope, the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. Then these are the things you should teach, encourage and rebuke with all authority and do not let anyone despise you. Well, from this last scripture, we must understand that just as with the Israelites, after the battle at Jericho was won, they gave glory to God. And we must understand that these people did not have military weapons except their swords, a shout, trumpets, and the most important, the very presence of God. The presence of God was with them to help them win the victory. and we'll learn through all of our battles, we must give glory to God. And it was the Lord's presence and power which enabled the people to be victorious over the enemy. Titus 2 again says, verse 13, While we wait for the blessed hope, the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. And these are the things that you should teach them. While we wait for the blessed hope, there is something important for us to see today. And out of the four points of consideration which we just learned from the people taking the city of Jericho, That is simple obedience, simple faith, waiting on God, and giving glory and thanks to God for the victory. And I wish for us to do a zoom in on the third point here, which we have touched on today. And that is waiting on God. And it's very apparent that we learn as we wait. We must still be doing something with our time in the wait. As we wait, we must grow in understanding and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. We don't just take time out and do nothing. It's dangerous. But it's here, dear ones, that many people fail to take their promised land at all. An apostle Paul advised Timothy at one point in Scripture by saying, my son, study to show yourself approved by God. And if we do not know what God requires of us through the written word, we certainly cannot lead people in the way they should go, just like Joshua did when he led people into their promised land. And if we are slack or negligent in study and prayer, we really are not true already soldiers in the army of God at all. It is here. I wish to build this point for you today. If we do not intertwine ourselves in the word of God, as Jesus says, I am the vine and you are the branches. And we're grafted in. In another place in the scripture in John 15, Jesus said, if you abide in me and my word lives in you, you may ask of me what you will and you'll have it. if we do not know the word of God and the requirement of what we ask and that our requests must line up with the word of God which Jesus said in another place what you ask of me will bring glory to my father and as I said it is here where many people fail because of lack of knowledge of God's word Vain imagination sets itself up against the knowledge of God. Vain imagination. Look, please, in 2 Corinthians 10.1. 2 Corinthians 10.1 Now I myself, Paul, beseech you, by the gentleness and consideration of Christ himself, who am lowly enough, so they say, when among you, face to face, but bold, fearless, and outspoken to you when I'm absent from you. I entreat you when I do come to you, that I may not be driven to such boldness as I intend to show towards those few who suspect us of acting according to the flesh on the low level of worldly motives as if invested with only human powers. Verse 3, for though we walk, live in the flesh, we are not carrying on our warfare according to the flesh and using mere human weapons. Verse 4, for the weapons of our warfare are not physical weapons of flesh and blood, but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds. Verse 5, inasmuch as we refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty or vain imagination that sets itself up against the true knowledge of God and will lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ, the Messiah, the anointed one. Verse 6, being in readiness to punish insubordinate for his disobedience when your own submission and obedience as a church are fully secured and complete. Vain imaginations that Paul was speaking of were like the walls of Jericho that needed to be cast down. And the enemy within the walls had certainly barricaded themselves behind the walls and had set themselves up against the wisdom and the knowledge of God. And vain imaginations is described in the Greek hupsuma, which means high thing. High thing, vain imaginations. Every high thing belongs to God. But Satan and his hordes of hell, called powers of darkness, have exalted themselves up against the knowledge of Jesus Christ and against us. Please, Ephesians 2.2. I want you to see this. I want you to catch this today. I want you to grow in God's word in this subject. and be aware of the ways that the enemy works and the way you must work to apprehend your promised land. Ephesians 2.2 At one time you walked habitually. You were following the course and fashion of this world and were under the sway of the tendency of this present age, following the prince of the power of the air. You are obedient to and under the control of the demon spirit that is constantly working in the sons of disobedience, the careless, the rebellious, and the unbelieving who go on against the purposes of God. You see, this way that Paul is speaking of here is called the way of reason. And this way of thought expressed men's own way and intent of living after his own will and exalted thoughts. This expressed the way of man. And these high and lofty thoughts were based on human wisdom and knowledge. And they were lodged in the high towers of pride in our minds. And these high towers were self philosophic speculations prideful wisdom which oppose the knowledge of God truth True knowledge makes men and women humble. True knowledge will make us humble. Dear church, where self is exalted, God is not known. where self is exalted, where we exalt ourself, God is not known. He won't be there. We're commanded in Scripture to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, that is, to obey Christ. And if we do not wage a good warfare, in this word as Paul is warning, we will be led into captivity along with the world in its high tower of prideful exaltation. Jericho was our prime example here. These people were defenseless when the presence and power of God was present. And their high and lofty tower withstood not the power of the commanded shout, the trumpet blast which represented obedience and faith on the people's part. And the power and the presence of God brought down the high walls of Jericho. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Mental elevation. Mental elevation of the enemy is called pride and elevation of self. And the book of Job declares, In other words, mental elevation, which belongs to the kingdom of darkness, is stated here in these scriptures as saying, haughtiness or pride has harmed many and its end is eternal death. God was patient, we see in this scripture of Job. That was Job 24, 22 through 24, in case you want to put that in your notes and look at it later. In 2 Corinthians 10.6, Paul is warning us in 2 Corinthians 10.6. You may still be there. Being in readiness to punish every insubordinate for his disobedience when your own submission and obedience as a church are fully secured and complete. This sounds to me like a military statement here. After most have surrendered and therefore complied with their obedience, some rebels will remain. And these, Paul is saying, they will be punished. So what is our warfare and strategy here in the lesson today? 2 Corinthians 10.2. Look at that. 2 Corinthians 10.2. I entreat you when I do come that I may not be driven so to such boldness as I intended to show towards those few who suspected us of acting according to the flesh. Verse 3, for though we walk, we live in the flesh, we are not carrying on our warfare according to the flesh and using mere human weapons. Verse 4, for the weapons of our warfare are not physical weapons of flesh and blood, but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and the destruction of strongholds. Paul speaks that the enemy is whom this warfare is directed. And this is our spiritual conflict. And we're given weapons of warfare also, the promised victory to win the battle. Hallelujah. The enemy is Satan. Verse 3 says, For though we walk or live in the flesh, we are not carrying on our warfare according to the flesh and using mere human weapons. For the weapons of our warfare are not physical weapons of flesh and blood, but they are mighty before God. for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds. The kingdom of Satan is represented as fortified by numerous strongholds. Be aware that you can take capture of every vain or lofty imagination which could prevent you from taking your promised land. Be aware so that you can, Because Satan has a number of strongholds. And some of the strongholds that you need to be aware of are intellectualism. And we just talked about that earlier in this word. Another stronghold is willful ignorance. Willful ignorance. 2 Corinthians 4.4 In 2 Corinthians 4.4 For the God of this world has blinded the unbelievers' minds that they should not discern the truth, preventing them from seeing illuminating light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image and likeness of God. This blindness is willful because they neither desired to hear the truth once it came to him, and neither did they care to obey the truth once they heard it. So it's called willful ignorance. And another is called infidelity, or we could say another word for that would be disloyal and lack of belief. Infidelity. Called disloyal and lack of belief. And this is where the revealed truth is not faithfully adhered to. And by not obeying it, it is to scorn the truth and to reject it. We're really rejecting God. And this is to say that we really hate it. That's how God looks at it. If we don't obey it, he looks at it, he sees it, that we hate it. If we do not obey it, it's to scorn it and reject it. And a fourth point is superstition and idolatry. And before the walls of Jericho fell down, therein lived a people full of idolatry and superstition. And these were called the Canaanites. The Canaanites had many gods and superstitions. And so it was with us. Has been a stronghold of moral depravity in every heart. And when these fortresses are broken down in our hearts, we will find refuge within because of the captain of the host. He lives there within. and our weapons are mighty and they are not common weapons that we would use with our hands. These weapons are not our own reasonings with the use of false or vain imaginary concoctions which we dream up. Because of our obedience, our faith, our waiting on God and giving God the glory, God gives us wonderful and glorious victory to win every battle, precious ones. He equips us for the battle because the battle is his. He is graciously present with us because he's put his spirit in us. And he's given us a new heart of allegiance. And this allegiance is now given to him. We give him our allegiance. and he gives us the divine energy and therefore lets us taste the sweet victory after every battle. We're very aware that the strongholds of Satan have fallen down around us as well in this time. We're very aware of it. These are the strongholds, dear ones, that these have fallen down around us that we understand, that we see, that we know that we've won the battle. These are the strongholds of ignorance, strongholds of superstition and idolatry fall. It's made very apparent to our spirits. Our hearts notice the turning and the desire to be obedient to our Lord Jesus Christ and His Word. Our hearts notice that it's apparent to us. And these false reasonings and false philosophies and bold speculations and prideful ways begin to be brought into captivity and obedience is now preferred. You see, the ruling force of the heart is now to another king. And touching the scepter of Jesus is now the desire of your heart. Singing praises and giving thanks to God begins to be the victory song in your heart now. You see, God wants all sin vanquished from our lives. All sin. He wants his heavenly kingdom set up fully in our hearts. And you must learn to hold on to the victories that you've gained with each level and every step that you take towards your promised land. Learn to embrace those victories. And if you hold any sin close to you, close to yourself, it's hidden or willful. You must be aware that you stand in jeopardy of not claiming the land for yourself at all. The weapons of warfare given you will be ineffective. You see, Jericho was never to be built again once it came to ruin. And the word tells us that in Joshua 6.26. You don't need to turn there. And the scripture says, then Joshua laid this oath on them. Cursed is the man before the Lord who raises up and builds this city, Jericho. Cursed is the man before the Lord who rises up and builds the city Jericho. Jericho was never to be built again once it came to ruin. And you and I, too, must watch over the ruins so they will never be raised up again. We must learn to rejoice still in the ruins of those guilty walls. look forward I say to you look forward to other victories and know that if you are bought with the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ our Savior you are ordained and anointed to be more than a conqueror and that means a triumphant conqueror because he loves you and he will not let you fall when you are obedient when you implement simple faith when you learn to wait on him to fight your battles for you, and when you learn to praise him and give him the glory. Jesus said, you are my friends if you obey what I command. I say to you today, let us pull down every vain imagination that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and bring it into the subjection and the obedience of God's word. Let us never be guilty to build up a city of Jericho ever again in our hearts.