Now Jericho was strongly fortified because of the Israelites – no one leaving or entering (6: 1). Of all the fortresses Israel mounted an offensive against none is more famous than Jericho. God had warned His people that when they crossed the Jordan they would drive out nations greater and stronger than you with large cities fortified to the heavens (Deut. 9: 1). That warning prompts us to think of Jericho.
We sing songs about Jericho and every good Sunday School child can tell the story but what can we learn for today from Jericho? Among the lessons to be learned from this ancient episode is the destruction of spiritual strongholds. I have wondered on occasion if the Apostle Paul had Jericho in mind when he wrote: For although we are walking in the flesh, we do not wage war in a fleshly way, since the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments and every high-minded thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor. 10: 3 – 5). Whether Jericho was part of his thought process or not it certainly provides us with a powerful example of tearing down strongholds.
What is a spiritual stronghold? A spiritual stronghold is sinful practice protected by walls of sinful thoughts usually constructed over a period of time which often resists normal spiritual activities to conquer it. A stronghold is a perversion perpetuated by a perspective. It is ungodly living reinforced by ungodly thinking. That such strongholds exist in Christians should be clear from the fact that Paul wrote to a church about them. Strongholds may be strongholds of spiritual sin like bitterness or anger or they may be strongholds of sensual sins like adultery or pornography and too often they exist like a modern Jericho in today’s churches.
Spiritual fortresses like physical ones often seem to defy defeat. Though other sins seem to be defeated somewhat quickly and easily, strongholds seem to resist all forces brought to bear on them. An intervention of God is necessary to bring them down.
Strongholds captivate the sinning saint with sin. Like the inhabitants of Jericho people in strongholds become captive to their own sinful habits.
Strongholds isolate the sinning saint from saints. No one went in or out while Jericho was held up. People in strongholds often become distant from other believers due to the double life of those caught in the sin trap.
Strongholds perpetuate the sinning saint in sorrow. Ancient Jericho had stood for a long time and sinful strongholds are often longstanding and the source of tremendous grief in the Christian.
Strongholds frustrate the sinning saint by stubbornness. Each day the Israelites marched around the city but for six days nothing happened. Perhaps they felt silly and helpless, much like the person caught in a stronghold who has tried numerous things over a period of time but to no avail.
Strongholds motivate the sinning saint to success. Victory was just one day away for the Israelites and it is within grasp of every Christian whose weapons … are not fleshly, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. Strongholds fall when we follow the directives of the stronghold Demolisher verbatim. Do you have any Jerichos? God still collapses walls and gives victory to His people.