Defeated Christians
DEVOTIONS FOR GROWING CHRISTIANS
Defeated Christians
Every follower of Christ can relate to this title in some way. Whether it’s from sin, burnout, lack of faith, etc, we’ve all felt defeat in our Christian lives.
In Joshua 7-8, the entire nation of Israel experienced a significant defeat. It happened at a little city named Ai. Located near Jericho, Ai wasn’t much larger than its peculiar name. Even though it was a relatively small and insignificant place, Israel suffered a major defeat in that area.
This account in chapters 7-8 is more than just a historical record of Israel’s loss to an inferior enemy. It’s a lesson for all Christians in spiritual warfare. Can Christians today suffer setbacks from seemingly insignificant “enemies”? Yes! There are pitfalls all around us, but we can avoid defeat! We know Satan does everything he can to defeat us. (See Ephesians 6:12 and 1 Peter 5:8.) Doubts about our faith, discouragement in our ministry, depression about our circumstances, and anxiety about our future are just a few of his methods of attack. Have you ever felt attacked in these ways?
Battles like these will occur in the lives of all believers, but God has given us the necessary protection and strategies to overcome our enemies (Ephesians 6:13-18). This section of Joshua shows us why Israel suffered defeat, but also teaches how we can avoid these problems areas in our own spiritual battles.
Stealing from God
Joshua 7:1 tells us that Israel disobeyed the Lord. How? During their dramatic victory over Jericho, God had explicitly told the people not to take anything from the conquered city for themselves (6:17-19). The city’s valuables were to go directly into the treasury of the Lord. However, an Israelite named Achan thought differently. Achan stole some silver, gold, and an expensive robe and hid them under his tent (7:21). He thought his little stash wouldn't be missed, and he surely had no idea that his secret sin would have any adverse effects on others, including his own family!
God didn’t see it that way. Achan's disobedience was the primary reason for Israel’s military defeat at Ai. This is emphasized twice in the Bible, both before (7:1) and after the defeat (7:11).
Although the few items that Achan stole might seem insignificant, his sin affected all of Israel. Not only was the army routed at Ai, and 36 men were killed, but God declared that the entire nation couldn’t move forward or have the Lord's help unless the sin was judged (7:12). Keep in mind, Achan’s consequential sin started with a just mere look. Check out verse 21, and notice the snowballing effect. "...I saw ... I coveted ... I took ..."
Is it possible that you’re acting like Achan? Is the spiritual growth and progress of your church fellowship being stifled because of your sin? This is a heavy and disturbing concept, but it’s Scriptural. We’re not "islands unto ourselves.” God sees Christian fellowship as a whole. Like Achan, we may not see the far-reaching effects and consequences of our selfish sins until it’s too late.
Achan's biggest mistake was not that he robbed Jericho, or even that he robbed his own people. He robbed God. You may think to yourself, “I would never rob God!” But we can rob God by wasting time when we could be serving Him. We can steal from God by not using the abilities that He’s given us. And we can rob God by not sharing our finances and possessions with others in need.
All of our time, talent, and treasure belongs to the Lord. The idea that only a certain percentage is for the Lord, and the rest is ours to use (or abuse) in any way we choose, is never taught in the Bible. How much of our time are we spending on binging Netflix or scrolling through social media? Are we using our natural talents purely for personal glory and/or business success? Have our hobbies and "relaxation time” taken over our lives and spending habits? Joshua 7 teaches us that this form of theft is not only sinful, but it leads to spiritual defeat in our own lives and the lives of other believers.
Self Confidence
Another reason for Israel's defeat at Ai was overconfidence. The Israelites were so confident in their own military power that they figured only two or three thousand men were needed to conquer Ai (v3). Fear makes an enemy appear larger, but overconfidence makes an enemy look smaller. Both extremes are dangerous! We shouldn’t cringe in fear before Satan, but we also shouldn’t think we can take him on with our own strength. Our confidence is in the Lord. "Be strong in the Lord, and mighty in His power." (Ephesians 6:10).
Christians are particularly vulnerable to overconfidence right after a spiritual victory. In Joshua 6, Israel had just won a major victory at Jericho. They were still on a "spiritual high." How could little Ai possibly pose a threat when the mighty walls of Jericho had just been flattened? Be careful! "Little problems" like impatience or foolish talk or even inappropriate joking (Ephesians 5:4) can trip us up when we feel like we’ve conquered much larger spiritual issues in our lives.
No communication with God
A third reason for defeat at Ai was an apparent lack of communication with the Lord. According to the record, Joshua and the elders of Israel didn’t pray earnestly to the Lord until after the defeat (7:6-9)! In their overconfidence, they may not have seriously consulted the Lord on their plans. Ai didn’t seem like a big problem or a major item of concern. How often do we do the same? How often do we forget to pray until something goes wrong in our lives?
Continual communication with the Lord is essential for all Christians. So many casualties of spiritual warfare would be eliminated if we go to the Lord before the battles, not after we've experienced defeat.
God’s discipline
The leaders of Israel had to deal with the sin decisively. The fact that Achan's entire family was stoned and burned seems like a harsh judgment (7:24), but it may indicate that his family was also guilty. After all, it would be pretty hard to bury the treasure inside the family tent without the family noticing (7:21).
In any case, the lesson is clear. We must deal decisively with whatever causes defeat in our lives before it brings defeat. Do you have a problem with materialism? Then cut your Amazon prime membership and start giving away your excess stuff. Are unhealthy cell phone or internet habits causing you problems? Then delete the apps, block the internet sites, or cut the wifi all together. Make an intentional and emphatic break. That’s what Jesus meant in Matthew 18:8-9.
Just as all of Israel was reviewed before the Lord (7:13-18), so we should examine our lives in His presence. (See Psalm 139:23-24; Hebrews 4:12.) Allow God’s Word to point out the "trouble" in our lives. Acknowledge this “trouble” and confess it as sin (7:20). But don’t stop at confession. The root cause of defeat must be removed before full fellowship with the Lord can be restored (7:26).
When we return to the Lord, our defeat can be changed into victory. Israel went on to conquer Ai on their way into the Promised Land. We can do the same with our battles. That’s the amazing grace of God!
- Dave Reid
(Updated 2022, Ron Reid)