When God gave the Israelites the promised land, the land of Canaan after their deliverance from slavery, one of the stipulations for inheriting the land was that they must go throughout and conquer the indigenous inhabitants. Jehovah proclaimed to them, “I will set your border from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the Euphrates, for I will give the inhabitants of the land into your hand,” and then He commanded them, “you shall drive them out before you.” (Ex 23:31)

In another instance God said, “In the cities of these peoples that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that breathes, but you shall devote them to complete destruction, the Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites and the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, as the LORD your God has commanded.” (Deut 20:16-17 )

The question naturally comes: Why did God want the inhabitants of Canaan to be driven out? Why not just cohabit together with a treaty of peace and live in harmony with one another? The answer is found in the words of God. Jehovah continued, “They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against me; for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.” (Ex 23:33)

Jehovah knew the fate of His chosen people if they were to cohabit with the idolatrous people of the land. He later warns them, “But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then those of them whom you let remain shall be as barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall trouble you in the land where you dwell.” (Num 33:55 ) And of course as we know, they failed to drive out the idolatrous inhabitants of Canaan, and God's prediction was spot on. The Psalmist records to us, “ 34 They did not destroy the peoples, as the LORD commanded them, 35 but they mixed with the nations and learned to do as they did. 36 They served their idols, which became a snare to them.” (Psa 106:34-36 )

What can we learn from their mistake? Is this a good lesson to warn us against keeping corrupt company and holding on to friendships that weaken our faith? Possibly. Perhaps, this is a lesson to warn us about the sincere care for our wellbeing seen in God's commands. Very likely. But, I want us to focus on a slightly more personal lesson.

Place yourself, for a moment, in the story of the Israelites: (1a) The Israelites were delivered from slavery by Moses. (1b) Humanity has been delivered from the slave of sin by Jesus Christ. (2a) The Israelites were given into the care and under the authority of Moses in their “baptism” – the crossing of the Red Sea. (1 Cor 10:2 ) (2b) Christians are put into the care and under the authority of Christ through Christian Baptism. (Gal 3:27 ) (3a) The Israelites crossed over into their new promised land to inhabit it and to become a nation for God. ( Ex 19:5-6) (3b) Christians have been placed into a new life where we can live in righteousness and become a nation for God. (1 Peter 2:9-10 )

Just like the Israelites, we as Christians must drive out the indigenous inhabitants of our lives. We must, as Paul says, “Fight the good fight of faith.” (1 Tim 6:12 ) The Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and the Jebusites are for us the different lusts and sins we find in our lives. You must war against these inhabitants or you too will soon find them as “ barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides.” Paul explains to us that “if you live according to the flesh you will die.” They will conquer you and destroy your spirituality and relationship with God. “But,” he adds, “if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” (Rom 8:12-13 )

Sin may seem to be all too powerful for us. Like the Israelites compared to the inhabitants of Canaan, our lusts and sins are giants compared to us. However, like the Israelites, we have God on our side to make us conquerors. “We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” (Rom 8:37 ) But also like the Israelites, we must put forth the effort and fight!

Will you fight the good fight of faith? Will you drive out the wrong found in your life? Or, will you attempt to cohabit with your sin? The choice is yours!