“TAKING POSSESSION OF THE HEAVENLY LAND”

“And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, are you for us, or for our adversaries? And he said, no; but as prince of the host of the Lord am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, what says my Lord, unto his servant? And the prince of the Lord’s host said unto Joshua, put off your shoes from off your feet; for the place on which you stand is holy. And Joshua did so”. (Joshua 5:13-15) (Keep your Bibles open here, please.)
“...having the eyes of your heart enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints”. (Eph.1:18)
I want to make it clear at the outset that it is not our purpose to deal with the correspondence between ‘the Book of Joshua’ and ‘the Letter to the Ephesians’.
We are occupied in these ‘studies’ with one ‘particular thought’, around which all this gathers, in which it centers: that is, that ‘God’s end’ is to have ‘heavenly fullness’ expressed in this ‘earth’ through and by a ‘people’.
The whole course of ‘His dealings’ through ‘the Ages’, from the time when ‘He’ established ‘the heavens’ over ‘the earth’, has been, and still is, from ‘man’s point of view’, like a ‘spiritual pilgrimage’, a moving ‘spiritually heavenward’: and that means, not to some ‘place’, necessarily, but to some ‘order of things’ according to ‘God’s mind’ - that ‘order’ to  which ‘the Lord Jesus’ referred when, speaking of ‘the will of God’, ‘He’ said, “as in heaven” (Matt.6:10); to have everything as it is in ‘heaven’. 
Toward this there is a ‘heavenly way’, a ‘heavenly course’, a ‘heavenly journey’, and we are seeking to see, amongst other things, the nature of that ‘heavenly way’.

And then we have seen, that, since so many do not know more than the very beginning of that way in ‘conversion’, ‘the Lord’ raises up ‘instrumentalities’ in whom ‘He’ does ‘His very deep work’ in relation to ‘heaven’ to ‘pioneer the heavenly way’ for others. 

Now we pursue this a little further.  

With the ‘two passages’ which we have just read, we arrive at that particular point in this matter of coming to ‘heavenly fullness’.  

‘The second half’ of ‘the Book of Joshua’, of course, is occupied with ‘the people’ coming into ‘the inheritance’, ‘the inheritance’ being divided and apportioned and possessed.

Strangely, in ‘the Letter to the Ephesians’ - which corresponds to this - it is put ‘the other way’ around.

It is spoken of as ‘God’s inheritance’ in ‘His people’, “the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints” (1:18); and I would like to say a word on that before we pass on, because it is not different, it is not something else.  

It is ‘the same thing’ viewed from ‘the other side’.  

‘The Lord’ comes into ‘His inheritance’ when, and only when, ‘His people’ really become a ‘heavenly people’.  

For ‘the Lord’ to have ‘His inheritance’, they must be where they are seen to be in ‘the Letter to the Ephesians’.   

When they really take position and possession and truly become a ‘heavenly people’, then ‘the Lord’ has got ‘His inheritance’. 

To see “the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints” means, from ‘the other side’, that we come to the place where ‘He’ can see it in us.  

‘He’ cannot see ‘His inheritance’ in ‘the saints’ until ‘He’ sees them in the place where ‘He’ would have them, until ‘He’ sees them really as ‘the people’ that answer to ‘His mind’, a ‘heavenly people’. 

I am saying this in order to clear up any possible ‘mental difficulty’ over talking about ‘the people possessing the inheritance’, and this Word about ‘the Lord possessing His inheritance’.  

Now, our point is not just ‘the Truth’ of there being an ‘inheritance in Christ’ either for ‘us’ or for ‘the Lord’; - not just ‘the Truth’, set forth in ‘the Word’, that, when we are  in ‘union with Christ’ through ‘Death’, ‘Burial’, and ‘Resurrection’, and on ‘the other side’, we come into ‘the realm of Divine fullness’. 

The point that we are underlining is the point of actually becoming a ‘heavenly people’, actually ‘taking possession’ - not doctrinally, not theoretically, not biblically, but actually.

I am quite sure that you behold ‘the Truth’, you contemplate it, you recognize that it is a ‘wonderful presentation’; I am quite sure that you, in your hearts, embrace ‘the idea’; but the trouble is that all this is known so well - it has been taught to so many, but they are not there.  

They have not actually come to that position where they are this - and what is the use or good of all our doctrine, teaching, interpretation, contemplation and all the rest, if we are not there? 

And so we have to look at the way to, shall we say, get there, so that it shall become an actuality.  

The Lordship of the Holy Spirit.

And ‘the very first thing’ after that ‘preparatory work’ of which we were speaking earlier: ‘the Jordan’, the leaving something in ‘the bed of Jordan’, our ‘old man’ crucified  and left there; after leaving him there and letting him be covered over and going away from him: after that and after ‘Gilgal’ - that is, ‘the negative side’, the putting off - now comes ‘the positive side’, the putting on, the real, the actual ‘taking possession’ or ‘entering’; the becoming ‘the thing’ that has always been in view.  

For this has always been in view, or it has been ever since coming out of ‘Egypt’.  

It was mentioned in ‘the song of Moses’. (Exodus 15)

Yes, it was pre-visioned in that ‘great prophetic song’ on ‘the deliverance side’ of ‘the Red Sea’.  

It has always been there as a ‘notion’, a ‘general conception’, but it has been remote, somewhere out there, more or less ‘vivid’, as the days have gone on: sometimes ‘strong’ and ‘clear’ and ‘positive’ and ‘gripping’; at other times ‘fading’, ‘weak’ and ‘far off’, an ‘abstract’.  

But now ‘the whole thing’ has come right up as a ‘positive present issue’, ‘preparation’ having been made.

We come to this ‘passage’ which we have just read in ‘Joshua’ (5:13-15).  

‘Joshua’, standing over against ‘Jericho’, “Lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand.” 

‘The warrior spirit’ in ‘Joshua’ evidently rose, and he went to challenge him: “are you for us, or for our adversaries?” - probably meaning that if he got a ‘Yes’ to the latter part of his interrogation it was going to be the worse for the man - for at this point he only saw a ‘man’.

But the answer revealed that ‘He’ was more than a ‘man’.

‘Joshua’ capitulated, dropped his ‘attitude of challenge’, bowed, worshipped, confessed himself ‘the servant of this One’, and asked for ‘instructions’.  

Who is this One? 

As I said before, it is ‘my conviction’ that this ‘One’, in this particular part of ‘the Bible’, represents ‘the Holy Spirit’ in ‘the New Testament’.  

That, I think, could be borne out by quite a lot of evidence, but, without arguing it from ‘the Scriptures’, let us see how it works out - if it is that - in effect.  

Notice: there are a number of changes which have taken place at this point. 

Up to this point, the course, the way, the government of the people, had been by ‘the pillar of cloud and fire’.  

Of course, everybody will accept that that is ‘the Holy Spirit’.  

That is ‘objective’, that is ‘in evidence to the senses’, that is ‘characteristic of the wilderness’.  

But when you get over into ‘the heavenlies’, it is all ‘the Holy Spirit’; but, although at this point ‘He’ was seen, ‘He’ was never seen again. 

‘He’ disappears from ‘sensual perception’, but ‘He’ is there all through what happens, very much there, ‘the unseen Prince’ of ‘the Host of the Lord’. 

That is ‘one change’.

But there are many ‘other changes’.  

No longer ‘the Manna’ - now ‘the corn of the land’; - ‘the Bread of Life’, ‘the heavenly food’, in another sense; that which belongs to another realm: ‘Christ in Resurrection’, not  ‘Christ in humiliation’, ‘the broken bread’.  

This is ‘Christ in Resurrection’, the food of a ‘heavenly people’.  

The one belonged to ‘the wilderness’; this belongs to ‘the land’.  

And so we might go on with ‘the differences’. 

You see, here, in this ‘realm’, everything is essentially  ‘heavenly’, in a ‘new sense’; in other words, it is essentially  ‘spiritual’; not ‘sentient’ (transitory), not ‘temporal’, but essentially ‘spiritual’.

Now ‘Paul’ says that ‘the Holy Spirit’ is “an earnest of our inheritance” (Eph.1:14): so that ‘the Holy Spirit’ coming here at this point is ‘the guarantee’ that this ‘purpose of God’ is going to be realized. 

‘He’, although from this point unseen, is ‘the absolute security’ of all ‘the rest’.  

We said in our ‘last lesson’ that ‘the presence of the Holy Spirit’ in anointing for ‘Divine purpose’ positively guarantees the realization of that ‘purpose’, not only making it possible, but being ‘the ground of the actuality’.  

How does it become an ‘actuality’, as more than a doctrine, a Truth, a precept - a ‘present actuality’? 

‘God’ has given us ‘the Spirit’ as an ‘earnest’: ‘the guarantee’, ‘the security’.  

‘The positive side’ begins with this first - ‘the Holy Spirit’ presented as ‘Lord’.  

You will notice that ‘the American Revised Version’ here says “as Prince”, and perhaps it is more true to ‘the original’ than ‘Captain’.    

“A Prince of the Host of the Lord”: ‘He’ is presented in  ‘Lordship’. 

‘The positive side of things’ begins there - with ‘the absolute Lordship’ of ‘the Holy Spirit’ amongst ‘the people of God’.

‘He’ is presented and recognized, and something is done in relation to it.  

It is not an ‘objective Truth’, but something that is done ‘positively’ in relation to it.  

‘Joshua’ went down in ‘absolute surrender’ and ‘capitulation’.

‘The Cross’ had led to that.  

‘The Cross’ always does lead to ‘the Lordship of the Holy Spirit’.  

So it is from ‘Jordan’ to ‘His Lordship’.  

‘The Cross’ demands that.

If ‘He’ is not in ‘His place’ as ‘Lord’, and if there is no 
capitulation’, you had better get back to ‘the Cross’ - go back and have another look through ‘the waters’ at those ‘stones’ which are supposed to represent you.  

Something has gone wrong, you are not true to ‘the fact of the Cross’, if ‘He’ is not ‘Lord’.  

But here, in ‘spiritual interpretation’, it is taken for granted that ‘the Cross’ really is an ‘established fact’. 

We shall stop here and pick it up again next week, Lord willing!

For the sake of continuity let me remind you that we started to consider “The taking possession of the Heavenly Land”.

“And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand:
And Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, are you for us, or for our adversaries? And he said, no; but as prince of the host of the Lord am I now come. And Joshua fell on  his face to the earth; and did worship, and said unto him, what says my Lord, unto his servant? And the prince of the Lord’s host said unto Joshua, put off your shoes from off your feet; for the place on which you stand is holy. And Joshua did so”. (Joshua 5:13-15)

We want to notice that a new feature is brought in at this point, namely, that of ‘the Sovereign Headship in the heavenlies and in relation to spiritual warfare’.

The “Lord’s host”, the “Captain” or “Prince”, and the “sword drawn” are very significant words.

What is significant is that ‘the Holy Spirit’ is not just abstract or unrelated power, nor is ‘He’ present in ‘His own name’.

‘He’ and ‘His energies’ are related to, and are the servants of, a Sovereignty, a Throne.

‘The Lord Jesus’ has been exalted to ‘the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens’.

All authority has been given unto ‘Him’ in heaven and on earth.

There is a mighty ‘hierarchy of evil’ occupying the heavenlies and making war in many ways against that heavenly ‘Kingdom of His Son’.

‘Paul’ describes them as “Principalities...powers...world-rulers of this darkness...spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenlies”. (Eph.6:12)

It is in relation to the destruction and ultimate casting out of this ‘system of evil powers and intelligences’ that ‘the Holy Spirit’ is here. 

‘He’ and ‘God’s Son’ are one in Godhead, and therefore in Divine Person, and ‘He’ is here as ‘Christ’ in the captaincy of ‘the Lord’s host’.

‘He’ is the mighty energy of that “all authority”, that Throne.

‘His’ it is to lead and energize ‘the people of God’ against the spiritual opponents of ‘God’s purpose’.

But now let me briefly repeat what we stated the last time  among other things: - ‘our point’ is not just ‘the Truth’ of there being an ‘inheritance in Christ’; - not just ‘the Truth’ set forth in ‘the Word’, that, when we are in ‘Union with Christ’ through Death, Burial, and Resurrection, and on the other side, we come into ‘the realm of Divine Fullness’.

‘The point’ that we are underlining is ‘the point’ of actually
becoming a ‘heavenly people’, actually ‘taking possession’, -
not doctrinally, not theoretically, not biblically, but ‘actually’.

And we are not talking about ‘unattainable ideals’.

What is the use or the good of all our doctrine, teaching, interpretation, contemplation and all the rest, if we are not
there?

And so we have to look at ‘the way’ that will get us there, so that it shall become an ‘actuality’.

This brings us then to “the Lordship of the Holy Spirit” with all its implications, in relation to ‘the Truth’ that is before us.

“As Prince of the Host of the Lord”. (verse 14)

‘He’ is presented in ‘Lordship’, and ‘the Cross’ always leads us to ‘the Lordship of the Holy Spirit’.

We now continue. -

While there are ‘the faults’ and ‘the weaknesses’ of ‘the human life’ - they come out in ‘Joshua’ - while there are
‘faults’ and ‘weaknesses’ and ‘flaws’ still in ‘our humanity’, nevertheless, so far as our ‘hearts’ and our ‘wills’ and our ‘minds’ are concerned, ‘the Cross’ has broken us and made a way for ‘the Holy Spirit’.  

That is what ‘the Cross’ means: ‘the way of the Lordship of the Spirit’ is open, and through ‘the Lordship of the Holy Spirit’ the way to ‘heavenly fullness’ is open. 

What a ‘profound difference’ there is between man-made ‘conquest’ (?) - shall we say, man-made ‘revivals’ - and ‘the work of the Holy Spirit’.  

What a difference! 

This ‘Book of Joshua’ is ‘the book of mighty differences’.  

‘The difference’ here is such that it just leads ‘man’ right 
out of it.  

He cannot reckon with this thing, he has no place in it, it is simply beyond his ‘powers of calculation’.  

‘The Lord’ has precipitated ‘His people’ into a realm where it is altogether different from ‘man’s way’ of doing things. 

When ‘the Holy Spirit’ is ‘Lord’ we do not have to organize something to get it going. 

We do not have to plan and devise and scheme, in order to get something going, to make a ‘work of God’, to bring about a ‘Revival’.  

It just goes.  

It is ‘the going of heaven’.

And it requires us in that ‘position’ - it requires this ‘absolute government of the Holy Spirit’.  

In every ‘man-made activity’ there is always ‘the earth touch’ - ‘means’ or ‘methods’ or ‘people’, or all that ‘paraphernalia’, to guarantee its ‘success’ - and ‘the thing’ goes with a ‘lot of noise’ and a ‘lot of creaking’, and it has to have a tremendous amount of ‘human support’, and at any moment it may fade out, if you do not prop it up with something more; it will collapse if you do not. 

Never is it like that in a ‘work of the Holy Spirit’.  

But that ‘earth touch’ - that is ‘the point’.  

‘The earth touch’ always means ‘death’, always means ‘arrest’. 

‘The absolutely Lordship of the Holy Spirit’ demands that ‘the earth touch’ be finished with - and that is what is  meant by ‘Joshua’ being commanded to ‘take the shoes from off his feet’.  

“What says my Lord unto His servant?” 

‘Go and conquer the land, go and take possession, go and lead the people in’? 

Not at all! 

Take your shoes off! 

You get your shoes off, ‘Joshua’, and all the rest will follow.  

Listen, you destroy ‘the earth touch’, and see what will happen.  

You will only have to walk around ‘Jericho’.  

Now that is not how ‘men’ would do it.  

Think of ‘the tremendous campaign’ that would have been organized to capture ‘Jericho’ if left to men! 

No, ‘get your shoes off’ and see what happens. 

Listen, if you question that ‘interpretation’, you only have to see what happened where he put his shoes on, or where Israel put their shoes on, a little later. 

What happened at ‘Ai’? 

What happened with ‘the Gibeonites? 

They had got their shoes on, they touched ‘earth’: the result - arrest, compromise, limitation.  

Get your shoes off and keep them off! 

‘The principle of the heavenly’ is ‘the principle of the Holy Spirit’s moving on, is ‘the principle of spiritual fullness’.  

‘Put off your shoes from off your feet; for the place whereon  you stand is ‘heavenly ground’.’

‘You’ have no standing here; ‘the earth’ has no place here, ‘the world’ has no place here, ‘men’ have no place here. 

This is ‘sacred’ and ‘sanctified’ to ‘heaven’.  

From this point ‘heaven’ takes over. 

Yes, even from ‘the great instrument’ raised up to serve ‘the Lord’, ‘heaven’ has taken over.  

‘Sovereignty in choice’ of an ‘instrument’ never means that ‘Sovereignty’ gives place to ‘human strength’.  

It never condones ‘wrong’ in ‘the instrument’.  

That works out even with ‘Joshua’ and ‘Israel’, for ‘Joshua’, as we said earlier, is representative of all ‘the saints’ and all ‘the servants of the Lord’.  

The Holy Spirit committed to God’s Purpose. 

Notice, ‘the answer’ that came to ‘Joshua’s enquiry’ - “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” (verse 13)

Which? - For us? - For them? - For this? - for that?

‘No; I am not for this or for that, - I am not for you or for them: - I am for “the Lord’s Purpose”.’

That is ‘the real content’ of ‘the answer’.

‘I am not for people, whoever they are: I am for “the Lord’s Purpose”.

I am not for this work or that work that you are trying to do for ‘the Lord’.

I am for “the Lord’s Purpose”, I am committed to “the Purpose of God” - “the Eternal Purpose”.’

“No; but...”  (verse 14)

Oh, if only we could get ‘the force’ of that in everything! 
We are wanting ‘the Holy Spirit’ to sponsor our movements, our work, our ministry.  

We are asking ‘the Holy Spirit’ if ‘He’ is “for us”.  

‘He’ would never say ‘He’ is.  

Notice: there is a sense in which ‘the Lord’ is for ‘His people’.    

“If God be for us...” (Rom.8:31)

But there is ‘another sense’ in which ‘the Lord’ says, ‘I am not for you but for ‘My purpose’ in you and through you; not for you, as you, in behalf of ‘Israel’, or ‘Joshua’ ‘the sovereignly chosen’ and ‘anointed’; I am not for you, I am committed to ‘the purpose of God’.’  

Our point is that we must identify ‘the ground’ and ‘object’ of ‘the Holy Spirit’s committal’. 

We must know what ‘the Holy Spirit’ is committed to.

There is so much ‘planning’ and ‘arranging’ for ‘the Lord’, and so much ‘failure’ on the part of ‘the Lord’ to come and take it up and fulfill it.   

How much there is today in ‘the world’ that is being arranged, planned and programed for ‘the Lord’.  

It does not seem to go.  

‘The Lord’ does not seem to be committing ‘Himself’ to it. 

And that is just ‘the point’.   

We must identify ‘the object’ of ‘the Holy Spirit’.  

‘The object’ of ‘the Holy Spirit’ is not to do something and make something on ‘the earth’, not to set up something upon, and linked with, this ‘earth’ which has “shoes” on it. 

To establish something here is not ‘His object’ at all. 

‘The Holy Spirit’ is committed to something that is absolutely ‘heavenly’, and ‘His whole object’ is to detach everything, in a ‘spiritual’ and ‘inward way’, from this ‘world’.  

That must be shown more fully, perhaps, in a while, but note that it is most important to know what it is that ‘God’ will commit ‘Himself’ to.  

‘He’ will not commit ‘Himself’ to anything that is attached to this ‘earth’.  
‘He’ will only commit ‘Himself’ to that which is attached to ‘heaven’.  

The Holy Spirit with a drawn Sword.

And so, that being established, ‘the next thing’ follows, - again, an ‘extra-ordinary thing’.  

Now, it could be that you are not going to like this.  

This ‘One’, as ‘Prince of the Host of the Lord’, is standing with ‘His sword drawn in His hand’.  

Notice: immediately ‘the Holy Spirit’ takes charge and there  is ‘complete capitulation’ to ‘Him’, - but then what? 

‘The battle’ is on! 

Let us make no ‘mistake’ about it. 

Whatever you think about being ‘baptized in the Holy Spirit’, and all that that may ‘imply’ - whatever else it is going to mean, it means ‘immediate’ and ‘unceasing conflict’.  

It may mean ‘other things’, but it certainly means that - a ‘warfare’ from which there is no ‘discharge’, an ‘army’ from which there is no ‘retirement’.  

Here you will never be pensioned off.  

You are in it to ‘the end’. 

Let us stop here for tonight and continue from this point next Sunday, Lord willing!

Our present segment of “Pioneering the Heavenly Way” deals with ‘Taking possession of the Heavenly Land’.                                                                                                                                

So far we have considered ‘The Lordship of the Holy Spirit’; and ‘The Holy Spirit committed to God’s Purpose’.

Before we concluded last week, we introduced ‘The Holy Spirit with a drawn Sword’.

As ‘Prince of the Host of the Lord’, ‘the Holy Spirit’ is standing with ‘His sword drawn in His hand’.

Notice: immediately ‘the Holy Spirit’ takes charge and there is complete capitulation’ to ‘Him’, - but then what?

‘The battle’ is on! 

Whatever you think about being ‘baptized in the Holy Spirit’, and all that that may ‘imply’ - whatever else it is going to mean, it means ‘immediate’ and ‘unceasing conflict’.

Let me ask you, was it not like that with ‘the Lord Jesus’? 

It begins there - ‘Jordan’, ‘the opened heaven’, ‘the Holy Spirit’, ‘the wilderness’, ‘the devil’.  

‘Immediately’ - “Then was Jesus led up” (‘Mark’ says driven, or impelled) “of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil”. (Matt.4:1) 

No sooner had ‘the heavens’ been cleft for ‘the advent of the Holy Spirit’, on that day called ‘Pentecost’, then ‘the war’ was on.  

‘The church’ was precipitated into it, and has never been out of it since.  
If it has, it has been to its own ‘spiritual loss’.  

Somehow this ‘Lordship of the Holy Spirit’ immediately issues in that.  

‘The sword’ is in hand, and it will never be sheathed until the day’s task is done.  

Yes, but that is ‘language’. 

‘The Holy Spirit’ is not very interested in ‘carnal’ and ‘physical warfare’.  

‘The warfare’, ‘the conflict’, will be after ‘His own kind’.  

It will be ‘spiritual’, it will be after ‘the Spirit’ - because ‘spiritual forces’ are in possession; and therefore it is ‘spiritual warfare’ that is going to dispossess.  

That is one reason why it is so actually and truly a ‘battle’.  

‘The point’ hardly needs labouring.  

We know that there is not one step, one foot, of ‘spiritual attainment’ that is not contested; not one movement or even gesture in the direction of ‘spiritual increase’ but what there is ‘conflict’.  

Listen, it is true! 

It is ‘spiritual warfare’, and the nature of it is altogether beyond our power to comprehend.

We think it will come one way - it comes another.  

It never comes where we expect and in ‘the forms’ which we think we would ‘recognize’.  

The fact is that we rarely recognize ‘the enemy’ in ‘his assaults’.  

They seem to be so covered in either ‘accident’ or ‘mishap’, or something ‘going wrong’ - but you have only got to judge of the effect in relation to ‘spiritual life’, and you know there is something more of ‘design’ and ‘intelligence’ in it than mere ‘circumstances of life’. 

It is ‘spiritual warfare’.  

‘The Holy Spirit’ has precipitated this.  

Please do understand that; for it explains so much.  

How constantly ‘the enemy’ works by ‘the blind spot’! 

It would seem that by far ‘the greater proportion’ of ‘his success’ today is by ‘blind spots’ amongst ‘the Lord’s people’.

‘Prejudice’ is called ‘caution’, ‘suspicion’ is being ‘watchful’ - ‘good names’ for ‘bad things’.  

‘The enemy’ is a past master at that.  

Our ‘prejudice’ may be our ‘blind spot’ which ‘the enemy’ has created.  

He has found the possibility of creating that, and it is standing right in the way of our own ‘spiritual’ and ‘heavenly fullness’.  

‘The Lord’s people’ are caught in that ‘snare’ today, ‘the world over’.  

Enlargement and increase ‘spiritually’, in a ‘heavenly way’, is being withstood and frustrated by ‘the prejudices’ and ‘suspicions’ of ‘God’s people’.  

“An enemy has done this”.  

Why is that in ‘the Letter to the Ephesians’, with all ‘the heavenly fullness’ presented and in view, and ‘the spiritual conflict’ in relation to it shown, ‘the Apostle’ prays that “the eyes of their hearts may be enlightened” to see? 

Why is that necessary? 

Because of this ‘blinding work’ and these ‘blind spots’; because all can be lost by a ‘prejudice’, a ‘closed mind’, some ‘suspicion’, some ‘false fear’, instead of trusting ‘the Holy Spirit’ and knowing ‘the anointing within’ which will ‘teach you concerning all things’ (1.John 2:27), and show you what is right and what is wrong; what is of ‘the Lord’ and what is not.

You feel you must fortify ‘yourself’ in case, and you may be fortifying ‘yourself’ against ‘the Holy Spirit’.

That is ‘the realm of the conflict’.

‘Spiritually’ it is like that.

It is very ‘sinister’ and ‘subtle’. 

But there is ‘another aspect’ to this ‘spiritual conflict’.

Why does ‘the Holy Spirit’ bring this about? 

Why does ‘the Holy Spirit’ precipitate it? 

We would think that it would come from ‘the enemy’ quite naturally, but why does ‘the Holy Spirit’ start it up, or make ‘Himself’ the occasion of it, every time? 

We have seen it in the case of ‘the Lord Jesus’.  

Deliberately - for it is a definite and positive and precise statement: “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil”. (Matt.4:1) - ‘the Holy Spirit’ takes the matter in hand to precipitate it, to bring it about. 

‘He’ did it with ‘the church’ - deliberately, knowing what ‘He’ was doing.  

The effect of it is as though ‘the Holy Spirit’ said, ‘Now I am going to lead them into battle forthwith, straightway. -  Why? 

Well, for one thing, because this is a ‘spiritual matter’, a ‘spiritual inheritance’, because there are ‘spiritual forces’ in possession and they have to be ousted; but also because we only grow ‘spiritually’ by ‘conflict’.  

‘The Lord’ is interested in us. 

It is perhaps rather difficult for us, if ‘the servant of the Lord’ stands before us and says, “You are having a bad time because ‘the Lord’ is interested in you; ‘the devil’ is being allowed a lot of leash to assail you because ‘the Lord’ has ‘His highest interests’ in your well-being” -
it is perhaps difficult for us to accept such a ‘statement’.

The next time ‘the enemy’ comes and begins to do ‘his terrible work’, you will be the last to say, ‘Oh, how ‘the Lord’ loves me’!

We do not do that.

But is it not a fact, is it not true to experience, true to history, and therefore true to principle, that we never make any progress ‘spiritually’, never increase at all, never grow at all, never go on at all, except by ‘conflict’.

It is true.

The only way we grow is by having something to ‘overcome’, where our ‘spiritual life’ has somehow to get on top of something.

It is a law ‘in nature’ and ‘in Grace’.  

There is no ‘progress’ without ‘contest’.  

Would to ‘God’ that we should be able to look at it like that every time! 

We believe it may be true as fact - but save us from being involved in that ‘Truth’! 

That will not do.  

‘The Lord’ is concerned with ‘His people’ coming actually  into ‘possession’; not ‘theoretically’, not ‘doctrinally’, not on the ground of ‘Bible-reading’, but actually into ‘possession’; and when we really come under ‘the Mastery of the Holy Spirit’, then we are in the way of ‘the actuality’, and ‘the Lord’ believes in it being ‘actual’ and ‘very practical’. 

‘Jericho’ is representative: ‘the great example’ of how it will always be ‘in principle’.  

We have ‘first of all’ to have a ‘heavenly position’, as we have said, not an ‘earthly position’, not ‘man’s way’ of doing things. 

This is the outworking of that ‘principle’ which we saw ‘first of all’ with ‘Abraham’, where man tried to act and made an awful mess, because he touched ‘earth’; and again with ‘Moses’, where he took things into his own hands, and assailed ‘the Egyptian’ and ‘the Hebrew’, and made an awful mess.

Here is the outworking of ‘the discipline’, and ‘Joshua’ takes up all that ‘spiritual history’, and at ‘Jericho’ we find there are no ‘carnal weapons’ - no ‘human reason’ here, nothing left to ‘man’ here.  

If this is not ‘heavenly’, it is nothing. 

Things do not happen like this on ‘the earth’.  

We can walk around, not only ‘seven days’, but all our lives, and nothing will happen unless we are in a ‘heavenly position’, unless ‘heaven’ is coming in.  

‘Jericho’ is man set aside, altogether excluded.  

It is ‘heavenly’. 

Well, that is ‘the basis’.  

And then immediately afterward we find this - that, if ‘the enemy’ cannot succeed by ‘open resistance’, he will try more ‘subtle tactics’.  
Listen, he cannot succeed by ‘open resistance’ if you and I are in our ‘heavenly position’ and keep it, for that is what ‘Jericho’ means.  

They not only took it on ‘the first day’ but they held it and kept it and ratified it, and ‘seven times’ on ‘the last day’ they confirmed it, holding their ‘heavenly position’; they did not give it up.  

We do not always get through with ‘the first’ or ‘second day’. 

There has to be a holding to that ‘position in Faith’, and ‘the enemy’ is completely impaired when that ‘position’ is really held like that.  

When he is impaired along that line, he must somehow turn it to ‘defeat’, if he possibly can, and so he will work subtly.

Is that not the word about ‘the Gibeonites’? (Josh.9:3-15) 

They worked subtly to make an ‘earth-touch’ somewhere.  

It was the same with ‘Achan’ and ‘Ai’, (Josh.7:20-25), ‘the Babylonish garment’ and ‘the wedge of Gold’ - an ‘earth-touch’. 

‘The Gibeonites’ and ‘the covenant’ made with them constituted another ‘earth-touch’.  

We must not think that that is always going to be just open, clear, straightforward ‘spiritual warfare’.  

There is that ‘aspect’ where we must see where ‘the earth- touch’ is being maneuvered by ‘the enemy’ - where there is the introduction of something that will make a contact with that which is ‘cursed’, and with which ‘God’ cannot go on.  

How is that done? 

You know, of course, that ‘Gilgal’ was the place from which they moved out - ‘Gilgal’, the place of the rolling away, the place of ‘the flesh’ set aside.  

But they did not go back to ‘Gilgal’ after ‘Jericho’.  

They went straight on to ‘Ai’: whereas it was the custom always to go back to ‘Gilgal’ after any advance or conquest - back to ‘Gilgal’ and out again from ‘Gilgal’.  

Notice: this time they did not go back to ‘Gilgal’. 

They went on; and they met with defeat.  

Oh, listen, let us keep near ‘the Cross’, and never assume that because ‘the Lord’ has blessed and prospered and given ‘success’ we can just go on.  

Never for a moment must we get away from ‘the Cross’.

‘The Cross’ is not something that lies back there, to be left.

It is something to be with us all ‘the time’.  

It is our ‘safety’.  

This is ‘the heavenly way’, the whole nature of ‘the heavenly way’, ‘the way to God’s end’.  

‘The Lord’ keep us in it!