Not a man remained in Ai or Bethel who did not go after Israel. They left the city open and went in pursuit of Israel. – Joshua 8:17 (NIV)
More and more lately, as the Lord speaks to me, He keeps on reminding me about the FIGHT. He cautions me not to forget who I am and whose I am. He admonishes me to be on guard. Today, I was reminded of this once again when I re-read this journal entry from 2 years ago. I pray it is a blessing to you, as you stay positioned in the The Fight.
On Friday morning, I read Joshua 8 as my devotional and, one verse in particular stood out to me – verse 17. It pointed out that all the men of Ai left the city open and pursued after Israel. As I read the full account , two thoughts penetrated my mind: LEFT WIDE OPEN and DON’T LET YOUR GUARD DOWN!
As I pondered on both thoughts, I heard that we must constantly be reminded that we are in a war. Although we often forget this fact, our adversary does not. As such, he is always strategizing against us. One such strategy is SETTING AN AMBUSH against our city; against our dwelling space. An ambush is a surprise attack on someone from a concealed position. Let’s read the account to see how this was executed:
Joshua 8: 4- 7 (NIV) –“Listen carefully. You are to set an ambush behind the city. Don’t go very far from it. All of you be on the alert. 5 I and all those with me will advance on the city, and when the men come out against us, as they did before, we will flee from them. 6 They will pursue us until we have lured them away from the city, for they will say, ‘They are running away from us as they did before.’ So when we flee from them, 7 you are to rise up from ambush and take the city. 13 So the soldiers took up their positions—with the main camp to the north of the city and the ambush to the west of it. That night Joshua went into the valley. 14 When the king of Ai saw this, he and all the men of the city hurried out early in the morning to meet Israel in battle at a certain place overlooking the Arabah. But he did not know that an ambush had been set against him behind the city.
STEPS OUR ADVERSARY TAKES IN AN AMBUSH AGAINST US:
1. He sends something that would lure (draw) us away from our “city”: our place of security, protection, or refuge. Something that seems like an attack but it’s just a distraction.
2. He gives us a false sense of security or victory.
3. He gets our attention fixed on the pursuit.
4. He causes us to be in a hurry to achieve, to rush out without first doing the proper reconnaissance, not realizing that an ambush has been set.
Scripture teaches us that we are to be on guard. 1 Peter 5:8 (NKJV) states, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” One of the things that ensures that we are not left open or vulnerable is prayer.
When life’s cares, joys, pains, schedules, etc. come in the way of my prayer life, I am as that city, left wide open.
When I stop being vigilant in prayer, stop being cautious in my daily interactions, and become relaxed spiritually, I am left wide open.
Prayerlessness makes me vulnerable to the enemy.
Prayerlessness weakens and eventually removes my cover/protection and exposes me to the deception of the enemy.
Prayerlessness is evidence that I have let down my guard.
Friends, if you and those who are a part of your space are going to remain protected, you need to guard against leaving your “city” wide open. Do not be ignorant of the devices of the adversary. Remember who you are. You have been called to and anointed to fight. You are `ezer – an agent of the kingdom heaven empowered as a military ally to fight on behalf of the citizens of this kingdom. Remember, even when it seems as if nothing is happening, the fight is still on. DON’T LET YOUR GUARD DOWN and DON’T BE FOUND WIDE OPEN!