Leave No Survivors

The LORD also gave that city and its king into Israel’s hand. The city and everyone in it Joshua put to the sword. He left no survivors there. And he did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho. (Joshua 10:30—NIV)

Moreover, the LORD your God will send the hornet among them until even the survivors who hide from you have perished. Do not be terrified by them, for the LORD your God, who is among you, is a great and awesome God. The LORD your God will drive out those nations before you, little by little. You will not be allowed to eliminate them all at once, or the wild animals will multiply around you. But the LORD your God will deliver them over to you, throwing them into great confusion until they are destroyed. He will give their kings into your hand, and you will wipe out their names from under heaven. No one will be able to stand up against you; you will destroy them. (Deuteronomy 7:20-24—NIV)

These words were not written only for the sake of Israel of that day. They are addressed to us upon whom the end of the age has come.

God wants no compromise with the enemy. The nation of Israel is a pathetic example of the unwillingness to follow God in the complete destruction of the enemy. They allowed people to remain in Canaan whom the Lord had appointed to destruction.

What God said would happen did in fact take place. It was not long before the Israelites were worshiping the filthy gods of Canaan, to their own destruction.

So it is today. The Christian churches either through ignorance or disobedience have not pursued the total destruction of the enemy. The churches have elected to escape to Heaven rather than to destroy sin.

The Son of God was revealed for the purpose of destroying the devil. This He is ready to do whenever we decide to obey God.

We cannot eliminate the sins of our personality in one blow. We are to drive them out little by little. The point is, we do not cease warring through the Spirit until we gain complete victory.

Be ruthless as Christ drives the enemy from you. Take His part, not your own part. Christ is not indifferent toward wickedness. He loves righteousness and hates iniquity. This is why God has anointed Him with the oil of gladness.

Learn to love righteousness and hate wickedness. Then God will anoint you with the oil of gladness.

Leave no survivors!

So Joshua subdued the whole region, including the hill country, the Negev, the western foothills and the mountain slopes, together with all their kings. He left no survivors. He totally destroyed all who breathed, just as the LORD, the God of Israel, had commanded. (Joshua 10:40—NIV)

God will help us no matter how strong the enemy is.

Moreover, the LORD your God will send the hornet among them until even the survivors who hide from you have perished. (Deuteronomy 7:20—NIV)

If you really desire total deliverance from the world, the lusts of the flesh, and self-will, tell the Lord about it. He will "send the hornet" after you and cause the enemy to be revealed. Then through the Spirit of God you can put it to death.

Do not be terrified by them, for the LORD your God, who is among you, is a great and awesome God. (Deuteronomy 7:21—NIV)

Do not be afraid. Satan and his demons cannot possible harm you when you are walking in the Spirit. Christ has given you all authority over the enemy. The angel of the Lord is encamped around you to deliver and protect you.

The LORD your God will drive out those nations before you, little by little. You will not be allowed to eliminate them all at once, or the wild animals will multiply around you. (Deuteronomy 7:22—NIV)

Do not expect instant deliverance from all the sin that is troubling you. If God should remove all the darkness from you at once you would collapse. The house of your personality would be cleaned out and decorated but there would be nobody home. The demons would reenter you.

We have found that God's people get delivered but sometimes are not able to hold their deliverance. This is because they are not taking up their cross and following Jesus. They are not doing what Christ has commanded. They are not living a solid, wholesome Christian life. This is why their release is not permanent.

The proper route to deliverance is to obtain one small release and then follow Christ until He fills the area that has been conquered. Then on to another release and another growth in Christ. And so on and on until all the enemy has been put to death and Christ has filled your personality.

Of course, you cannot conduct this process. It is the task of the Holy Spirit to lead you from grace to grace, from faith to faith, from victory to victory, from glory to glory.

The point is, you are never to settle for partial victory. You are to keep on with the battle until there is total release.

Pay no attention to those around you who would tell you total victory is not possible, that no one is perfect, that while we are in the world we have to sin. It was this attitude that prevented Israel from the total victory that could have been theirs had they trusted God instead of their own fears and opinions of what God could or could not do.

God said to put them all to death. Do it and God will be with you.

But the LORD your God will deliver them over to you, throwing them into great confusion until they are destroyed. (Deuteronomy 7:23—NIV)

Will you believe God and obey Him or will you be like faithless Israel?

Maybe the next generation, maybe the one after that. But some day God will have people who believe Him totally. They will return with the Lord Jesus Christ and drive sin from the creation.

He will give their kings into your hand, and you will wipe out their names from under heaven. No one will be able to stand up against you; you will destroy them. (Deuteronomy 7:24—NIV)

The sons of God will march, with Christ at the head, until sin is driven from the creation. There will be no rebellious angel remaining in the heavens or on the earth. There will be no demons left on the earth. There will be no human being who is permitted to manifest worldliness, lust, or self-will.

All sin will be driven from the habitable creation. All sin!

God will make an end of sin. God will bring in everlasting righteousness.

There is to be no compromise. None whatever! No mercy will be shown the enemy. None whatever!

All sin will be confined with Satan, his angels, his demons, and people who refuse to permit Jesus Christ to deliver them. All shall be imprisoned in the Lake of Fire. No sin will be allowed to pollute the new Jerusalem. No sin will be permitted to continue on the earth. God's kings and priests will make sure of that.

Because there will be no sin there will be no death, no pain, no sickness, no sorrow, no dread, no fear, no terror in the night, no wars, no tears. Nothing that defiles will enter the Kingdom. The Holy Spirit will fill the earth as the waters cover the sea. Nothing but love, joy, and peace for the eternity of eternities.

The sons of God will inherit everything of worth and will stand guard over their possession forever. There never again will be an unwalled paradise.

God will dwell with His sons. They will see His Face. All will be holy.

This is a true picture of the future. Remember, all depends on our willingness to deal ruthlessly with the sin in our own personality. Everyone who will do this contributes to the purifying of the creation and the return of Paradise to the earth. Everyone who refuses to deal ruthlessly with the sin in his personality, preferring to compromise and live in a gray area, remains part of the problem and will be dealt with in time.

Where are you on this tapestry?

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