Joshua 6:1 Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in. 2: And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour. 3: And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days. 4: And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams' horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets. 5: And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him.

Hebrews 11:30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.

Introduction

As we enter a brand-new year, I want to take you to one of the great victories recorded in the Scriptures—the conquest of the city of Jericho. My purpose in doing so is to show us as children of God, we can be victorious in this  Year 2025. We can live without fear in the New Year before us. Too many Christians live a defeated life. But that is not God’s plan for us. God wants us to live a victorious Christian life. But to live in victory we need to exercise faith and follow God’s plan for us. As the song goes …

Faith is the victory!

Faith is the victory!

O glorious victory,

That overcomes the world.

-John H. Yates

So, today, I want you to look with me how Isarel under the leadership of Joshua secured victory over Jericho. Here in Joshua chapter 6, we are told about the Israelites conquering the city of Jericho after coming in to possess the land of Canaan. 

It is important for the Israelites to conquer Jericho, because the city of Jericho stood at the entrance of the valley of Jordan that ran into the interior of the Promised Land, and it was blocking their path. The city of Jericho was the key to the conquest of the Land.

This morning, I want us to see how Joshua and the Israelites took down Jericho and its walls. Consider with me the Promise of Victory, the Plan for Victory, and the Principles of Victory.

I – The Promise of Victory

Joshua 6:1 Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in.

This chapter starts with these words, “Now Jericho.” God is aware there is a Jericho blocking their path and it’s heavily protected and defended with double wall. And so, what does God do? He gives Joshua, their leader a promise in verse 2, “And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour.” Here is a promise of victory. Notice the LORD does not say, “I will give Jericho into thine hand” but “I have given into thine hand Jericho” and not only the city, but “the king thereof” and “the mighty men of valour.”

The Lord’s promise to His people is a word of victory already accomplished. The battle had not taken place yet. It had not been experienced by the children of Israel yet, the Lord says, “I have given into thine hand Jericho…” This is what God said to Joshua before He gave him the plan. God speaks of Jericho as having already been defeated. That’s an important point. As far as God is concerned, it’s done. The walls of Jericho are coming down. It’s just a matter of time. Now that should not surprise anyone who believes in God. He can do things like that. He speaks and it is done. In a real sense, the battle was over before it was started. God promised to deliver the city, and in due course He made good on His promise.

Oh, how important to realize that we have a promised victory. Victory is ours. You and I don’t have to live a defeated life. The apostle Paul reminds us in Romans 8:37, “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”

It does not say, we will be more than conquerors, it says, we are more than conquerors. Now, right now. This is a present reality. In the midst of all kinds of conflict and struggle and even with the sense of lost, if you are in Christ, you are more than conquerors. 

“We win!” We are more than conquerors. And that theme is constantly proclaimed throughout the Bible. God has repeatedly declared victory over the life of every believer:

Moses said in …

Deuteronomy 20:44 For the LORD your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.

For the Lord your God is He who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you victory.

Notice what Jesus said in …

John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

The Apostle John in …

1 John 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

What wonderful truth from the Scripture! Christ defeated the enemy of our soul on the Cross and gave us the victory even before our battle began. We don’t have to be controlled and governed by our flesh, lust, carnal desires, fear, anger, worry, doubt, unbelief or any sinful desires. There can be victory because there is victory in Christ Jesus.

II – The Plan for Victory

Joshua 6:3-5 

There are things in this plan that are really unbelievable. What’s the plan? Keep in mind this is God’s plan not Joshua’s. What were they instructed to do?

Joshua 6:3 And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days.

Joshua and his army are to march around the city once. They are to do this for six days. That’s all they are to do, march around the city for six days. Also, while marching around the city, they are to be silent, they are not to talk.

Then, what?

Joshua 6:4 And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams' horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets.

On the seventh day, they are to circle the city seven times. Then what?

Joshua 6:5 … when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout …

Shout! What is going to happen when we shout?

Joshua 6:5 … the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him.

The wall of the city is going to fall down flat.

This is God’s plan to conquer a heavily fortified city of Jericho. I know this plan doesn’t make sense. How can simply marching around a city and a shout bring down two thick walls of Jericho? Well, God’s solutions many times do not make sense to human minds. God’s solutions are usually different than the ones we think of. The story of the destruction of Jericho truly illustrates this point. No man would come up with such a solution. Isn’t that just like salvation?

1 Corinthians 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. 19: For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. 20: Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21: For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. 22: For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: 23: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; 24: But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. 25: Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 

God’s plans and solutions are different from ours. Why? 

1 Corinthians 1:29 That no flesh should glory in his presence. 30: But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: 31: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

This is the point of the Jericho’s story. It was God who caused the walls to fall down. It was God who did it. Because it was God who did it, no one gets the glory but God!

III – The Principles of Victory

The promise and the plan are made but there are principles that are part of our responsibility to accomplish and to realize that promise. There are several principles that we are going to go over very quickly. The only way to conquer Jericho is God’s way. That’s why Hebrews 11:30 says, “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.” Faith is God’s way and what does faith involve?

1. Obedience

The first principle in overcoming the obstacles, the Jerichos in our lives and realizing the promise of God, is obedience to God’s instructions.

Joshua 6:3 And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days. 4: And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams' horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets. 5: And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him.

The Lord lays down very clear procedure and methodology as to how His instructions are to be carried out. The instruction does not make sense. In man’s way of reasoning, it doesn’t make sense. But God’s way differs.

Faith and obedience are inseparable, just as unbelief and disobedience go together. Genuine faith always obeys God. In this story, we see Joshua and the children of Israel obeyed God’s instruction. We don’t have any record of them complaining. They obeyed and the walls came tumbling down.

God has given us His Word, and His Word is not just to be read and to be studied and to be memorized but also to be obeyed. Obey God’s Word and the Jerichos in your life will come tumbling down. So, if we are to overcome the Jerichos in our lives, we must know and obey God’s instructions.

2. Dependence

Another principle in living victoriously and overcoming the obstacles and the Jerichos in our lives is reliance or dependence on God’s wisdom. King Solomon reminds us in Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6: In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. 7: Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. 8: It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.

That’s exactly the message of the walls of Jericho. They are to rely not on man’s wisdom nor on their own wisdom but completely rely on God’s wisdom and ways. God’s way may not make sense and it may look foolish to those inside Jericho, but it was God’s way and the Lord guaranteed that it would work.

The apostle Paul also reminds us in 1 Corinthians 1:26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 27: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28: And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 

God’s way always looks foolish in the eyes of the unbelieving world. And when you follow God in obedient faith, there’s going to be a lot of people who are going to think you are foolish, weird, and strange. Bible Study? Prayer Meeting? Church, every Sunday? Sunday School? PM Service? Tithes and Offering? How much do you give to the church again? Husbands love your wives as a Christ love the church? Wives submit to your own husbands? Children honor and obey your parents?

Lost people may think we are weird, strange, peculiar, and foolish. But if we are to live victoriously and overcome the Jerichos in our lives, we must rely and depend on God’s wisdom.

3. Patience

Another principle in overcoming the obstacles, the Jericho’s in our lives and realizing the promise of God, is patience. There must be waiting upon God. And that’s what Joshua and children of Israel did. On day one, they march around Jericho, but the walls did not fall down. On day two, they did the same thing, and the walls did not fall down. Day three, day four, day five, and day six, they did what they were told to do but the walls did not fall down.

On the seventh day they marched seven times when Joshua gave the signal, they blew the trumpet and shouted, and the walls came tumbling down. They did on day one to day six, what they were supposed to do, and they waited patiently for the result and God gave them victory. Joshua never doubted, and the people never complained. Though the plan did not make sense, they did not change it nor made adjustment to it. They trusted God’s plan; they rested in His presence, and they obeyed Him. And that’s what God wants us to do.

Now, understand that waiting on the LORD does not mean inaction or being passive. It does not mean sit and relax and do nothing. No, waiting on the Lord means trusting Him, seeking Him, and obeying Him. It is demonstrated by active dependence upon and obedience to God.

This is beautifully illustrated by Joshua and the children of Israel as they circled around the city of Jericho. You see, they were not passive, they were active. They march around Jericho and patiently and confidently waited and committed the result to the Lord.

4. Consistency

Hebrews 11:30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.

According to this verse, when did the walls of Jericho fall down flat? The walls of Jericho fell down flat after they encircled the city for seven days. That’s all they did. They consistently did the same thing over and over and over again. They stayed faithful to God’s instruction without complaining and murmuring. And because they did what God has told them to do over and over and over again, God gave them the victory and they were able to conquer Jericho. 

Isn’t that what Christian life is all about? Victorious Christian living is waking up every day of our lives just consistently doing what we know we are supposed to do—read my Bible, spend time in prayer, worship with God’s people in the house of God; read my Bible, spend time in prayer, worship with God’s people in the house of God; read my Bible, spend time in prayer, worship with God’s people in the house of God; read my Bible, spend time in prayer, worship with God’s people in the house of God; read my Bible, spend time in prayer, worship with God’s people in the house of God. I hope you get the idea. No mystical formula, no gimmicks, no big plans, just doing consistently what we are supposed to do. That’s the Christian life.

Seminars, conferences, Bible colleges have their place, but they cannot and should not replace our daily walk with God in His Word, prayer, and worship of God with the people of God on the Lord’s Day. Trevin Wax wrote in one of his articles, “The way the Bible does its work on our hearts is often not through the lightning bolt, but through the gentle and quiet rhythms of daily submission, of opening our lives before this open Book and asking God to change us. Change doesn’t always happen overnight. Growth doesn’t happen in an instant. Instead, it happens over time, as we eat and drink and exercise.”

The same is true of Scripture reading. The same is true of prioritizing in-person church attendance. The workout of the soul requires not merely private Bible study, but corporate Christian practice, where we draw near to the God who meets with us and ministers to us. In church, we also learn to obey the “one another” commands of the New Testament and ask God to expand our hearts so that we love him and love our neighbors.”

(https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevin-wax/a-more-holistic-workout/)

It is in the daily routines of our obedient faith that God would do His greatest work. If there is victory, it’s because the Lord gave us the victory. All that is required of us is obedience, dependence, patience, and consistency.

Closing Exhortations

This morning, what is your Jericho? What obstacles are you facing, or what trials are you facing today? Are there “walls” in your life that are hindering your progress for the Lord and living a victorious Christian life? Unconfessed Sin? Doubts? Unbelief? Bitterness? Unforgiving spirit? Dread? Lukewarmness? Procrastination? Pride? What obstacles that’s keeping you from experiencing all that God wanted you as His child to experience that you need to overcome?

You and I cannot triumphly overcome our Jerichos until we learn to trust God.  There are times when we find ourselves facing big and heavy 'walls' that are impossible to break down by human strength. The apostle Paul reminds us in …

2 Corinthians 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;). 5: Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

We are not fighting war according to the flesh because we not fighting a physical warfare but a spiritual warfare and doing battle with spiritual weapons. We cannot successfully bring down the walls of Jericho in our lives that threaten our progress for the Lord, we cannot do it in the power of the flesh. This is the wonderful lesson that we learn in the story of the conquest of Jericho. They brought down the massive walls of Jericho by faith. They exercised obedient faith and God gave them the victory. Now, just like Joshua and the children of Israel, we too must exercise obedient faith if we are to overcome the Jerichos in our lives. If we put our faith in God and follow His commandments, even when they seem foolish to us, He will perform great and awesome deeds (Deut 4:34) and give us the victory.

Obedient faith includes obedience, dependence, patience, and consistency.

Psalm 37:34 Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it. 35: I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree. 36: Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found. 37: Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace. 38: But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off. 39: But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble.

AMEN!