"The Rights of God" # 31

The Victory Over the Powers of Darkness

2 Kings 2:1-15

We expect Jericho to come before Bethel. But once we have recognized the meaning of Jericho, we will see that the Holy Spirit led Elijah and Elisha in the right order, that we can get to Jericho only after having been in Bethel.

What is the meaning of Jericho? With the conquering of Jericho, Israel had conquered the whole country so to say, because Jericho was on the threshold of the Promised Land, and the battle for Jericho was, in a representative way, a battle for the whole country. Because of the seven nations that inhabited Canaan, Israel had to march around Jericho seven times. When therefore, on the seventh day, after having marched around Jericho seven times,Jericho fell, everything that stood as an enemy against Israel fell. As they had taken Jericho, they were to take everything else.

Canaan is a picture of the heavenly places. The fullness of the country points to our fullness in Christ. We have been "blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 1:3). But the enemy stands in our way. He wants to hinder us from taking possession of our riches. God had assured Israel: "I have given you the land" (Deu. 8:10; 9:23). It therefore belonged to them. It belonged to them on the basis of the Word that God had spoken. And yet it is no contradiction that they had to fight in order to take possession of it, because their battle was, rightly seen, not a human battle. The walls of Jericho fell without fighting. In faith Israel had fought for Jericho. The fall of the wall was a  victory of faith. This should be our position towards the hostile powers of wickedness that want to prevent us from taking possession of our heavenly blessing. If Jericho is a picture of the powers of darkness that we meet in the heavenlies, which stand between us and our blessings in the heavenlies, then we see how needful it is that Bethel comes before Jericho, because the fight against the powers of darkness. To overcome them requires the fellowship of the saints. Through the ages some have thought themselves strong enough to stand up against the powers of darkness alone, and they have suffered badly. This is the reason that the devil finds it so important to isolate us. If he succeeds in this, then he has a chance to overcome us. Therefore he brings so many divisions among the saints.

From Bethel the road leads to Jericho. The church, placed in the heavenlies is charged with the battle, a battle not against flesh and blood, but against the forces of wickedness in the heavenly regions. This is a battle that is fought now. At present the saints are called to attain to the fullness of Christ, to stand,filled with Him, in His victory.

~T. Austin-Sparks~

(continued with # 32)