Sharon Reformed Presbyterian Church · Sermon study sheet
Victory!
Bryan Schneider · February 19, 2022
Joshua 8
sharonrpc.org/sermons/victory
Summary
- After Israel's defeat and the removal of Achan's sin, God tells Joshua not to fear and renews the promise of victory over Ai.
- The Lord supplies the strategy and timing, while Joshua and the whole army must obey patiently and completely.
- Victory does not prove Israel's righteousness; the land is God's gracious covenant gift, and Israel remains stiff-necked.
- Jesus, the greater Joshua, has defeated sin, Satan, and death, so believers fight remaining sin in his armor and from his assured victory.
Reflection and discussion
- How should a past spiritual defeat change my dependence on God without producing despair?
- Am I following God's Word patiently, including his timing, or demanding control of the strategy?
- Have I mistaken a blessing or victory for evidence of my own righteousness?
- Which lie or remaining sin must I confront today in the armor Christ provides?
Key terms
- Ai
- The city where self-confidence first ended in defeat and where renewed obedience under God's direction brings victory.
- Grace
- God's undeserved favor, not human righteousness, as the ground of salvation and inheritance.
- Spiritual warfare
- The believer's Spirit-empowered resistance to sin, deception, and evil under Christ's victorious command.