How can Joshua 6:18 guide us in resisting temptation today? Joshua 6:18—The Original Command “ But keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction, lest you, by taking any of the devoted things, so make the camp of Israel devoted to destruction and bring trouble upon it.” • The “devoted things” (Heb. ḥērem) were objects God had set apart for destruction. • Israel’s obedience had to be total; even one man’s compromise would endanger the whole nation (Joshua 7). • The ban taught Israel—and teaches us—that God’s holiness is not negotiable. Why This Ancient Warning Still Speaks • Temptation still whispers, “No one will know.” God always knows (Proverbs 15:3). • Sin still harms more than the sinner. Family, church, and community feel the shockwaves (1 Corinthians 5:6). • God still demands separation from what He calls unclean (2 Corinthians 6:17). Practical Lessons for Resisting Temptation 1. Identify the “devoted things” in today’s world • Anything God says is off-limits—sexual immorality, greed, bitterness, idolatry (Ephesians 5:3–5). • Personalized lures—what trips you may not trip someone else (Hebrews 12:1b). 2. Keep your distance • Israel wasn’t told to study or admire Jericho’s treasure; they were told to leave it. • Modern application: remove apps, unfollow feeds, avoid settings that feed the flesh (Romans 13:14). 3. Remember the cost of compromise • Achan’s secret sin led to national defeat (Joshua 7:1–12). • Today one click, one drink, one lie can ripple through marriage, ministry, reputation (Galatians 6:7). 4. Value corporate purity • Joshua 6:18 links individual obedience to communal blessing. • Guard friends, family, and church by guarding yourself (1 Peter 1:15–16). Daily Safeguards • Fill your mind with Scripture—“I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11). • Pray for clear escape routes—“God is faithful…He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). • Walk in the Spirit, not the flesh (Galatians 5:16). • Confess quickly, repent thoroughly (1 John 1:9). • Invite accountability—“Two are better than one…if either of them falls, the other can lift him up” (Ecclesiastes 4:9–10). Encouragement for the Battle • Jesus defeated temptation in real flesh and blood (Matthew 4:1–11); He sympathizes and empowers (Hebrews 4:15–16). • The same God who toppled Jericho’s walls is able to topple the strongest sinful habit (Ephesians 1:19–20). • By His grace we “deny ungodliness and worldly desires” and “live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age” (Titus 2:11–12). |
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