And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. Leviticus 26:7
Throughout man’s history, victory over enemies has been a primary goal, because enemies want to take what is ours, even our lives, and boast that they have beaten us. How much better to boast that we have beaten them! So the promise included in today’s text was definitely of interest to the Israelites as they prepared to enter their promised land. If we had continued reading, we find God promising that five Israelites would easily defeat 100 of the enemy, and 100 Israelites would be able to overcome ten thousand of the enemy. With such a promise, those ancient Israelites could easily have overrun the known world instead of struggling to take the land God had promised to them. Their disobedience prevented them from being as successful as they could have been. Maybe we as Christians could be more successful over our enemies if we were more obedient, too.
We know who our enemies are: the world, the flesh, and the devil. And we know that in ourselves we are no match for them, just as unarmed Israelites would be any match for the gangs of mounted and armed Canaanites who would try to remove them from the land. What the the Israelites have that the Canaanites lacked? God’s promise. But God’s promise was conditional. And so very often, the Israelites were overrun because they failed to hold up their side of the covenant. It is the same with us. We are assured of victory if we obey and submit ourselves to the will and Word of God. In fact, we are guaranteed of ultimate victory after all the minor skirmishes of this life are ended. As the things of God replace the cares and attractions of the world, we will be victorious. As the submission to God’s Word replaces submission to the lusts of the flesh, we will be victorious. As yielding to the Holy Spirit’s guidance replaces yielding to the devil’s temptations, we will be victorious. Our text speaks of enemies falling by the sword. We have an all-powerful sword, the Word of God.
God longs that we might win victories for Him, that His Son might receive the honour that He deserves. Our first victory was won when we first acknowledged Christ as Saviour. Our subsequent victories are all won as we acknowledge Christ as Lord. Our strategy for victorious Christian living is as simple as saying (and meaning) Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?
We are not just on the winning side, but are also on the side that has already won. And we can share in that victory today. – Jim MacIntosh