Being an Overcomer

Based on Joshua 1:5-9

Excerpt from Joshua's Spiritual Warfare

by Thomas B. Clarke, 2008

AUTHOR's NOTE: This article is based on the "chiastic approach." If you do not understand chiasms, I invite you to read or re-read the second chapter: Introduction to the Chiastic Approach. It is my premise that by analyzing these chiasms, we can uncover key principles of spiritual warfare. Most often, these principles are revealed by analyzing the chiasm's inner most level. The column entitled 'First Presentation' is to be read from top to bottom, but the column entitled 'Inversion' is to be read from bottom to top.

Consider the verses shown below from Joshua 1:5-9 (NIV):

**Chiasm about Meditating on the Words from the Lord**
Level	First presentation	Inversion	Theme
A - A′	I will never leave you nor forsake you (Josh 1:5b)	for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go (Josh 1:9c)	The Lord's presence
B - B′	Be strong and courageous (Josh 1:6,7a)	Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged (Josh 1:9a,9b)	Strength and courage
C - C′	Be careful to obey all the law ... that you may be successful (Josh 1:7b,7c)	So that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful (Josh 1:8c)	Obedience ... leading to success
D - D′	Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth (Josh 1:8a)	mediate on it day and night (Josh 1:8b)	Keep the words of the Lord alive in our spirits

The A - A′ level is concerned with the Lord's presence remaining with us. On the B - B' level, we see that the emphasis is on "Be strong and courageous", as stated in Joshua 1:6 and Joshua 1:9b. Obedience and success is the theme of the C - C' level. On the D - D' level, the words of the law were to be in their mouth and meditating on it continuously.

The inner most level of this chiasm (center point) is the D - D' level in this example, which is Joshua 1:8a,8b. Instead of the NIV's use of the "Book of the Law" in Joshua 1:9, a look at the Hebrew shows it is dabar torah (word of the Torah). Moses spoke to all of Israel these words at the end of his life:

Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law. They are not just idle words for you - they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess (Deut 32:46,47).

The words of this law were to be their life. They were to eat it, breathe it, think it and consume it, and so it would keep them alive.

The spiritual warfare application of these verses is: by keeping the words of the law alive in our spirits (D - D' level), we will be better prepared to obey the law (C - C' level), thereby keeping us strong and courageous (B - B' level). By keeping the words of the law fresh in our minds, we are more able to obey; by obeying, we can depend on the Lord's strength and courage; and because of all of these (meditating, obeying, depending on the Lord), we will have the Lord with us wherever we go. The progression of meditation, obedience and dependence are essential for fighting the spiritual battle in the Lord's presence. In this way, we overcome in the Lord's strength, not our own.

After my father passed away, I changed the screen saver on my PC to be a picture of my dad. Although we lived many states away, my dad was very dear to me. In my own way of dealing with the grief over his death, I was able to see his face every time I turned the PC on and off. In essence, I was meditating on his life on a daily basis. Since then, I've removed that screen saver because for the most part, my grief has passed. But during that time, I was keeping the good picture of his face alive in my spirit.

Spiritual Principle:

Keep the words of the Lord alive in our spirit.