Joshua's Spiritual Warfare - Detailed Overview

Joshua's Spiritual Warfare: Understanding the Chiasms of Joshua

by Thomas B. Clarke

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WANT TO UNDERSTAND THE HEART OF THE BIBLE IN A FRESH WAY? This new book, Joshua's Spiritual Warfare, looks at the life, times and faith of Joshua, showing how he was successful in overcoming the enemy:

Chronological review of the Book of Joshua, looking at the reasons for success
Revelation of chiasms as they apply to the Book of Joshua
Application of principles to today
Many fresh discernments of the events in the Book of Joshua

The result is a new teaching that will provide additional tools for defeating the enemy in spiritual warfare. This profound book is written primarily to an audience that is searching for a deeper meaning in the Scriptures.

The Book of Joshua is often analyzed with an emphasis on the liberation and possession of the Promised Land. This book looks at the reasons behind the successes by showing how an Old Testament character named Joshua was effective in overcoming the plans of the enemy. The Israelites had complained and rebelled, so they were kept out of the Promised Land for forty years. Joshua, on the other hand, was given wisdom and authority from the Lord. These gifts, along with Joshua's teachable spirit, were necessary to overcome the strongholds that he witnessed. This book shows how we can model our lives after Joshua to effectively fight our daily battles.

A chiasm (ky'-az-um) is a writing style that often reveals a deeper meaning of the Scriptures. Chiasms appear throughout the Bible and are particularly prevalent in Joshua. By looking at the chiastic (ky'-as-tic) approach, we see the Lord emphasizing passages that would often be overlooked for their full meaning. BECAUSE CHIASMS APPEAR SO OFTEN IN THE BIBLE, WE SHOULD ASK OURSELVES 'WHY DID THE LORD PUT THEM THERE?'

Normally we read the Scriptures from beginning to end. With a chiasm, we read the verses in a way that is similar to a sandwich: A) a piece of bread on top, B) mustard, C) a piece of meat, C') another piece of meat, B') more mustard, and finally A') another piece of bread on the bottom. The focus on the chiasm is normally on the center (meat) where we see a deeper and more profound understanding of the verses. By looking at the Book of Joshua through the lens of chiasms, a whole new and more powerful understanding of the events in Joshua is revealed. There are sixty-seven (67) chiasms that are presented in Joshua's Spiritual Warfare, all of which help us understand how to obtain victory in our daily spiritual battles. You may read the 12-page article entitled Introduction to the Chiastic Approach for a more complete understanding of chiasms.

The following quote appears on the Amazon website for Joshua's Spiritual Warfare, where it was given a ***** (5-star) rating:
I've come to appreciate chiasms more and more through study facilitated by this book. In the beginning, I thought they were interesting in a more academic sense, but as I progressed I'd be looking for the meat of the message in each chiasm. God's messages to me in Joshua became more real and alive! Sharon Oppedisano, November 12, 2008.

As the chiasms are developed and understood, we see each one applied to principles for our lives. There are eighty (80) principles in this book, such as:

Principles	Reference
The power of the Lord sets the captives free and causes the enemies of the Lord to fear Him.	Josh 2:11
When we come across rebellion, deal firmly and directly with it.	Josh 5:2-8
Protect the presence of the Lord that is in our hearts, for we are in battle every day.	Josh 6:9
Be aware of potentially strong demonic attacks which may come shortly after times of spiritual victory.	Josh 10:6
Truthfulness can often be revealed when a person's story is consistent and he or she shows a willingness to accept the Lord's consequences.	Josh 22:24-28

Each of these principles help free us and to keep us free from whatever the devil attempts to send our way.

Joshua's Spiritual Warfare is also rich in discernments. Some of the many questions that this book attempts to answer are:

Why was Aaron jealous, causing the golden calf to be built? Aaron's Jealousy
How did the Lord use the hornet to instill fear into the Canaanites?
Why was the crossing of the Jordan so significant?
Who was the Commander of the Army of the Lord?
Why did the walls fall down at Jericho?
Why was Caleb given the land near Hebron?
Were the eastern tribes incorrect in building an altar near the Jordan?

These discernments provide a fresh word and interpretation of these events.

Finally, Joshua's Spiritual Warfare points the reader towards living a life like Joshua. Using the chiastic approach, we see how Joshua feared the Lord and at the same time loved the Lord, obeyed Him, walked in His ways, listened to His voice, held fast to the Lord and served Him. Joshua, as leader of Israel's invasion of the Promised Land, modeled effective spiritual warfare through his actions and lifestyle. In the end, we can ask ourselves “Am I ready to live a life like Joshua?”