THE WARS OF CANAAN
J. Renton
Judges 3: 1–4; Ephesians 6: 10–18
We often hear the question asked as to why there are conflicts and difficulties, why all localities are not in perfect peace. We learn from this scripture in the book of Judges that Jehovah left certain nations. From one point of view the children of Israel failed to dispossess these nations, but from another point of view, Jehovah left them “to prove Israel by them, all that had not known all the wars of Canaan”. The children of Israel were to “know war by learning it”, and we are to expect conflict as long as we are here. Each generation has to be built up in view of facing conflict, because there are enemies, and because, according to Ephesians 6, there is a great universal struggle going on continually, not against blood and flesh, but against principalities and authorities, “against the universal lords of this darkness, against spiritual power of wickedness in the heavenlies”. These unseen angelic powers opposed to the testimony are ever active and there is never a moment when there are not critical conditions somewhere.
It has been rightly said that there has never been a time since the revival, to which our brother referred, when there have not been critical conditions somewhere. When the Lord comes to reign, all these enemies will be dealt with; these universal lords, these principalities and authorities will all be dealt with. But they are not dealt with yet, they are left. These nations that we read of in Judges 3 were left purposely by Jehovah “to prove
Israel by them”. The Lord loves to prove His own work and He loves to see persons proving themselves in the testimony, not just professedly but with purpose of heart; conflict proves such persons.
This scripture in Judges views the people of God as having inherited the land of promise, the land of Canaan, which was promised from the days of Abraham; but certain nations were left there. The previous book, the book of Joshua, unfolds to us how the land of promise was secured through seven years of intense conflict. Now, that has been so in the history of the testimony; there has been intense conflict to secure the land of promise. The land of promise for us, in a few words, would be the enjoyment of eternal life, for eternal life is the great promise of God. Corresponding with the book of Joshua, think of the conflicts there have been! Think of the conflict as to eternal life; what a conflict that was! How many were lost in that conflict for the truth of eternal life! The truth of eternal life was recovered and has been maintained, just as in this book of Judges the land of promise had been secured.
The warfare in Ephesians 6 is a defensive struggle; every part of the panoply is defensive. It is not so much a question of going ahead and securing territory; the territory is viewed as having been secured through conflict. The land is often spoken of as being God’s purpose, but it was promised to Abraham. The great promise of God is eternal life. Now the enjoyment of eternal life means that as set together the Lord Jesus has His rightful place, the Holy Spirit’s presence is known, and brethren dwell together in unity. These are the conditions for the enjoyment of eternal life; but then how busy the enemy is! He can bring in feeling between brothers and between sisters, he will do his utmost to hinder the enjoyment of
eternal life by whatever means he can use.
Hence the reference to these enemies, “five lordships of the Philistines”. We know what the Philistines represent; the will of man and the mind of man. It speaks about “all the Canaanites”; the Canaanites were extensive in the land of Canaan; and then the Sidonians, and then “the Hivites that dwell on mount Lebanon; from mount Baal-Hermon ...” It is very like the description of the enemies in Ephesians 6. “Five lordships of the Philistines” may be likened to the “universal lords of this darkness”. “Spiritual power of wickedness in the heavenlies” may be likened to these references to mountains linked with the Hivites. “Our struggle” is always going on, but there is provision in the panoply of God to be able to stand in this struggle and maintain the conditions that the land of promise would suggest, the enjoyment of eternal life in our gatherings. That is what the enemy is against. He cannot do much about individuals being faithful and testifying, but he can be successful in hindering the enjoyment of the conditions of eternal life in our gatherings together.
We need therefore to appreciate the panoply of God with which we shall be able to stand, for the panoply, or the whole armour, of God, is defensive. “Put on the panoply of God, that ye may be able to stand against the artifices of the devil ... For this reason take to you the panoply of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day”. The evil day is when the struggle comes to our locality, when we are involved in the struggle. Of course we always ought to be involved in prayer regarding “our struggle” because it is one great universal struggle, but “the evil day” might refer to when the artifices of the devil are manifest in our own place. We are not to look for a panoply then, the
panoply is to be on before then. “For this reason take to you the panoply of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having accomplished all things, to stand. Stand therefore ...” These three references to “stand” would indicate this defensive warfare in which we all ought to be involved, and we shall only stand as having on this panoply.
The first item is, “having girt about your loins with truth”; that is not just the truth known, but the truth formed in the believer. All these elements involve formation, not just knowledge, as our brother has said, but formation, “having girt about your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and shod your feet with the preparation of the glad tidings of peace”—truth, righteousness, peace. “Besides all these, having taken the shield of faith with which ye will be able to quench all the inflamed darts of the wicked one. Have also the helmet of salvation ...” We had salvation on Lord’s day afternoon, over against persons being led astray. “The helmet of salvation” would protect our minds, not by mental ability, but by our minds being formed. “The helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is God’s word”. The sword is part of this defensive warfare. You would not find a soldier defending a position without a weapon. The sword is needed to defend, to hinder the enemy from intruding. All these elements in the armour, as far as I can see, are defensive. And then,
“praying at all seasons, with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching unto this very thing with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints”.
We need to realise, dear brethren, young people included, that we need to be built up in our souls, in our affections, to defend the enjoyment of the promise that God has made us at the present time.
Eternal life is the promise of God, just as the land of Canaan was the promise of God. Our struggle is continuous, for the enemy is always attacking somewhere. Let us be concerned to be built up! Let us realise that there is such a thing as the panoply of God, involving the believer formed in these features. Truth; the truth about everything, righteousness, peace—
how much this kind of preparation is needed; “and shod your feet with the preparation of the glad tidings of peace”—faith, salvation, the sword of the Spirit, prayer, “praying at all seasons, with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching unto this very thing with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints”— all seasons, all prayer, all perseverance, all the saints. May we know something about this! We are not to expect a perfect, tranquil order of things, because we are being proved, and the enemies are very real and ever active.
The Lord would nevertheless encourage us that we should be built up in our knowledge of God and in these features in this chapter, that we might not be overcome but be overcomers.
May it be so for His own sake.
Word in meeting for ministry, Edinburgh
22 January 1985