If you should say in your heart, “These nations are greater than I; how can I dispossess them?”— you shall not be afraid of them, but you shall remember well what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt: the great trials which your eyes saw, the signs and the wonders, the mighty hand and the outstretched arm, by which the Lord your God brought you out. So shall the Lord your God do to all the peoples of whom you are afraid. (Deuteronomy 7:17-19)

You Shall Remember Well

At the end of the forty years of wandering in the wilderness, Moses challenges the new generation of God’s people to remember the stories of their fathers before them and the great and awesome power of the Lord God, as demonstrated against the Egyptians. A new generation had arisen from the rebellious nation that tried the patience of God with their murmuring, stubbornness, and rebellion against His word. The Lord was prepared to give the promised land to Israel, but they were fearful of the giants in the land. They forgot all that God did to the Egyptians. As a penalty for their unbelief, they died in the wilderness.

On the eastern side of the Jordan in the land of Moab, Moses declared the word of the Lord to the people as they prepared to enter Canaan and conquer the inhabitants of the land. Canaan was composed of many nations, including the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. The cities were strong and fortified, and the descendants of Anak still lived there. Unlike the spirit of rebellion when Israel sent spies into the land at Kadesh-Barnea, the new generation of the faithful were ready to fulfill the will of the Lord. To reassure the people, Moses reminds them of the great things God did in Egypt.

There is reason to be afraid of the nations in Canaan. The people could have worried about how they would be able to dispossess them. Moses tells them not to be fearful because of how the Lord destroyed Egypt forty years earlier. If God could destroy the greatest nation on earth, He could destroy the nations that stood before them in Canaan. All the plagues the Lord brought against Egypt demonstrated His power to do anything against any nation. There was no place for the enemies of God to hide. They did not need to be terrified of the Canaanite nations. The Lord God is a great and awesome God, and He was among them. There is no reason to fear anyone because the Lord God Himself fights for them.

During the forty years of wilderness wanderings, Israel fought against the Amalekites, Canaanites, people of Arad, the Amorites, and the people of Bashan and Midian. They only lost one battle because of their unbelief. During the conquest of Canaan, the Israelite army lost only one battle – at the city of Ai. This defeat came because of the sin of Achan. During the period of the Judges, more than fifteen battles took place, and God delivered Israel every time. King Saul fought seven major battles and lost only one. During the reign of David, at least eleven major battles took place, with Israel emerging victorious in every one. The battle belongs to the Lord!

The days of fighting carnal battles ended when Christ came into the world. God’s people fight the spiritual battles against every high thing that exalts itself against the will of the Lord. The promise of victory remains the same. God fights our battles, and when we trust in Him and allow His word to live in our lives, we can make Satan run away like a frightened animal. The power of the gospel destroys the wiles of the devil. Through the fruits of the Spirit, the works of the flesh are dominated. Adding the virtues of righteousness to faith increases the power against temptation. Remember well who fights for you when you are in covenant with the heavenly Father. Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and His army marches to victory – always. Remember well.