DRIVING OUT THE CANAANITES AND THEIR IRON CHARIOTS – Charles Spurgeon
DRIVING OUT THE CANAANITES AND THEIR IRON CHARIOTS
“For you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots and though they are strong.” Joshua 17:18.
I. WE MUST DRIVE THEM OUT
When the children of Israel had come to Canaan and, by God’s good care, had entered into the land that flowed with milk and honey, they were not immediately at rest. The Canaanites were there—there in possession, there in strong cities—which seemed to be walled up to Heaven. And they had to drive out these Canaanites before they could possibly possess the country. In fact, this was the reason why they were sent there. The Canaanites had been outlawed by God. They had been guilty of such horrible offenses that He had adjudged their race to destruction. It was necessary for the purity of the world that ancient races which had become so horribly depraved should be removed from it, and the Israelites were brought to the land as the Lord’s executioners—to smite the Canaanites and exterminate them. Some have dared to speak of it as a hideous massacre. But being commanded of the great Judge, who has the power of life and death, it is to be solemnly regarded as a terrible execution for which there was a stern necessity. We may rest well assured that He who commissioned His officers to slay had the most urgent reason for the employment of their swords. God knew best what was needful for the morals of the world, and He came to the conclusion that the iniquity of the Amorites was full and that they could not be longer endured.
The Israelites could not, therefore, enter upon their inheritance without first driving out the aboriginal races, since these had become the adversaries both of God and man. You will see, then, dear Friends, that Canaan is hardly a full type of Heaven. It may be used so in a modified sense. But it is a far better emblem of that state and condition of soul in which a man is found when he has become a Believer and, by believing, has entered into rest—but not into an absolutely perfect deliverance from sin. He has come to take possession of the Covenant heritage but finds the Canaanite of sin and evil still in the land—both in the form of original sin within and of temptation from without. Before he can fully enjoy his privileges, he must drive out his sins. It is absolutely needful—before he can experience the blessings of the Covenant of Grace fully—that he should contend with the iniquities and evils which are within him and around him. He must drive out the various tribes of enemies which, for a long time, have been dwellers in the land of his nature. No doubt many young Christians think that when they are converted, the warfare is all over. No—the battle has just begun. You have not come to the finish line—you have only come to the starting block. You have entered upon the land in which you will have to fight and wrestle and weep and pray until you get the victory. That victory will be yours but you will have to agonize to obtain it. He that has brought you into this condition will not fail you nor forsake you. But, at the same time, not without strong contentions and earnest strivings will you be able to win your inheritance. Be not deluded with the idea that you may sit down at your ease—the very reverse will happen to the true heir of Heaven.
I speak at this time to many who understand the meaning of spiritual warfare and I scarcely need remind them that they are called to be men at arms and not men at ease. I speak to some, perhaps, who do not yet understand much of warfare. But they will know before long, for no Believer’s sword will long sleep in its scabbard. Sin is a powerful enemy—and if you are a child of God, you will have to fight against it. If you are an heir of the true Canaan—you are born first to a heritage of warfare and ultimately to the vast inheritance of unbroken and everlasting peace—
“The land of triumph lies on high,
There are no fields of battle there;
Lord, I would conquer till I die,
And finish all the glorious war.”
Our text is a speech of war to the tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim. Joshua said to them, “You are a great people and have great power—you shall not have one lot only.” But he told them when he gave them two lots, they would have to drive out those who were then in possession—“You shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots and though they are strong.” May the Holy Spirit prepare us for our life-struggles by the meditations of this hour!
II. THEY CAN BE DRIVEN OUT
I now turn to the second head. I have said that we must drive them out. The second head is that THEY CAN BE DRIVEN OUT. I do not say that we can drive them out but I say that they can be driven out. It will be a great miracle, but let us believe in it. For other great wonders have been worked. Note first that you and I have been raised from the dead. Is it not so? “You has He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins.” If a dead man has been raised, then anything can be done with the man who is now made alive. Do not tell me that there is a spot on the face of newly-risen Lazarus that cannot be washed away—I do not believe it. Do not tell me that there is a bent finger that cannot be straightened—after having seen the dead man live—I am certain that the living man can be perfected. He that could raise Lazarus from the dead can cause his grave clothes to be unbound, can raise him beyond his imperfections and infirmities, can make him perfect in every good work to do His will. It CAN be done. The raising from the dead is the evidence that it can be done.
You have also by Divine power been led to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. If you have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as the result of Divine Grace within your heart, what is there that you cannot do? Believing in the Lord Jesus Christ is a very simple thing, you say. I know it is, but still it is the greatest thing a man ever does. “What shall we do,” they said to Jesus, “that we might work the works of God?” And He said, “This is the work of God”—this is a God-like work, the highest kind of work that ever can be done—“that you believe on Him whom He has sent.” If you have been enabled to believe, you can be enabled to be holy. He that led you to exert faith can lead you, by faith, to overcome any and every iniquity.
In the next place, you have already conquered many sins. Look at the heaps of Canaanites that you have killed. Begin at the beginning, where God began with you in the work of Grace in your soul—is there not a wonderful difference between what you were then and what you are now? Were there not sins entrenched in your nature, like the Canaanites in their walled cities? But Jericho fell flat to the ground. Hosts upon hosts of unbelief and iniquities dwelt within your daily life but you have driven them out. By God’s Grace you have resisted temptation and escaped from lusts and risen above doubts. You have overcome through the blood of the Lamb. You can say, “O my soul, you have trod down strength.” He that has helped you so far can surely help you even to the conclusion of the fight.
Do not doubt that the almighty power of Divine Grace, which has achieved so much, can achieve much more. Be strong and very courageous—the Lord of Hosts, Himself is at your side. Have you not seen other Christians conquer? Oh, let your memory charge you now with Brothers and Sisters in whom you saw great infirmities and sins at the commencement of their spiritual career. How they have grown! How they have vanquished inbred sin! The tears come into my eyes when I think of certain members of this Church—some in Heaven and some still among us. I remember what they used to be and what they are now and I can hardly believe that they are the same persons. Fierce tempers have been tamed, strong passions have been bound, black melancholy has been chased away. When they first joined the Church they were good, useful, sound men but the pear was very hard. I should not have liked to put my teeth into it—they were stern, self-willed and obstinate. The fruit was not only hard but sour—for with all their zeal they were tart, sharp and the reverse of gentle. But now, how mellow they are! What a sweet smell of ripeness there is about them! How ready they are to be taken to the great feast above! What God has done for them He can do for you. He can get that hardness out of you. That greenness, that sourness—He can graciously remove.
Every man among us has to wear out at least one pair of green slippers. And when he has worn them out—then he puts on something better by way of traveling gear and has his feet “shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace.” We generally begin with a fool’s boots at first, but God, who makes the foolish wise, makes men of us at last. He who trains the babes till out of their mouths He brings forth mighty witness to His Word can do the same with us. Beloved, we have been talking about what can be done and what cannot be done. Have we thought about it? We are dealing with the Almighty. And with Him all things are possible.
III. THEY SHALL BE DRIVEN OUT
And then we close with our third head and that is, THEY SHALL BE DRIVEN OUT. They must be driven out. They can be driven out. They shall be driven out. They shall be driven out. That is a speech for a monarch. “Must” is for the king and “shall” is for the King of kings. Well, well—we venture to say it—because we only give the echo of His sovereign tones. This is what Christ died for. He loved the Church and gave Himself for it that He might sanctify and cleanse it by the washing of water by the Word—that He might present it unto Himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing—but that it should be holy and without blemish. Christ died to save His people, not from some of their sins but from all of their sins. His precious blood cleans from all sin. His perfect atonement secures perfection to His saints. The death of sin is guaranteed by the death of Christ.
Let us pray tonight fervently—
“Let the water and the blood,
From Your riven side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure
Cleanse us from its guilt and power.”
Brethren, this is what Christ lives for. Up in Heaven He pleads for us and “He is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever lives to make intercession for them.” The desire of His heart is that we may be kept from sin. “Holy Father, keep them through Your Word.” He pleads that though Satan may desire to have them and sift them as wheat, they still may be preserved. Christ in Heaven is the pattern of what we shall be and He will not fail to mold us after His own model. We shall one day be perfectly conformed to His image and then we shall be with Him in glory.
Our Lord’s honor is bound up with the presentation of all His saints in spotless purity to Himself in the day of His glorious marriage. This is what the Holy Spirit is given for. He is not given to come into our hearts and comfort us in our sins but to deliver us from all evil and to comfort us in Christ Jesus. He quickens, He directs, He helps, He illuminates. He does a thousand things. But, chiefly, He sanctifies us. He comes into the heart to drive out every other power that seeks to have dominion there. By the living Spirit of God, who dwells in you, as God within His temple, I charge you cry to Him that every Dagon may be broken, every altar of Baal cast down, every golden calf ground to powder.
O Brothers and Sisters, let us never from this time forth write out a pass for any sin to come and go in our hearts. We will have no licensed sin, no place in which evil may claim a lodging. We will not have a spare bed for iniquity, nor give it a room, even in the barn or the outhouse. Do not let us idly say, “I cannot get over that sinful habit.” You CAN get over it—you MUST get over it. Do not say, “I will draw the line there. I really must tolerate that one particular fault.” Do not tolerate it! It will ruin you. How dare you say, “I must drink so much poison.” Touch it not. Oh, that the poison of iniquity may never come near your lips, however sweet it may seem to the carnal taste!
This is the very object of the Gospel which we preach to you. And we have preached in vain unless you are striving against sin. Ours is a holy Gospel and if it does not make you holy, it has done nothing for you. This, especially, is the meaning of the ordinance of Baptism for which the pool is now open before you. It is one of the meanings of Believer’s Baptism that you are henceforth buried with Christ—dead to your old sins and risen with Christ in newness of life. What a farce it is if you are still living in sin! I shall thank God that I baptized none of you if I see you still alive unto sin as you used to be. If you and I are unholy, we stab religion in its vital parts and murder our profession. When we make up our minds that we will allow any sin within us, we do to that extent deny to Christ the travail of His soul. Nothing grieves the Spirit of God like unholiness. And nothing pleases Christ like seeing His disciples walking in His footsteps.
I wish that I were able to speak more instructively upon such a subject as this. But I speak to myself and I feel the effect of the Truth of God as I utter it. I pray that I may speak to all here present with practical result. I doubt not that I address many dear Brethren who are far in advance of myself and to them I say, “Go on, dear Friends, from strength to strength. And may the Lord help you to tread all the powers of darkness down and win the day speedily.” But I speak to others that are far behind me. And I am sorry that they are so—for I am very far from having attained—although I press forward with all my heart.
If you are living children of the living God, lay hold upon that promise, “By little and by little, I will surely drive them out.” If you cannot conquer all the Hivites and Jebusites today—at least down with one and then with another. May the mighty Grace of God—without which you can do nothing—help you to keep your sword out of its sheath, driving at the very heart of sin with your utmost strength until the last sin shall lie dead at the feet of Christ and you shall be perfectly happy because He has made you perfectly holy. There is no fear of your stopping here upon this sin-deified earth if you have once reached the point of perfection. This is a poor world for the completely sanctified. God does not leave His ripe wheat out in the fields too long—He takes the sheaves home to His barn when they are quite ready. We shall soon be with Him where He is when we are made like He. The Lord grant it, for Jesus’ sake! Amen.