I was talking to some people recently, and something I hear a lot is that they struggle with being a Christian, sometimes for five years, 10 years, 15 years, and they feel like they’re fighting the same battles over and over. The same sin, again and again. It’s a constant struggle, and they fall back into these old patterns.

A lot of times, people end up thinking that God has just given up on them. “God must not love me because I’m still fighting and struggling with this addiction, this anger, this anxiety, this unforgiveness.”

Maybe that’s you today. Maybe it’s some kind of addiction that just keeps coming back. Maybe it’s anger you can’t seem to get under control, or anxiety that grips you despite all your prayers and Bible study.

I have good news: the same God who brought down the walls of Jericho wants to bring down those strongholds in your life. And in Joshua 6, He’s given us a battle plan that works.

The Battle Was Already Won

Here’s what changes everything about how we approach strongholds in our lives: look at what God says to Joshua in verse 2. “And the Lord said to Joshua, ‘See, I have given Jericho into your hand.'”

Notice the tense there, not “I will give,” but “I have given.” Past tense. Done. It’s over.

The battle was won before it was even fought. They’re looking at this future city, and God says it’s already theirs. All Joshua had to do, and this is the hard part for us, was believe God and act on His instructions.

This changes everything. We’re not fighting FOR victory this morning. We are fighting FROM victory. You see the difference? It’s not “Oh, I’m going to get up and maybe I can win today.” No, you’ve already won. You already have the victory.

God’s Battle Plan Seems Ridiculous

When you look at God’s battle plan, it’s just ridiculous from a human perspective. March around the city once a day for six days. Don’t say a word. Then on the seventh day, march around seven times and shout.

I doubt very seriously I could get everyone in our church to walk around this building quietly once. That’s a miracle, folks. But imagine being one of those guards on the wall, watching 2 million people quietly walk around your city every day for a week. By the second day, they’re probably taunting: “What are you stupid people doing?”

And here’s another miracle, nobody responded. They kept their mouths shut and obeyed God’s ridiculous-seeming plan.

We Want Results Now

This is where we struggle. We want results. “We tried that. It didn’t work. Okay, we’ll try it again. Still didn’t work.”

How many of you would show up on the second day when nothing visible is happening? How many would show up on the third day? The seventh day?

For six days, nothing happened. The routine was the same. They’re looking at these walls that look exactly like they did the day before. But God asked them to do the exact same thing: march around once, return to camp. Every day, at the end of the day, the walls were still standing. Nothing had changed, except their faith was being tested and strengthened.

When young guys ask me what’s the secret to ministry, I tell them: 99% of it is just showing up. Just be there consistently. This is where so many people give up. They try God’s way for a week, maybe a month, and when they don’t see immediate results, they go back to their old patterns.

The Victory Is Already Yours

Today, when you’re facing that stronghold, that life-dominating sin that affects every area of your life, remember that God has already secured your freedom. You’re fighting from victory, not for victory.

The victory is not just for our salvation but for every single day. I think this is where so many of us get tripped up. We believe Jesus saved us from our sins, but we think the daily battle against sin is up to us now. “Alright, I saved you, but now you’ve got to do all this other stuff.”

But that’s not what the Bible teaches. Jesus offers complete victory, not a halfway solution. He fully forgives and then enables us to conquer these sins in our life.

Your job is not to win the battle. Your job is to believe that the battle is already won and then act accordingly. The victory over your stronghold is not something you have to achieve; it’s something Christ has already achieved for you.

Questions for Reflection:

1. What stronghold in your life have you been trying to defeat in your own strength instead of trusting that Christ has already won the victory?
2. How would your daily battle against sin change if you truly believed you were fighting from victory rather than for victory?