"Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you came out of Egypt, how he attacked you on the way when you were faint and weary, and cut off your tail, those who were lagging behind you, and he did not fear God. Therefore when the LORD your God has given you rest from all your enemies around you, in the land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance to possess, you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven; you shall not forget." - Deuteronomy 25:17-19 ESV
Remember your enemy so you can blot out your enemy.
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." - 2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV
Remember what your flesh is like. Observe what the world is. Identity that the Devil is a lying accuser and always will be. Then blot out the memory of the past hurtful actions because God has given us a new identity. Cut it off like extra string on a newly sewn button. Jesus' work on the cross has tied it up tight so we can cut off any extra and be done with it.
"And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king. Only its spoil and its livestock you shall take as plunder for yourselves. Lay an ambush against the city, behind it. So Joshua and all the fighting men arose to go up to Ai. And Joshua chose 30,000 mighty men of valor and sent them out by night.
And he commanded them, 'Behold, you shall lie in ambush against the city, behind it. Do not go very far from the city, but all of you remain ready. And I and all the people who are with me will approach the city. And when they come out against us just as before, we shall flee before them. And they will come out after us, until we have drawn them away from the city. For they will say, "They are fleeing from us, just as before." So we will flee before them. Then you shall rise up from the ambush and seize the city, for the LORD your God will give it into your hand. And as soon as you have taken the city, you shall set the city on fire. You shall do according to the word of the LORD. See, I have commanded you.' " - Joshua 8:2-8 ESV
The memory baits the enemy and draws that thing out. The finished work of Christ flanks all three foes so that they are caught out in the open. The finished work now gives us back the life they used to possess as a stronghold.
Jericho fell because we circled it and surveyed it with the finished work in mind. Seven is the number of completion... 5, 6, 7... grace, man, 'It is finished!'... The trumpets blew and the Israelites shouted and the wall was pushed down into the ground by angels.
Each stronghold falls like Jericho fell. We do what we did to Jericho. We claim the finished work. Draw out the enemy. Let the flesh think for a moment that it has a victory then take it down just like God took it down at Jericho by refusing to live in the wounds of the past. We draw the thing skulking in darkness out into the light and that take it down by standing in the knowledge of a new identity. We confess the reality of newness aloud. Our foot gets pressed on the neck of the past and we take what God has given us. The flesh has a stiff neck. We immobilize the will of the old man and exercise the rights and privileges given to who we are in the Spirit.
"For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned. Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things - things that belong to salvation." - Hebrews 6:7-9 ESV
"We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete." - 2 Corinthians 10:5-6 ESV
We remember the battles so we can put them behind us. We don't have to let our past hold us hostage. This is a new day and we face a new city with old enemies in it. When the time is right we draw them out into the open, flank them with the finished work of Christ and blot out the memory of past pain.
Help us God. It is not by our might or power but by Your Spirit. We claim that the work of the cross is a victory that we can live in moment by moment and situation by situation. We trust you to give us victory. You are our strong tower. We run to You and take shelter in what You have accomplished.
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