Read Joshua 7

“Thus says the LORD God of Israel: “There is an accursed thing in your midst, O Israel; you cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the accursed thing from among you.”” (Joshua 7:13)

When sin is buried in secret, inevitable defeat is witnessed in the open. The nation of Israel was commanded by God not to take any of the loot of their enemies for themselves. These things were considered accursed (see Joshua 6:18).

With regard to Jericho, Israel obeyed the strategy of Joshua through the command of the LORD. Miraculously, the impenetrable walls of Jericho came tumbling down! Israel utterly defeated their enemies in one mighty blow by the power of God (see Joshua 6:20).

What a victory in chapter 6! It’s one of the first Bible stories told to children about what God can do. And yet, how quickly we read of defeat in chapter 7. And not just a defeat, but an embarrassing loss against Ai, a people group who were much smaller in size and less mighty in strength (see Joshua 7:3). Talk about anticlimactic.

We must ask: How could Israel be defeated so easily against a smaller enemy? The answer is profound. Victory is not determined by physical strength, but by godly strength.

“For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.” (1 Timothy 4:8)

Someone in the camp of Israel had corrupted themselves with covetousness and rebellion against God. They partook of the accursed loot from Jericho and buried it in their tent. Is anything hidden from God? By no means! Yet Achan thought so. His sin was responsible for the defeat of Israel and the death of 36 of his Jewish brothers.

Secret sin ushered in open defeat. Truly, the wages of sin is death!

What a warning for us! We cannot harbor secret, unrepentant sin in our lives and think to have victory even over the smallest enemies. We cannot bury accursed things in the tent of our hearts and still expect the Lord to bless the battle.

Beloved, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of darkness! Therefore, victory can only be found under the cleansing blood of Christ and His gracious forgiveness. We must humble ourselves daily under the mighty hand of God and lay aside the sins which so easily ensnare us!

Christian, do not fear the confession of sin, but rather, fear the hiding of it. Confession always brings healing (see James 5:16).

“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence...” (Ephesians 1:7–8)