Exodus 23:29
“I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee.”
God makes it clear throughout the Scriptures that He expects the Christian to be a conqueror. He says in Romans 8:37, “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” One of the best examples that God gives us on how to be conquerors is found in the verse above when He lays down some principles for Israel to conquer Canaan. These principles must be followed if you want to be a conqueror in the Christian life.
First, you will never grow without God’s help. God says in verse 30, “…I will drive them out…” You will never become a conqueror until you get God involved in your life. A daily time of spiritual nourishment is needed to conquer by walking with God in His Word and prayer. You can try to conquer yourself, but you will fail without God.
Second, don’t try to conquer everything at one time. God told Israel to conquer, “By little and little…” Too many Christians try to overcome everything at one time and fail because that is not how growth occurs. If you are going to be a conqueror in the Christian life then you must learn that it will take time. Choose one thing to conquer at a time instead of trying to fight the whole battle at once. Be careful that you don’t allow your zeal to do right cause you to pass up the reality of your ability to conquer.
Third, replace the bad with the good. Romans 12:21 says, “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” Anytime you remove the wrong, you must replace it with good. If you don’t replace what you removed with good, the Devil will use the void in your life to allow something worse to fill its place. Just remember that the best way to get rid sin is to start doing good and it will force out the bad.
Fourth, set up boundaries and limitations. God said in verse 31, “And I will set thy bounds…” Boundaries and limitations are not bad. In fact, you will never succeed in conquering without have boundaries and limitations that you set for your life. When a parent tells their child to stay in the yard and not to go into the street, they are not inhibiting them from enjoyment, but they are guarding them from oncoming cars that could hurt or kill them. Likewise, you must have rules, boundaries and limitations that guard you from those things that could cause you to go into sin. Don’t let the Devil shame you into removing the boundaries and limitations that keep you safe.
Fifth, separate from that which would cause you to digress. In verse 33, God told Israel that they were not allowed to let the people of the land dwell within their country. God was establishing the importance of separation. The Christian who is going to be a conqueror must separate from those things or people who would keep them from conquering. Separation is a stimulant to growth, for worldliness and compromise will cause the Christian to digress instead of conquer.
You will never be a conqueror without following these five principles. Follow them, and you will experience the conquering life.