When you cross the Jordan River into the land of Canaan,
you must drive out all the people living there. …
Take possession of the land and settle in it,
because I have given it to you to occupy. Exodus 33:51-53 NLT
In Salvation Jesus saves us and we do nothing. This is typified with Israel crossing the Red Sea. God defeated their enemies, and they did nothing. All Moses did was wave his staff around a little. When they passed through the water, their baptism was one of freedom; they were no longer slaves. However, there was another baptism at the Jordon. (see Vincent Cheung, The Edge of Glory). God commanded two things after this second baptism into power. They were to “Drive Out” the inhabitants and then “Take Possession,” of the mike and honey, houses, gold and vineyards.
This archetype is realized in the baptism of the Spirit in Acts 1:4-8.
The decrees of God are logical (supralapsarian), and thus what we see in history is a reverse of the decrees. The book of Acts is the original, the promise land and Joshua was reversed engineered from the story of the church as described in Acts. They were the illustration, and Acts the original. Thus, the 2 baptisms in Exodus was the illustration for God’s original 2 baptisms of water and the Spirit.
Thus, we see Jesus and the disciple “Driving Out” demons and the religious leaders. Jesus and his disciples “took possession” of the good things, such as health, money, knowledge, spiritual powers, lands, leaderships and even kings.
This is where many Christians fail. They are like the people of Israel and are still stuck in the desert. They are there not because of persecution for the gospel sake, but because of their unbelief in God’s promises. God commanded Israel that the second baptism was one of power. Instead of God doing all the work Himself, He would empower them drive out and take possession. Because Israel had no faith they rebelled against God and refuse to be used by Him.
The issue is that good things like healing, prosperity, good relationships and so forth are in the promise land ready for God’s people to take procession of them. These are not like conversion and freedom, where you did nothing for it. The Spirit, like the wind blowing wherever it wants, gives new-birth and you were freed and started to believe. This is again like the Red Sea baptism. But after conversion God’s commands us to be baptized in the Spirit, which is seen in the Jordan. When Joshua and Israel come out of Jordan they had swords and shields. They were going to fight with God’s power, unlike with Pharaoh, when they did nothing. In order for Jacob to grab his inheritance he must take up a sword.
God as already given healing and blessings in the finished atonement of Jesus. But unlike conversion, you must drive out Satan and take possession of these blessings by the fight of faith. Some are still in the desert and claim it is the will of God they are not healed. Like Israel, they put all the blame on God and overlook their unbelief. It is the same story over and over again. Some step into the promise land for 17 steps and claim they cant get healed because of the will of God, yet they haven’t faced one city or driven out one demon to take possession. Jesus commands us to pray and never give up. We are to keep driving out and take procession.
To be a good soldier one must develop internal power of faith, and be clothed with the power of the baptism of the Spirit. When these are developed properly, there is no giant that can stop you from driving out and taking hold of any promise of healing, prosperity, relationships and moving mountains that Jesus said, no matter how big and glorious the promise.
The Hittites were the first Israel faced. Their name symbolizes fear. This is how demons, the old man and the 2 million Israelite unbelievers will try to pressure you to not go and take possession. But faith is stronger than fear, because faith has absolute confidence in God’s Word and not man’s sight or feelings.