Testing & Teaching

Jul 19, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: When Giants Remain to Test Your Obedience

God allows unresolved struggles to test our faithfulness, not as punishment but as training. Like Israel facing lingering enemies after entering Canaan, believers encounter persistent battles—whether internal fleshly patterns, worldly compromises, or paralyzing fears. These become divine classrooms where obedience is refined. The Philistines’ presence taught Israel warfare; our unresolved challenges teach reliance on Christ’s new creation power over old habits. Victory comes when we stop excusing “how I’ve always been” and embrace our reborn identity. [05:46]

“And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”
(Galatians 5:24, ESV)

Reflection: What area of your life have you labeled “just how I am” that God might be calling you to crucify? How does your reborn identity challenge that narrative?

Day 2: Wallowing in Self When God Calls You Higher

The Philistines’ name means “to wallow”—to roll in self-pity, indulgence, or self-importance. Like Israel’s half-finished conquest, we tolerate fleshly patterns that keep us stuck in cycles of defeat. God leaves these not to shame us but to expose our self-reliance. Every “I deserve this” or “I can’t change” becomes a mudhole where purpose drowns. The test? To let the Spirit rip off masks of false comfort and walk in the newness Christ purchased. [13:11]

“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”
(Colossians 3:5, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you settled for wallowing when God is saying “rise up”? What false comfort keeps you from walking in your new creation identity?

Day 3: Canaanites and the Cost of Cutting Deals

Canaanites—symbolic of worldly compromise—lurked in Israel’s land as merchants seeking profit. They represent our temptation to blend kingdom loyalty with earthly gain. God leaves these “traffickers” in our midst to test whether we’ll serve Him wholeheartedly or bargain with the world’s systems. Like Israel’s incomplete obedience, partial surrender creates footholds for corruption. The test isn’t persecution but subtle seduction: will we trade eternal purpose for temporary advantage? [19:08]

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world.”
(1 John 2:15–16, ESV)

Reflection: What “deals” have you made with worldly values that dilute your spiritual focus? How does this compromise silence your testimony?

Day 4: Hittites and the Bully of Fear

Hittites—sons of terror—symbolize fear’s grip on believers. Like bullies infiltrating Israel’s communities, fear settles into our thought life, silencing praise and paralyzing obedience. God permits these “tests” not to torment but to train us in defiant worship. David’s victory over Goliath began with declaring God’s past faithfulness (testimony) before swinging the sword (action). Our battle plan? Open-mouthed praise that knocks fear down, then decapitation through Scripture’s authority. [26:09]

“I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad.”
(Psalm 34:1–2, ESV)

Reflection: What situation is the “Hittite” of fear using to silence your praise? What specific testimony of God’s faithfulness can you declare over it today?

Day 5: Building Brick-by-Brick When You Want Straw

The three pigs’ story mirrors our choice: quick fixes (straw) or slow obedience (bricks). God allows “wolves” like delays and trials not to harm but to reveal where we’ve built on shaky foundations. Every frustration tests whether we’ll persist in kingdom labor when results seem distant. Like the third pig, believers are called to lay bricks of prayer, Scripture, and service—not for speed but endurance. The test? To trust the process when the promise feels postponed. [40:57]

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.”
(Matthew 7:24–25, ESV)

Reflection: Where are you tempted to rush spiritual growth? What “brick” of faithfulness can you lay today that future you will thank God for?

Sermon Summary

Judges 2 and 3 show Israel in the promised land, but not with every enemy cleaned out. God says He will no longer drive out the nations Joshua left, because through them He will “test Israel” and teach the generations “to know war.” God lets some things stay in the land, not because He forgot, not because He failed, but because obedience has to be tested where trouble still lives.

Joshua is the book where the talking stops and the taking starts. The land gets entered, the promise gets possessed, but the inhabitants do not all get removed. God leaves the Philistines, the Canaanites, the Hittites, and the other “ites” as pictures of fleshly, worldly, and satanic attacks that still come against the people of God.

The Philistines picture the flesh, that old self that loves to wallow. The flesh wallows in self pity, self deprecation, self importance, self indulgence, and self pleasure. The flesh threatens, shouts, struts, begs, plots, and sobs, whatever keeps itself alive. The Holy Spirit pulls the mask off that sickly face and says, “Man, you can’t be that way.” The born again believer is not a remodeled version of the old person. God has made a new creation, “something like you that’s never ever existed before.”

The Canaanites picture worldliness, the merchant spirit that wants to cut a deal and stay close to whatever profits. The worldly heart can even come to church asking what it can get out of it, looking religious while still bargaining with the world. God leaves that tension to test whether obedience is real or just performance.

The Hittites picture fear, the “sons of terror” that move in close and try to shut mouths. Fear says, “Don’t testify. Don’t praise. Don’t speak the Word.” Testimony throws rocks at the enemy like David hit Goliath, but the Word takes the sword and removes his head, his authority. Praise declares, “It is finished,” not as retreat, but as the sound of the enemy on the run.

The battleground has shifted from gathered fields to the mind, but the fight is still real. The big bad wolf does not create the weak house, he reveals it. The straw house and stick house fall because they were rushed, but the brick house stands because somebody took the time, brick by brick. God allows the wolf to come knocking so the house can reveal what has really been built.

Jesus never leaves His people alone in the test. The Holy Spirit stays present while God teaches, tests, watches, and gives enough room to grow. God may leave some “ites” in the land, but He is still looking, still helping, and still making sure His people can make it through.

Key Takeaways

1. God leaves tests in the land God does not always remove the thing that feels like the problem. Judges shows that some enemies remain because obedience has to be proven in the middle of pressure, not in a cleaned up fantasy land. The test is not God abandoning His people, but God revealing whether love will still obey when the “ites” are still nearby. [03:54]
2. Flesh loves to wallow in self The Philistine spirit names that old flesh that wants to roll around in self pity, self importance, and self indulgence. The flesh can sound wounded, loud, justified, or pitiful, but its goal is still survival. The Holy Spirit’s mercy is often the hard mercy of ripping the mask off and saying the old self is not the new creation anymore. [08:46]
3. Fear tries to shut mouths The Hittite spirit does not always attack with obvious violence, because fear often wins by making God’s people silent. Testimony is not noise, it is a rock aimed at the enemy’s forehead. The Word of God is the sword that removes authority from fear’s lies and teaches the mouth to bless the Lord anyway. [20:23]
4. The wolf reveals the house The big bad wolf is not the center of the story, because the real issue is what kind of house got built. Trouble often reveals hurry, thin obedience, and shallow foundations that looked fine until pressure arrived. Brick by brick faith may feel slow, but the thing built with time and obedience can stand when the world comes knocking. [35:34]
5. God watches through the testing God gives room for growth without ever taking His eyes off His children. The testing may feel like distance, but the Father is still watching while the lesson is being learned. The presence of the Holy Spirit means the battle is real, but abandonment is not part of the story.

## [41:10]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:22] - God Leaves Nations To Test Israel
[02:18] - Joshua Means Stop Talking And Take It
[03:54] - Tests And Teaching In The Land
[07:34] - Philistines And The Flesh
[08:46] - Quit Wallowing In Self
[13:31] - Born Again Means New Creation
[16:12] - Canaanites And Worldliness
[20:23] - Hittites And The Spirit Of Fear
[22:21] - Testimony Hits The Enemy
[24:32] - The Word Removes Authority
[30:56] - The Battleground Of The Mind
[35:34] - Three Pigs And Lasting Foundations
[41:10] - God Is Still Watching
[42:33] - Invitation To Receive Jesus

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Judges 2:22-23
“so that through them I may test Israel, whether they will keep the way of the LORD by walking in it as their fathers did, or not.” So the LORD left those nations, not driving them out quickly, and he did not give them into the hand of Joshua. [00:18]

Judges 3:1-2
“Now these are the nations that the LORD left, to test Israel by them, that is, all in Israel who had not experienced all the wars in Canaan. It was only in order that the generations of the people of Israel might know war, to teach war to those who had not known it before.” [01:46]

2 Corinthians 5:17
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” [13:31]

Revelation 12:11
“And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.” [25:52]

Observation questions

In Judges 2:22-23 and 3:1-2, what two reasons are given for why some nations were left in the land?
What are some of the specific ways the Philistine picture of the flesh shows up in a person’s life, especially around “wallowing” in self? [08:46]
What does 2 Corinthians 5:17 say has happened to the person who is in Christ, and how is that different from being merely improved or cleaned up? [13:57]
According to Revelation 12:11, what are the two things named in how God’s people overcome, and how does that connect to opening the mouth instead of staying silent? [26:01]

Interpretation questions

If God left some nations in the land to test whether Israel would walk in His ways, what does that suggest about the purpose of unresolved struggle in a believer’s life? [04:03]
The Philistines are tied to the flesh and to wallowing in self. Why can self-pity, self-importance, and self-indulgence all belong to the same root problem? [09:11]
The Canaanites picture worldliness and the instinct to “cut a deal.” How can a person look religious on the outside while still bargaining with the world in the heart? [18:31]
Fear tries to shut mouths, while testimony and the Word answer back. Why does fear so often aim at a believer’s voice, praise, and confession? [21:22]

Application questions

What “ite” feels most active in life right now: flesh that wallows, worldliness that bargains, or fear that silences? Where is that battle showing up most clearly this week? [06:29]
Where has there been a tendency to say, “That’s just how I am,” when God says a believer is a new creation? What would it look like to stop agreeing with the old self and start agreeing with Christ? [13:31]
Has self-pity, self-deprecation, self-importance, or self-indulgence been taking up too much room lately? What is one practical way to stop camping there and let the Holy Spirit produce something different? [16:00]
Are there places where the heart has been approaching church, prayer, or obedience mainly in terms of “what can be gotten out of it”? What might simple obedience without bargaining look like right now? [18:38]
Where has fear been trying to close the mouth: in testimony, prayer, praise, or speaking about Jesus? What would “do it anyway” look like in one real situation this week? [26:39]
Testimony throws rocks at the enemy, and the Word removes his authority. What promise of God needs to be spoken out loud over life right now instead of only thought about silently? [25:04]
When pressure comes, it reveals what kind of house has been built. What part of life feels rushed or lightly built right now, and what would it mean to start building there brick by brick? [39:56]

Sermon Clips

56s

#BrandNewCreation

“That new creation is not a remodeled you. He didn't put some wallpaper over you. He didn't paint over some stuff. Let's put some crown molding there. Let's take that little flat molding off. Let's fix what uh-uh. A new creation literally means something like you that's never ever existed before. He ripped it down to the foundation and built you a custom house. Nothing cookie cutter about this. And so we cannot wallow in this is the way we've always been because we are Christian, meaning we are Christ like and God has made us a brand new us. How many is thankful for it? Well, clap. Give the Lord some praise, man. That's good news. That's very good news.”

56s

#ExposeTheFlesh

“The flesh will threaten. The flesh will shout. The flesh will strut. Your flesh will domineer, your flesh will suck, your flesh will plot, your flesh will creep, your flesh will beg, your flesh will plead or sob, whatever the situation may demand in the interest of its own survival, your flesh will do. It's that divi it's that nature. And the flesh hates to be exposed for what it is, and it will fight desperately to avoid the awful moment of truth. And what is the awful moment of truth? That moment when the holy spirit rips the mask off from that sickly face that we have and says, man, you can't be that way.”

54s

#CrucifyTheFlesh

“Boy, Ephesians is fun but Galatians, man, it'll drag you through because Galatians talks about crucifying your flesh. How often? However often it takes And it's hard to kill something that we love. We love to wallow because we bless God, we deserve it. Let me wallow. I'll give it to you. You can wallow a little bit, you just can't stay in it. Don't stay in it. So, we recognize the influence and to ask the holy spirit, once we recognize his influence, what influence? The influence of our flesh, we ask the Holy Spirit to produce in us that which we are not. That's how you face it. God help me. Produce in me that which is not. I'm tired of wallowing.”

54s

#WolfRevealsWeakness

“Now, here's the thing about the wolf in this wolf wolf. Is in the story to reveal the problem. The wolf is allowed to show up to show mister first pig, you put enough effort into it. He's there to not he didn't cause the problem. The problem was you didn't put enough time in this. You have no effort in this. You didn't show up. God says I'm not moving the mess out of your life, I'm gonna keep it there to teach you and to test you. And I'll even allow some woofuses to show up to reveal what you need.”

59s

#NoMoreWallowing

“You gotta have control over that flesh. And the moment that the holy spirit begins to risk the mass off, man, quit wallowing this stuff. Quit dealing with this stuff. A lot of people just say, well, that's just me. That's just how I am. Hey, I'm not perfect. I'm not even loud here, we're just good, but then we remind you that if you're a born again Christian, then you are a new creation. That's not you anymore. Oh, come on church. So, wallowing in, that's just me, that's just what I deal with, well guess what, you weren't just born, you've been born, everybody say it, again. Again. And check this out, that born again, God says, He's made you a new creation.”

70s

#DeclareItFinished

“That word, it is finished when Jesus is on the cross, you break it down is actually a military word. It is finished in the military is what happens that when it it actually goes all about the Roman soldiers. Whenever they had the enemy defeated and you're and they're just but just just just bombarding them with with everything they had and the enemy took off running the other way and then the the centurion, the the officer would throw up that sword and he would say, it is finished! They wouldn't turn around and go back to the house and what they would do? They would take off at them with everything they had because they had them on the run. And honey, whenever you shut the head tight up and you open up your mouth, you're saying it is finished. That means instead of the enemy chasing me, I'm now chasing it and I have him on the run because he's prepared a table before me in the presence of my enemies, and I will eat. And all he can do is sit there and stare at me because he knows I've won.”

77s

#SpeakLifeNotFear

“And that's what the enemy is always trying to do. How can I hit them from the top? I can take them out at their knees, but that won't take that'll knock them down, won't it? But if you take out the top, if you take out their authority, and that's what the enemy is trying to do, he tries to take out your words, take out your authority and your testimony your testimony is throwing rocks at the enemy and it's hitting him and it's knocking him out. But if you really want to remove his authority, the authority is the right in your life, you keep the word over it. How do you keep the word over it? Once you testify, you remind yourself, God, this is what you did. God, I'm healed. God, I'm delivered. God, I'm set free. God, my children are saved. God, my children's children are saved. God, you've given me life and not death. I'm going above not beneath God. I'm the head not the tail God. I'm not like I used to be God. I'm not a waller anymore. God, you've given me life and more abundantly. What are we doing? We're removing that dude's head from every situation we've got. And the Hittite is there to keep your mouth shut.”

55s

#TestimonyIsWeapon

“Because that fear there, he dwells everywhere. Remember the Hittites wasn't like the Philistines and the the Hittites, man, they spread out all over the place. I mean, just they just all over the place and the Hittites, which spreads fear, they will settle down in your midst. They'll come right into your community and just settle down and say, we're a Hittite. We rule over you. And that's what he'll do. They will close your mouth so that you'll be afraid to speak. A lot of Christians, you're a Christian, you know what the word of God says, you have faith, you have belief, you're in obedience, but faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God and what and the power of life and death is in the tongue. Whatever's in you has got to come out of you and fear, I tell you to shut your mouth. Don't say it.”

Ask a question about this sermon

Highest Praise Church This sermon · AI assistant

Why does God leave enemies in the land?

What do the Philistines represent spiritually?

How should testimony overcome spiritual fear?