As the leader of God’s people, Joshua is a beautiful type of Jesus Christ, the Lord of the Church. Joshua means “the Lord’s salvation; the Savior.” It is the Hebrew equivalent to the name Jesus. We are the Joshua Generation — the Jesus Generation! Joshua did something in Joshua 10:24-26 that is a picture of what Christ did for us at Calvary: “So it was, when they brought out those kings to Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said to the captains of the men of war who went with him, ‘Come near, put your feet on the necks of these kings.’ And they drew near and put their feet on their necks. Then Joshua said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; be strong and of good courage, for thus the Lord will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.’ And afterward Joshua struck them and killed them, and hanged them on five trees; and they were hanging on the trees until evening.”
In verse 24, we see that Joshua told the leaders of Israel to put their feet on the necks of these kings. These five kings are a type of Satan’s government in the earth. Jesus has given us authority to literally stomp on the neck of Satan’s authority! “Far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” (Ephesians 1:21-22) All things are under Christ! As the Body of Christ in the earth, all things are under our feet!
In verse 26, Joshua smote and killed these five kings and hung them on five trees. What a powerful picture of the victory that Christ obtained for us on the Cross (tree) of Calvary! Not only did the Cross free us from the power of sin and death, it also freed us from the one who used that power over us — Satan.
Take a look at this powerful verse: “Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.” (Colossians 2:15) The NIV translation of this verse reads: “And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”
The Cross is our place of forgiveness, redemption and total victory. Two thousand years ago, the sins of this world were remitted and forgiven at Calvary. No one will ever go to hell because of their “sins.” The only way to go to hell is to not accept or believe that Christ bore your sins at Calvary. This is the grace of God for us. The five trees (or “crosses”) mentioned in Joshua 10:26 are a picture of God’s grace. Five is the number of God’s grace. Part of the provision of God’s grace for us is that, at Calvary, God made us “more than conquerors” over Satan’s kingdom. “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4)
When we are born again, we are brought into the Kingdom of God, and in His Kingdom, we’ve been given authority over all the works of the enemy. In your life, family, city and nation, you’ve been given power and authority over all the strength of the enemy. It is time for us to retake our families and cities for God. Jesus told us we would “tread upon serpents and scorpions.”
The serpents and scorpions that Jesus speaks of here are not the snakes and insects of the natural desert, but they are types and levels of Satan’s kingdom. Jesus told us to “put our feet on the necks” of the kingdom of Satan. We must put on our “boots” of authority, and in the name of Jesus crush the evil spirits that want to control our lives and families and cities.
How sad it is that the church, the Body of Christ, has watched helplessly and hopelessly as Satan has ripped off our lives and families and cities! Many poor, deceived saints have said “it was just God’s will” when Satan came to destroy, steal and kill in their lives and circumstances. It is Satan who comes to destroy and steal from us. “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)
In this verse, Jesus gives us Satan’s job description. Satan has come to steal, kill and destroy. Jesus has come to bring abundant life! We must wake up and spiritually discern what is of God and what is of Satan. If you take Satan out of the picture like Job did, then you must hold God responsible for both good and bad. However, there is absolutely no bad in God! “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” (James 1:17)
As we begin to understand our authority as believers, and as we begin to operate in that authority, the Kingdom of God is strengthened, and Satan’s kingdom is weakened. Satan rules now by deception, and is illegally operating his kingdom. As you begin to speak and exercise your authority as a son or daughter of God, your life and family will be loosed from the unseen control of Satan’s army.
As believers accept and exercise their authority in a city, the dark, evil, destructive powers that control the unsaved and spiritually ignorant souls of that city begin to lose their power and influence over the minds and hearts of those people. As God’s people discern and destroy the ruling spirits in their geographical area, the city and area will experience an “open heaven.” This condition of an “open heaven” allows the Word of God to produce life, and revival will be the result.
In Luke 10:17, 18, Jesus describes this weakening of Satan’s kingdom when we exercise our rights and authority: “Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.’ And He said to them, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.’”
After the disciples came back rejoicing in their newfound authority over demons, Jesus said He “beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.” Jesus was describing the weakening of Satan’s kingdom by Jesus’ disciples exercising their authority over devils. As God’s people understand and practice their God-given authority over Satan’s army, the Kingdom of God is advanced, and Satan’s kingdom is pushed back.
