The Spies in Canaan Then and Now

“But the men who had gone up with him said, ‘We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are’” Numbers 13:31.

The 12 spies had just come back from spying out Canaan. This verse gives us a glimpse into their attitude toward their enemies there. To read this passage for context, click here.

The Spies in Canaan: They Are Stronger Than We Are

It didn’t take long for the Israelites to be convinced by the report of the spies. It was hopeless. They might as well forget about that whole promise land thing. They had always known it was too good to be true anyway.

The reason they insisted they could not defeat their enemies is because “they are stronger than we are”.

Figuratively speaking, the enemies that prevented them from being filled with the Holy Spirit (which is what the Promise Land can represent) is sin.

According to scripture, we must be crucified before Christ can live in us (Galatians 2:20). And this often involves death to sin. The reason they couldn’t defeat their enemies is because they were stronger than them.

Continually Defeated

This is often why Christians remain in bondage to sin, addictions and lusts too. We want to be free. We wish we could be free. But the sin is too strong for us. And we are continually defeated by it.

I remember feeling that way about my long-standing anger problem. I was jealous of a Christian woman I knew who was like me in many ways but with one big difference: She seemed to be in control of her emotions.

And I would justify my lack of control by telling myself that I couldn’t help it. I grew up in chaos and she didn’t. I wanted so much to be free. But this excuse, although it made me feel a little better, kept me in my bondage.

I knew on some level that my sin prevented me from being blessed the way I longed to be. (I admit, my motive may not have been perfect at the time).

But I felt powerless over it. It was too strong for me. Like the Israelites, I was prevented from entering into the promise land of fullness of the Spirit with all its blessings. Because I believed my enemy was stronger than me.

And this was actually true. Just as the giants of Canaan were stronger than the Israelites, my anger problem was too much for me.

Vicious Cycle

We’re only tempted in areas where we’re weak. And because I was so weak, I gave in to the temptation to lose my temper when provoked. So, it’s a vicious cycle:

I’m weak> I’m tempted> I give in to temptation> I become weaker.

The only thing that can break this cycle is the power of the Holy Spirit through prayer. I believe that’s one reason Jesus said “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” Mathew 26:41.

So, the problem the Israelites and I had is that we looked at the situation from a human, natural perspective. And didn’t take God’s power into account.

My sin and that of the Israelites wasn’t that we acknowledged our weakness, helplessness and inadequacy. That was all too true.

The Spies in Canaan Didn’t Believe

It was that we failed to also acknowledge and believe God’s power, willingness to help and adequacy. We believed the truth about ourselves. But refused to believe the truth about God.

So, I think one of the biggest things that prevents Christians from being filled with the Holy Spirit and power, from enjoying the rewards of righteousness and from being all that God calls us to be, is our sin.

And more specifically, the idea that we can’t overcome our sin, even by Christ’s power. I don’t think most Christians love our sin in the sense that we have no desire to be free of it. Usually, we do want to be set free more than anything.

But we’ve tried and failed so many times. So, we finally just give up. We begin to justify, excuse and rationalize our sin away because we feel powerless to overcome it.

Cooperate with the Holy Spirit

To be set free, we must continue to hate our sin and strive against it. And cooperate with the Holy Spirit. Until He grants us the victory over it. Our possession of the promise land depends on it.

After years of struggle, I finally was able to overcome my anger problem. To read about how the power of prayer to overcome temptation, see:

Jesus Fed the 5000, but What About the Leftovers?

Beauty For Ashes: A Divine Exchange

Or for another post similar to The Spies in Canaan Then and Now, see Gentle or Overwhelming Trials: You Choose.

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