ENEMIES IN THE LAND

Foundation:
The Land is you
The enemies are the things in you that have to be destroyed!

Scripture:
Deuteronomy 20:16-18
But of the cities of these peoples which the Lord your God gives you as an
inheritance, you shall let nothing that breathes remain alive, [17] but you
shall utterly destroy them: the Hittite and the Amorite and the Canaanite
and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, just as the Lord your God
has commanded you, [18] lest they teach you to do according to all their
abominations which they have done for their gods, and you sin against the
Lord your God.

Judges 3:3-5
[3] These were the nations: the Philistines (those living under the five
Philistine rulers), all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in
the hill country of Lebanon from Mount Baal-hermon to Lebo-hamath. [4]
These people were left to test the Israelites—to see whether they would obey
the commands the Lord had given to their ancestors through Moses. [5] So
Israel lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites,
and Jebusites,

Philistines they were an aggressive tribal group in the southwest of the

Promised Land, and one whom Israel would battle for a long time. The name
‘Philistine’ means ‘wallowing’ or to ‘wallow self’.

The dictionary says that wallowing means ‘roll about in or to give oneself
over to, or revel in, a feeling, or way of life.

They were told to utterly destroy the Hittite and let nothing
that breathes remain alive of this tribe.
a. The Hittite nation was one of the largest in ancient times, and
its people were very strong. They spread over an immense
land area.
 b. The word Hittite means fear.
i. It literally means Sons of Terror.
ii. Nothing of this tribe that has breath could remain alive.
Breath signifies voice, life. This enemy must have no say
in your life. This enemy must die.

This is the first enemy we have to fight in order to

possess the spiritual land.

They were told to utterly destroy the Amorite

c. The word Amorite means:
i. Publicity, prominence
ii. It comes from a root word meaning to say
iii. It speaks of boasting yourself into places of prominence,
pride, arrogance, and wanting to be seen of men
1. So the Amorites speak words, but there is no
action.
2. It is the same principle we find in the New
Testament where Jesus admonished us concerning
the Pharisees and Sadducees:
Matthew 23:3
Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do
not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do.

iv. The second enemy we have to fight and destroy in order

to possess the land is Pride, Arrogance, and wanting to be

Next they were told to utterly destroy the Canaanites

d. This word means:
i. Peddler, merchant, trafficker
1. It comes from two root words meaning:
a. Humiliate, vanquish, subject, bring down
low
ii. It speaks of putting others down to lift yourself up and
peddle yourself, putting others down to make yourself
look good or to get ahead.
 We see this principle all around us in the Church here in
the Western part of the world.
a. It’s the principle of looking religious or
going to church simply for what you can get
out of it.

They were told to utterly destroy the Perizzite

e. This word means to be an inhabitant of an open country
i. It comes from root words meaning:
1. Without walls, to separate
2. This speaks of being separate and alone, free-
spirited, undisciplined (without walls or
boundaries) a liberal, independent, unconfined,
wanting to be first and foremost.
They were told to utterly destroy Hivite
f. This word means villager.
1. The root word of Hivite means life-giving or living
place.
2. The root word of that word is EVE! The original
natural life giver. The one the serpent deceived.
a. So this speaks of your natural life. What is
the fountain or source of your life – Jesus or
self?
b. If it is self then like Eve the serpent can
deceive you also!
The sixth enemy we must overcome is the Gebusite or Jebusite
g. It means:
i. Trodden, to trample, threshing place, polluted
1. We must overcome the enemy’s attempts to
pollute us, to cause us to be downtrodden,
trampled, and helpless. We are not without
authority! We must use our authority or lose it.
ii. This speaks to me of passivity and laziness. Allowing
things to run over you instead of standing up and
fighting.

The 7th enemy is the Girgashite

h. The word Girgashite :
 i. Is of an unknown origin, but these people were part of
the tribes dwelling in Canaan (depressed, humiliated and
brought low).
1. It means a stranger drawing near
ii. Each of us has had different experiences in our lives
through which many strangers (death principles) have
drawn near.
The eighth enemy is the Sidonians
i. Sidonian means hunting
i. It reminds us of the battle we are in.

The enemy persecutes us, He chases us. He hunts us. He walks about like a
roaring lion seeking who he may devour.