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Joshua was a city builder.

“In accordance with the command of the LORD they gave him (Joshua) the city for which he asked, Timnath-serah in the hill country of Ephraim. So he built the city and settled in it.” (Josh. 19:50. NASB)

Joshua and his large extended family finally received their city, a place where they could settle and began to enjoy the blessings of God.

But this did not come easily. There had been years of warfare as Joshua 11:18-19 points out.

“Joshua waged war for a long time with all these kings. There was not a city which made peace with the sons of Israel except the Hivites living in Gibeon; they took them all in battle.” (NASB)

Hundreds of cities are listed in the book of Joshua. The Israelite army had to fight for every one. This was no short term skirmish. It was a long war which no doubt had many casualties. Every city was ruled over by its own evil king who did not intend to willingly cede an inch of ground.

God had promised that He would give them “every place on which the sole of your feet treads”. (Joshua 1:3) Their role was to go into battle for each city holding onto God’s promise that he would fight for them. They were to march into battle for cities behind their all conquering warrior God.

The first generation of Israelites were not up for the fight, as we have discovered earlier. The cities seemed just too big and strong. It boiled down to the fact they just did not listen to the voice of God. (Joshua 5:6) As a result of their faithless unbelief they forfeited their inheritance and were turned away to become desert nomads for forty years, dying in the wilderness until a believing generation replaced them.

Today God is saying “cities” loud and clear. For thirty or more years many leaders have been speaking about God’s intentions for cities. Add the dozens of books on this subject and it is obvious that the voice of God is calling Christians out of their pews and into their cities to do battle with darkness.

It’s time for the gospel to light up the cities and towns of the world!

The question is, “Will this generation of Christians be up for the battle for our cities?” There is no doubt this will be a long and challenging war, for the enemy will not willingly cede an inch of ground.

The good news is that in hundreds of cities across the globe Christians have already entered the war. Even at this early stage there has been much gain as the gospel impacts city after city.

We can be thankful for a “believing generation” that is rising up!

God will teach this generation to war as He did with Israel. (Judges 3:2)

“Blessed be the LORD, my rock, Who trains my hands for war, And my fingers for battle;” (Ps 144:1. NASB)

King David was the great warrior king who hundreds of years after Joshua finally finished the task of conquering the land and the prize city of Jerusalem. His victory songs are powerful. (See 2 Samuel 22 and Ps 18)

In the New Testament Paul ensured the Ephesian church understood and prepared for the real war against enemy darkness in the city. (Eph. 6:10-20)

The Bible makes clear that cities are the context for God’s redemptive and restorative plans for the whole world.

But this agenda is hotly contested by the devil.

Though he has been defeated by Jesus on the cross where He was publicly disarmed (Col. 2:15), the Church in each generation is to make that victory effective in every place by driving his dark, destroying presence from every city. This, of course, is accomplished by declaring the gospel of the Kingdom by word and deed.

Gospel victory is predicated by God’s people living distinctive, worshipping, prayerful lives in obedience to God’s word.

However God’s people have a track record of backsliding from a whole hearted devotion and obedience to Him and His word. The result is always loss; loss of vision and effectiveness, loss of devotion to God and loss of love for one another, and finally, each doing what seems right in their own eyes.

By Ian Shelton Coordinator of Movement Australia