Ⅰ
Joshua 1:3 indicates that although God had given 1srael the good land, 1srael still needed to take the land; they needed to cooperate with God by rising up to fulfill God's commission to possess the land:
A
Joshua led the children of Israel to enter the promised land and to take it, possess it, and enjoy it-v. 6.
B
Israel had become a corporate Joshua-chosen, called, redeemed, saved, trained, prepared, and qualified by God-ready to go on with God as one to take the land of Canaan.
C
To gain the all-inclusive Christ, we need to be today's Joshua, fighting the battle, taking the land, and enjoying Christ as our inheritance.
Ⅱ
We cannot enjoy Christ as the good land without the Body; we must be one with the Body to fight for the land, to possess the land, and to share our portion of the land-Num. 32:1-32; Josh. 22:1-9.
Ⅲ
We need to understand the spiritual significance of the pagan tribes that were in the land of Canaan:
A
The various pagan tribes that occupied the land signify the different aspects of our natural life-Exo. 23:23, footnote 1:
１
The gods (idols) of the pagan tribes (v. 24), with the demons behind them (cf. 1 Cor. 10:20), represent the spiritual forces of evil (Eph. 6:12).
２
Behind our natural life are the forces of evil (cf. Matt. 16:23), who utilize, manipulate, and direct the aspects of our natural life to frustrate us from taking possession of the all-inclusive Christ and enjoying His riches.
３
Because the natural life frustrates us from possessing Christ and enjoying Him, we must hate it (Luke 14:26) and, as we grow in Christ, be willing to drive it out.
４
God will not cut off our natural life, signified by the pagan tribes, all at once (Exo. 23:29), because this would leave us inwardly vacant and in danger of being taken over by demons, signified by the animals of the field (cf. Matt. 12:43-45):
ａ
God cuts off our natural life gradually, little by little, according to the degree of our growth in the divine life (Exo. 23:30).
ｂ
The more Christ increases in us, the more He will replace our natural life.
ｃ
The more Christ increases in us, the more we will be able to cooperate with God in driving out the natural life (v. 31).
B
The Canaanites signify human beings who have joined themselves to the evil spirits, to the satanic power of darkness in the air-Num. 14:45, footnote 1.
C
The Canaanites typify the fallen angels, the rebellious angels who follow Satan (Rev. 12:4, 7), who have become the powers, rulers, and authorities in Satan's kingdom (cf. Dan. 10:13, 20)-Num. 21:1, footnote 1:
１
In the typology of the Old Testament, Canaan has two aspects:
ａ
On the positive side Canaan, a land of riches (Deut. 8:7-10; v. 7, foot-notes 1 and 2), typifies the all-inclusive Christ with His unsearchable riches (Col. 1:12; Eph. 3:8).
ｂ
On the negative side, Canaan signifies the aerial part, the heavenly part, of the dark kingdom of Satan.
２
As the ruler of this world (John 12:31) and as the ruler of the authority of the air (Eph. 2:2), Satan has his authority (Acts 26:18) and his angels (Matt. 25:41), who are his subordinates as principalities, powers, and rulers of the darkness of this world (Eph. 6:12); hence, he has his kingdom (Matt. 12:26), the authority of darkness (Col. 1:13).
３
The fighting of the children of Israel against the Canaanites so that they might possess and enjoy the good land typifies the spiritual warfare of the church as a whole, including all the members, against "the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenlies" (Eph. 6:12) so that the saints may enjoy Christ as the all-inclusive land.
Ⅳ
The church must be a corporate warrior, fighting against Satan's aerial forces so that God's people may gain more of Christ for the building up of the Body of Christ, establishing and spreading the kingdom of God so that Christ can come back to inherit the earth-vv. 10-20; 3:埠, 16-21.
Ⅴ
"We all need to know what the recovery is, where the recovery is, and what kind of persons can take the recovery on. We all need to see that in the Lord's recovery today we are on a battlefield. We should be today's Joshua and Caleb, fighting against Satan's aerial forces so that we can gain more of Christ for the building up of the Body of Christ, setting up and spreading the kingdom of God so that Christ can come back to inherit the earth. 1t is not adequate for us simply to be spiritual and holy. We need to learn of Joshua and Caleb to represent God's interest in this age to fight down the enemies that Christ can be gained by people and that Christ can be increased by His pursuers" (Life-study of Joshua, p. 61).