In Joshua, chapter seventeen, verse thirteen, Israel fails to possess the land fully by not driving out the Canaanites for two reasons. They wanted profit and affluence gained from the forced labor and tribute of the Canaanites. Compromising the will of God for ease and money sowed the seeds for later widespread apostasy. Some of the Canaanites, with their “chariots of iron,” had armaments superior to the Israelites, which they could not overcome in their strength. They were beginning to lose confidence in the power of their God to overcome their enemies.
The Israelites could not overcome their physical battle: the flesh. They were steady all in for the will of God until other plans suddenly came into the picture. Their eyes became focused on the wealth and profit gained that their enemies got from other resources. The Israelites let down their spiritual guard to naturally rely on their power to continue the battle against the enemies, only to start losing it.
Today the problem for many believers is that they have not experienced the true blessing of God because they fail to drive the enemy out of the way. If we spiritually have a relationship with God and abide by His Word, yet our fleshly desires are still active within us, which forces us to divide our commitment to Him, it will be an up-and-down battle. It is like taking two steps forward and two steps back, gaining no ground. The reason being is that we give the devil access to our lives. We are not able to gain access to God’s blessing if we are not following His will.
The truth is few believers experience the blessing from God because those who are all in and do not compromise will receive it. Their heart is not on things but on Him, which in return, God releases it. The funny thing is people think they can hide their plans inside to fool God and yet do not realize He sees right through the heart. Many live to survive because they fail to drive out the enemy. Lot’s wife was out of Sodom but was looking back: looking back cannot go forward with God to receive what He desires to give you.