The Name
Why Storming Jericho? Choosing a name was actually one of the hardest parts. The two of us really can’t agree on names for anything, and the process took us a good several months. But we ultimately came to something we could both agree on, and we’re thankful for that.
The name is really a 3-fold inspiration. First and probably most obvious is the inspiration that comes from the Old Testament story of Joshua and the Israelites marching around the city of Jericho (Joshua 6). All that stood between Israel and the Promised Land was Canaan. And at the entrance, was Jericho.
Before we go any further, keep in mind that the sole reason the Israelites had spent the last 40 years wandering in the wilderness was their disbelief that God could and would aid Israel in conquering this land and hold true to his promise (Numbers 13 & 14).
Now, it’s common sense when faced with such an obstacle to immediately prepare for vicious battle. After all, these people were powerful giants and this was their home. But instead of attacking the city, God told Joshua to march around the city’s walls once a day for 6 days. On the 7th day, they were to march around 7 times the same way, but on the 7th pass, as the priests gave a loud blast from their ram’s horns, the Israelites were to shout as loud as they could and the walls would fall. [We don’t know about you, but if we were Joshua, we may have had our doubts about all this. It all seems a little…far-fetched, to say the least, right?]
Needless to say, Joshua and the Israelites marched. And on the 7th days, with the sound of their shouts ringing through the air, the walls crumbled at their feet. And Jericho was handed over to the Israelites…just as God promised (vs. 2). Just goes to show, even when God’s plans seem crazy, they will always work.
A Deeper Layer
With that story in mind, we want to share our second inspiration for the name. God has promised his children many things. He’s promised he has plans for our lives…good plans even. He’s promised a home in Heaven for us if we confess him as our savior. He’s promised to love us unconditionally, to take care of our every need, to give us an escape from temptation, to answer our prayers, to forgive us, to comfort and protect us. In fact, according to Everet E. Storms, there are 7,959 promises in Scripture made by God. We don’t know about you, but if it’s from God, we want it.
So why is it that we all struggle with these promises? Why do we doubt God? Why do we remain silent when we should be speaking out? Why does the Bible speak of healing, yet we remain sick; peace, yet we remain anxious; joy, yet we remain filled with fear? Why do we feel condemned when God says we’re forgiven? Why do we worry when God says He will take care of us?
Remember satan? The evil one? Believe it or not, he’s alive and well in the world today. And his greatest lie is convincing us that he doesn’t exist. Pretty clever, right? Think about how many times you’ve heard God blamed for tragedy and disaster. Countless. And yet, who is the author of evil? How can we defeat an enemy we’ve forgotten exists?
Our Jericho
Brothers and sisters, this is our Jericho. These lies, these burdens, these are our Canaan and satan is reigning as the invisible king, barricading us from what God has promised. These are the spiritual battles we face daily. We are in the midst of war. But take heart, for the battle belongs to the Lord.
In Ephesians 6:12, Paul tells us that our struggle is against the rulers, authorities and powers of this dark world and against the evil spirits in the heavenly realms. He then urges us to be strong in the Lord and his mighty power. We are to put on the full armor of God so we can stand against the devil’s evil schemes.
13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
We are promised victory in Jesus’ name. We will prevail. Our weapons have divine power and strongholds will be demolished (2 Corinthians 10). No weapon formed against us shall prosper (Isaiah 54:17). We’re on the winning team and that is good news. We can stand boldly, courageously, without a doubt in our minds that we will conquer our enemies and can claim the promises of God.
Finally, and possibly most exciting, we chose this name as foreshadowing to the fate of our enemy. Biblical scholars, those much more knowledgeable than we, have said the events that took place in the book of Joshua bear an iconic similarity to the events prophesied in Revelation. The book of Revelation gives us proof of our inevitable victory and the destruction of the kingdom of darkness (Revelation 19-20). Just as the Israelites had faith that God would come through on his promise to deliver Jericho into their hands and ultimately give them the Promised Land, we can have faith that the ultimate battle we face against the prince of darkness will end in victory.
So What Happens Next?
As ambassadors for Christ, it is our mission to tell the world the good news of Jesus. We want everyone we encounter to know the truth found in Scripture and the joyous freedom that comes from a personal relationship with Christ. We pray that, through this ministry and through our humble submission, God will destroy strongholds, break down barriers, cast out demons, heal the sick and spur on a revelation of faith-filled brothers and sisters committed fighting the good fight (1 Timothy 6:12).
