The encouragement to cling to God and the warning to separate from the nations is given to the people of Israel because Joshua knows that they have a sinful nature. After being brought into the land, the natures of God's people have not been changed. Yes, the Spirit is helping them to fight against sin; yes, the Lord will make them strong for service as they meet with him; but even so, sinful desires will continue to come up in their hearts and minds. Moreover, these desires will mean that the temptation to compromise and serve other gods will be ever-present.

When the choice is between fighting and trading, common sense says, Choose peace and make a profit; but God’s Word says, Pick up your sword and drive out the Canaanites who remain. The one is easy, the other is hard. When you are outnumbered in battle, common sense says, Wait for more favourable circumstances; but God’s Word says, when he fights for Israel, One man can put a thousand to flight. Stepping out in faith is risky.

When it comes to marriage, worldly wisdom says, Religious differences are insignificant as long as there is love. God’s Word says that love is to seek what is best for someone else, and that is not to affirm people in rebellion against him by pretending that faith does not matter. Do not be yoked together with unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:14). Do not even start that relationship, for your faith will not survive.

When it comes to decisions about work, pagan materialism says, Do what you can to get as much money as possible. Cheat on your taxes, cut corners at the office, look out for Number One (yourself). God’s Word says, Work as if to the Lord, provide for those in need, and rest on the Sabbath.

When it comes to sexuality, Canaanite religion says, Have as much sex as possible with whomever you please. Come, here are temple prostitutes; sleep with them so that Baal can reward you with rain and prosperity. God’s Word says, Wait for marriage. That is where sexual intimacy is to be enjoyed. And if you are married, then remember that sex is not about you and your desires; rather it is to serve your partner and strengthen the bonds that exist.

The temptation to compromise God’s Word for the sake of peace, prosperity, and comfort is real and unavoidable. It is a temptation that plagued the people of Israel, and it is a temptation that we also struggle with today. None of us wants our non-Christian friends or family to think of us as weird and old-fashioned. Even worse is being labelled a fundamentalist. Those are not the words we want to be associated with. We want to be thought well of in society. We want our friends to like us and that inevitably means that if we are not careful, we will drift along with the habits and priorities of the world around us—drift along so that ultimately there is no real difference between us and our neighbours who do not know the Lord.