Knowing God - The Lord Will NOT Protect

Josh 23:13

 Know for a certainty that the Lord your God will no more drive out any of these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the Lord your God hath given you.

                                                                      

Joshua warns the people of God that if they begin to compromise and join with those who do not serve the Lord, the Lord will not drive out their enemies before them.  The Lord loves to fight for us but He expects us to know which side of the battle we are on.  We cannot expect God to fight our enemies when we join with them as if they are our allies.  They will be snares and traps to us.  They will be thorns in our eyes and we can lose the inheritance the Lord has for us if we mistakenly or rebelliously embrace the very things the Lord wants to drive out of our lives.  The Lord fight for us, yes, but He will step back and allow the consequences of our actions to come forth when we do not position ourselves in opposition to the things He is fighting.