God Delivers Little by Little

Little by Little: “I will not drive out your enemies from before you in one year,” says God

God will not deliver you from all your enemies, spiritual or physical, at once, but little by little. This is a spiritual mystery that’s governed by the wisdom of God. He told Israel when he gave them the promised land that he would not drive out the enemy nations before them at once, but little by little because they were not able to handle sudden and instant deliverance. By the time Joshua died, there was still much land to be possessed.

“I will send My fear before you, I will cause confusion among all the people to whom you come, and will make all your enemies turn their backs to you. And I will send hornets before you, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite from before you. I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the beasts of the field become too numerous for you. Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased, and you inherit the land.” Exodus 23:27-29

“And the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you little by little; you will be unable to destroy them at once, lest the beasts of the field become too numerous for you. But the Lord your God will deliver them over to you, and will inflict defeat upon them until they are destroyed. And He will deliver their kings into your hand, and you will destroy their name from under heaven; no one shall be able to stand against you until you have destroyed them.” Deuteronomy 7:22-24

“Now Joshua was old, advanced in years. And the LORD said to him: “You are old, advanced in years, and there remains very much land yet to be possessed.” Joshua 13:1



God deliberately kept some of their enemies in the land to safeguard Israel’s inheritance and protect them from greater battles that they could not handle at that time.

Sometimes we want God to destroy all our enemies and give us victory over every adversity NOW, but that’s not how God works. He knows our capacity and limitations, and as a faithful Father, he gives us victory as we grow and advance with him.

The Holy Spirit was showing me this morning that if some people received the deliverance they seek right now without spiritual maturity and adequate teaching to sustain their deliverance, they will leave their lives open to attack, and the demons will come back seven times by spiritual law, bringing them to an even worse state of bondage (Matthew 12:43-45).

There are many reasons God times and spaces out our victories:

1. To grow us little by little into a place where we can handle each battle and steward each blessing so that they don’t destroy us. God is more interested in your soul than giving you physical blessings. He will not give you what will destroy you and turn you away from him. Your growth and who you become are more important to God. As he grows you in maturity, he increases you. Giving 10 million dollars to an immature teenager will destroy him, but a good and responsible father will grow that child into an adult who can manage and handle such wealth, gradually increasing his stewardship.

2. To build our capacity to fight certain battles. If we are not ready now to fight certain battles, God will work with us and deliver us little by little based on what we are presently able to do as we grow. God does not do everything for us; he works with us at our present capacity and gives us more responsibility as we grow. If you’re not able to defeat a little demon that’s tormenting you and you run away in fear, why would God entrust you to fight principalities?

3. To test our obedience and loyalty to him. Sometimes God will leave certain enemies and battles intact to test our devotion to Him. Will we still love him if our victories don’t come immediately? Or will we turn away from him, go back to the world, take matters into our own hands, or consult witches and false prophets for quick answers?

4. To protect us from worse battles and counterattacks that we are not able to handle. He kept Israel’s enemies in place because their number was still too small to manage the land, and if the land were kept empty, wild beasts would overrun it, which would be harder to dislodge. Every new level has a new devil. God never gives us more than we can handle. If a certain level of blessing will destroy you, he will withhold it until you’re ready to handle it both physically and spiritually.

5. To teach us patience and reliance on him. As a good father, God knows the human tendency to forget God. He paces our blessings to teach us that our help comes from him and so that we can rely on him and pray to him.

6. To protect us from pride and overconfidence. Sudden success inflates pride and arrogance in many, and God desires to protect us even from ourselves because pride leads to a fall. Having battles we are still fighting keeps us humble and dependent on God.

7. To keep us spiritually alert and on our guard through prayer and spiritual discipline. Knowing we have enemies and battles to fight keeps us spiritually alert and active, clothed with the full armor of God. If we had no battles, Christians would be lazy and slumbering, placing them in even greater danger. God schedules our victories and blessings to keep us vigilant, watchful, and growing in strength.

8. God works in seasons and divine timing. God is a God of order and purpose. He knows what he has planned for us and what each season involves. He gives us our daily bread and what is sufficient for us in our present season. We cannot rush God. He will not drive out all our enemies or end all our battles immediately because his plans and purposes for us often require the presence of enemies, gradual victories, and unfolding testimonies. There is a season for everything.

9. For his glory through our testimonies. Each battle won and victory attained is a testimony of God’s faithfulness that returns glory to him.

“Behold, I send an Angel (preincarnate Christ) before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. Beware of Him and obey His voice; do not provoke Him, for He will not pardon your transgressions; for My name is in Him. But if you indeed obey His voice and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries. For My Angel will go before you and bring you in to the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites and the Hivites and the Jebusites; and I will cut them off.“ Exodus 23:20-23

The promise of God is that he will fight for us and give us victory if we rely on him, obey him, walk with him, and cling to him. God will be an enemy to our enemies and an adversary to our adversaries if only we remain loyal to him. He will never leave us nor forsake us. And so even when there seem to be delays, we can trust that his perfect plan is unfolding and all is working for our good as long as we are walking and growing with him and being obedient.

“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 3:18

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