Believers know that following Christ involves sacrifice. There will be battles to fight. We want to know if the battles will be worth it.
Joshua knew that they would not enter the Promised Land the next day or the day after that. There would be many battles to fight. Seven groups of people inhabited the Promise Land. When it was all said and done Joshua conquered thirty-five cities. Husbands and fathers, sons and brothers, would die on the battlefield. And he had to know if the sacrifices would be worth it. God answers that question with a rich theological truth.
Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them.
-Joshua 1:6
The inheritance of the Promised Land for the nation of Israel takes on a spiritual significance in the New Testament. Peter tells us that through Christ we have,
…an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade– kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
-1 Peter 1:4-5
Are the battles worth it? Every one of them! At the end of the day, they will pale in comparison to our great inheritance through Jesus.