Joshua 10:40

Necessary, therefore, and first is this work of the Word of God, to "root out" the plants of sin and to "pluck up every plant which the heavenly Father has not planted" and to consume it with fire. Now the second work is to "plant." What is it that God "plants"? Moses says that "God planted a paradise." But even now "God plants" and daily "plants" in the souls of believers. For in the soul from which he has cut out anger, he "plants" gentleness, and from which he has cut out pride, he "plants" humility; from which he roots out wantonness, he "plants" chastity; from which he uproots ignorance, he implants knowledge. Does not such a planting, which "God plants," seem to you to ought to be greater than that of insensible and earthly trees? Likewise, in the first place, it is the work of the Word of God to destroy the diabolical buildings which it has constructed in the human soul. For that one built up towers of pride in each one of us and walls of haughtiness; these the word of God overthrows and undermines, so that deservedly, according to the Apostle, we may become "God's tillage and God's building, built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole framework of the building grows into a temple of God in the Spirit," and so at last we may deserve to be made in the inheritance of the holy land in the Israelite portion, with all our enemies extinguished and slain, so that "there is not left of them any that breathes in us," but the Spirit of Christ alone may breathe in us, through works and words and spiritual understanding, according to the teaching of Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom is power and dominion unto the ages of ages. Amen!

I think that in this way it is better to understand the Israelite wars, and that in this way Jesus is better thought to do battle and to destroy cities and overthrow kingdoms. For thus also that saying will appear more religious and more merciful, which says that he so overthrew and laid waste each and every city "that nothing was left in them that breathed, nor anyone who was saved, nor anyone who escaped." For would that the Lord might so cast out and extinguish all former evils from the souls that believe in him and that he claims for his kingdom, and from my own soul, that no sense of malice in me may any longer "breathe," that no affection of anger, no affection of any evil desire may be saved in me, that no evil word may remain that "escapes" from my mouth. For thus, with Jesus as my leader, purged from all former evils, I shall be able to be made among the cities of the children of Israel, of which it is written: "the cities of Judah shall be built and they shall dwell in them." For indeed even now Jesus destroys and "builds" the soul of each one of us; and just as we were saying then, when we were discussing Jeremiah, that he had received "words in" his "mouth," by which he might "overthrow" and "build," "root out" and "plant," so also now in these things which we have in hand I think it is to be understood — not according to the heretics or according to the Jews; but as it was there said to Jeremiah: "behold, I have set you this day over the nations and the kingdoms, to root out and to overthrow and to bring to destruction, and after these things to build and to plant" — so also concerning these things which are written as done through Jesus it is to be believed, or rather concerning these things which through our Lord Jesus are even now being done in us. For the first work of the Word of God is to root out the preceding evils, the "thorns and thistles" of the vices. For while these roots hold the seized earth in their grip, it cannot receive the good and holy seeds.