Joshua 16:10

"And the Canaanites have lived in the midst of Ephraim to this very day." But Ephraim is interpreted as "fruitful." Therefore, although it is fruitful, it is not able to eject the Canaanite (who is of a different and cursed seed) from its territory until this day. But we can also say this concerning the church. Taken another way, there is no soul who is able to remain pure in this present life seeking peace alone without sinning until he sees Christ, the peace of God and the one who [dwells] throughout all those who bear fruit. For no one is clean from sordidness, from strange or alien thinking [on his own]. And so, just as the Jebusites and Canaanites are always found in Jerusalem, it is also necessary to suffer for the casting out of these, but only those who call upon God are able to do so.

But this too is not to be passed over idly, that it is said that "Pharaoh came and took the city of Gazer, in which the Canaanite dwelt with Ephraim, and gave it as a dowry to his daughter." Now "Gazer" is interpreted as constriction. If, therefore, body and soul dwell in one and the same constriction, that is, joined and allied to one another, so that the soul both lives carnally and does not hasten to make the flesh more swiftly obedient and subject to itself, it is to be feared lest "Pharaoh come" out of Egypt and lead the unhappy soul captive, so that he "hands her over as a dowry to his daughter." For if you consider that which the Apostle said, that "another law arises in our members and leads us captive under the law of sin," you will find how that Pharaoh, who is the author and king of sin, "enrolls as a dowry" for "his daughter," who is "the law of sin," the soul that has lived carnally.

Let us see, then, now, what this threefold narrative concerning the Canaanites means. First, the "Canaanite" is indeed with us and is "under tribute," yet he is not obedient to us nor a "servant." Second, he is made even a "servant" and obedient. Let us here take the Canaanite as our flesh, or the things that belong to the flesh. This is first with us, that is, it is joined to the soul, but it is not obedient to it, except only that it "pays tribute," that is, it does indeed furnish the service of doing or moving something, "yet it lusts against the spirit" and is not obedient to the soul, but yields to its own desires. But if we have now made some progress, the flesh "is made" for us a "servant" and obedient, and submitting to the will of the soul; and this is the second progress of the soul, when it has made the flesh both obey it and serve it. The third, however, is that which is perfect. For if we now come to the perfect, the "Canaanite" is said to be "exterminated" by us and handed over to death. But how this is fulfilled in our flesh, hear the Apostle saying: "mortify your members which are upon the earth, fornication, uncleanness," and the rest that follows. And again he says: "but they who are Christ's have crucified their flesh with its vices and lusts." So then, thirdly, that is, when we come to perfection and "mortify our members" and "carry about the death of Christ in our body," the "Canaanite" is said to be "exterminated" by us.