The disastrous defeat of our forebears at the city of Ai and the ill-advised treaty with the Gibeonites were both the direct result of not consulting Almighty God on proceeding with intended plans. Proverbs 3:5-6 admonishes us to acknowledge God in all our ways and our plans will come to fruition. The terms of military engagement were given to God's people in Deuteronomy 20:10-18, but when they used their own deficient savvy instead of God's counsel, they reaped disaster. Likewise, when we surrender unconditionally to Almighty God, He has promised to serve as our rear guard (Isaiah 52:12; Isaiah 58: 8). The curses of Deuteronomy 28 can be assiduously avoided by yielding to and following God's holy law, as dramatized in Joshua 8:30-35, where Mount Gerizim served as the venue for the Levitical Priests chanting the blessings and Mount Ebal serving as the venue for the chanting of the curses. God's solution to the problem of sin is to commune with Him all day long, submitting to the rigorous sanctification process. As part of enduring the sanctification process, and for protection against demonic principalities, we are commanded to put on the spiritual armor of God (Ephesians 6), walking by faith and not by sight (or appearance), trusting exclusively for our strength (Psalm 18: 1-2).