Important Lessons in Spiritual Warfare

Joshua chapter 5 describes the consecration of the people of Israel, in preparation for the great task
that lay before them.
As such, it stands as a bridge between the crossing of the Jordan, and the beginning of the military
campaigns to subjugate the inhabitants of the Land.
For many, however, especially to those trained in military tactics, this chapter may seem like an
enigma, at least from man’s point of view, and of course, that’s precisely the issue here.
God’s ways are infinitely higher than our ways. From all appearances (in the natural) now was
the time to attack the enemy. The people of Israel were filled with the excitement and motivation of
having miraculously crossed the Jordan on dry ground. Further, they apparently knew the enemy was
in disarray from the standpoint of their morale (vss. 5:1); surely, it was time to strike. Many of the
military leaders under Joshua’s command may have been thinking or even saying, “For goodness
sake, let’s not wait. Let’s go! Now is the logical time and the enemy is ripe for the taking!”
But in God’s economy and plan there are spiritual values, priorities, and principles that are
far more vital and fundamental to victory, or our capacity to attack and demolish the
fortresses, that the world has raised up against the knowledge and plan of God (2 Cor.
10:4-5).
Looking at conditions from our perspective of deadlines, feeling the pressure to perform and
accomplish things to please people and sometimes our own egos, we are too often in a hurry to get
the show on the road.
But to be victorious or successful from God’s standpoint, certain things are essential, if we are going
to attack the various fortresses of life in His strength and according to His principles.
Before Israel was ready to face the enemy, they too needed a preparation of heart and willingness to
submit to God’s directions that they might also experience His power. To ensure that, God took them
through several events to instruct and prepare them for battle. Chapter 5 falls into five instructive
sections with each one being fundamental to victory. These include:
(1) A statement regarding the morale of the inhabitants of the land (5:1).
a. Essential to spiritual victory is our understanding that in Christ, all the enemies we
face are in essence defeated foes (cf. Rom. 6; Col. 2:1-15; Heb. 2:14).
(2) The renewal of the rite of circumcision (5:2-9).
a. As a sign of God’s covenant with Abraham, circumcision stood for Israel’s faith in
God’s promises, which included the possession of the land as their inheritance. It was
an act of faith and spiritual preparation.
(3) The observance of the Passover (5:10).
a. By partaking of the Passover, Israel was to relive their deliverance out of Egypt by
the blood of the Lamb, but as with circumcision, this too was related to the land.
b. As observing the Passover in Egypt protected them from the destroying angel, it also
assured them of two more things:
i. that just as crossing the Red Sea would be followed by the destruction of the
Egyptians,
ii. so likewise the crossing of the Jordan would be followed by the defeat of the
Canaanites.
iii. Remembering the past, became an excellent preparation of faith for the tests
of the future.
(4) Eating of the produce of the land with the ceasing of the manna (5:11-12).
a. Observing the Passover stood for God’s deliverance out of Egypt and from judgment
of the destroying angel, but for God’s covenant people, deliverance from Egypt
included the promise they would inherit the land, a land of abundance, a land of
wheat, barley, fig trees, olive oil and honey (cf. Deut. 8:8-9).
b. It spoke of their new beginning, of their new life as the people of God delivered from
judgment and rock solid in the place of blessing.

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Important Lessons in Spiritual Warfare
c. May I repeat the principle: the Passover not only looked back, but it looked
forward, to their new life in the land, enjoying its abundant blessings by
the power of God, and so eating of the produce was an act of confirmation
of God’s abundant blessing.
(5) Joshua’s encounter with the Captain of the hosts of the Lord (5:13-15).
a. This becomes the last key event of preparation. But why this encounter?
b. With everything apparently now prepared for the conquest of the land, the next
scene opens with Joshua, God’s appointed commander of Israel, not in the camp of
Israel at Gilgal, but by the city of Jericho.
c. What do you suppose Joshua was doing there? He was surely about the Lord’s work
and gathering information about the city and its fortifications in preparation to launch
his attack. He was naturally concerned about several things. First of all, he needed a
plan of action. Just how would they go about attacking Jericho, probably the best
fortified city of Canaan? Besieging a city like Jericho was something for which they
had little or no experience. Further, they undoubtedly lacked equipment like battering
rams, catapults, scaling ladders or moving towers. All they had were swords, arrows,
slings, and spears, which naturally would seem totally inadequate for the task before
them.
d. So how would Joshua prepare his army and how should they go about taking the
city? He must have felt like the weight of the world was pressing down on his
shoulders.
e. Can we fault Joshua for being at Jericho and surveying the situation? Absolutely not.
In fact, another great leader, Nehemiah, did the same when faced with the fallen
condition of the walls of Jerusalem. But nevertheless, Joshua needed an encounter
with the God he served that he might grasp afresh an important truth, one that was
equally vital as part of his preparation for victory by the power of God.
f. As all of God’s saints tend to get their eyes off the enormous tasks facing them at
times, something was missing in Joshua’s perspective or mindset as he looked over
the city of Jericho. Perhaps he simply needed to be reminded of some very important
truth for both clarification and encouragement.
g. Suddenly, while surveying the situation, Joshua was confronted with a man standing
opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand.
Joshua 5:13 a. Now it came about when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked,
and behold, a man was standing opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand, . . .

The Man’s Position

With Joshua’s mind engrossed in his concerns about the task before him and feeling the weight of the
responsibility on his shoulders, he looks up and there stands a man with sword drawn. What kind of
picture does this bring to mind and what does it mean? Standing with any weapon drawn, is a
military position of one who either stands guard, or who stands ready to go against a foe defensively
or offensively. Standing with sword drawn suggested he was there to fight either against, or with, or
for Israel.

The Man’s Identity

Verse 14 will tell us that this man came as the “captain of the hosts of the Lord,” the commander of
the Lord’s army. Joshua’s response in verse 14 b and the statement of the captain in verse 15 show
this was a theophany, or better, based on the truth of John 1:1-18, it was a Christophany. A
Christophany is a manifestation of the pre-incarnate Christ, who, as the Logos, is the one who reveals
God. If only a man or an angel, he would certainly have repelled Joshua’s worshipful response (vs.
14). Compare the response of Paul in Acts 14:8-20 to those who wanted to make them into gods and
the response of the angel to John in Revelation 19:10.

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Important Lessons in Spiritual Warfare
Here then, the pre-incarnate Christ appears to Joshua to teach, guard, and reinforce certain vital
truths for God’s people, and especially for those in positions of leadership, which really includes all
believers to some degree.

Joshua’s Question (vs. 13 b)

. . . and Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us or for our adversaries?”
This was a natural response to a man with his sword drawn and it expressed Joshua’s concern as well
as his courage. No one from the army of Israel should have been there for evidently no orders had
been given for anyone to leave the camp. So who was this stranger who suddenly appeared out of
nowhere? Surely, Joshua thought, “Since he is not one of ours, could he be the enemy, or perhaps
someone who has come to help us?”
But in view of the answer given to Joshua, Joshua’s question reveals a typical mindset that poses a
threat and a hindrance to our effectiveness in the service of the Saviour. What then is that mindset?
We tend to see the battles we face as our battles, and the forces we face as forces marshalled
against us and our individual causes, concerns, agendas, and even our theological beliefs, or
positions on doctrine. And in a sense, that is true, if we are truly standing in the cause of Christ. But
there is another sense in which that is simply not true, and that is the issue here.

The Answer Given to Joshua (vs. 14 a)

And he said, “No, rather I indeed come now as Captain of the host of the Lord.”
The answer comes in two parts. The first part of the answer is seen in a flat negation of either one of
Joshua’s options. The first answer is simply a flat “neither.” Why didn’t he say, “I am here for you and
for Israel”? But in essence, the man with the drawn sword said, “Neither; I am not here to take sides,
yours or that of anyone else.”
The second part of the answer gives the reason. In other words, “I am here, not to take sides, but to
take over and take charge, as Commander of the Lord’s army.”
This is so important and lays down two principles that are foundational for all of life and our warfare
against the forces of this world and Satan. Now, there is no question that the Lord was there with the
armies of heaven to secure Jericho and this so God’s people could possess their God-given
inheritance, the Land, yet a certain perspective was vital for true success.
The first principle: It was not for Joshua to claim God’s allegiance for his cause, no matter how
right and holy it might be. Rather, the need was for Joshua to acknowledge God’s claim over Joshua
for God’s purposes. We tend to approach our battles and causes backwards; we turn things all
around and try to marshal God to support us rather than to submit and follow Him. Certainly, the
battle was a joint venture, God and the people of Israel under Joshua’s leadership as appointed by
the Lord (1:1-9). But Joshua, as with all of us in the army of the King, must be following the Lord,
submitting to His authority, taking our orders from Him, and resting the battle in His hands because
we realize it is really His battle as the Supreme Commander.
There seems to be no question that Joshua understood this as evidenced by his question, “What has
my Lord to say to his servant?” Here he was asking the Lord for orders and it was surely then that he
received the directions for taking Jericho.
The second principle: As the one who had come to take charge, the Lord was also reminding
Joshua (and us) of both God’s personal presence and His powerful provision, the provision of
His vast hosts. The promise of God’s personal presence always carries with it the assurance of God’s
personal care. Likewise, the promise of His powerful provision always carries with it the promise of
His infinite supply and power no matter how impossible the problem may appear to us. So there was
more, infinitely more, than Joshua’s army. There was Joshua and his army, but there was also the
myriads of God’s angelic forces who always stand ready to do God’s bidding and to serve the saints.
Three other passages can serve as helpful examples that we might grasp the issue here and its
significance to our daily walk.

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Important Lessons in Spiritual Warfare
(1) First, compare 2 Kings 6:8-17.
a. When Elisha was at Dothan with his young servant, he found himself surrounded by
the army of Ben-Hadad, who, during the night had marched out and surrounded the
city of Dothan.
b. The next morning, when Elisha’s servant went out to draw water, he saw the vast
army surrounding the city. Being fearful and greatly distressed, he cried out to Elisha,
“Alas, my master! What shall we do?” Elisha responded, “Do not fear, for those
who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
c. Elisha then prayed a very interesting prayer. He said, “O Lord, I pray, open his eyes
that he may see.” We then read that “the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he
saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around
Elisha.”
d. They were not alone. With them to fight for them was a host of God’s angelic forces
who soon struck the armies of the king of Syria with blindness.

(2) A second example is found for us in Matthew 26:52-53.

a. With the disciples still reluctant and perplexed over the fact Christ must go to the
cross, Peter drew his sword and struck the high priest’s slave cutting off his ear.
Jesus replied, “Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the
sword shall perish by the sword. Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father,
and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?”
(3) A final example of God’s angelic armies and their ministry to God’s people is seen in Hebrews
1:14, which reads, “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of
those who will inherit salvation?”
In this, we see the second reason for the Commander’s description of himself as “the Captain of the
Lord’s hosts.” He was assuring Joshua of God’s provision, through His mighty angelic armies or His
heavenly legions.

Joshua’s Response (vs. 14 b)

And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and bowed down, and said to him, “What has my lord to say
to his servant?”
How we each need this response—the response of worship and submission.
Joshua quickly got the picture. He had been thinking of a conflict between the Israelites and the
Canaanite armies. Perhaps he had been thinking of this as his war. Certainly he felt the load of
responsibility on his shoulders. But after being confronted by the divine Commander, he was
reminded of a truth he had heard Moses declare many years earlier when they stood on the banks of
the Red Sea.
There he had heard Moses say, “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still” (Ex.
14:13 b). Joshua learned afresh the truth that David too had learned and would later declare when
facing Goliath, “the battle is the Lord’s” (cf. 1 Sam. 17:47).
But that’s not all. As an outworking of his worship and submission, we also see Joshua’s inquiry, the
inquiry of a servant looking to his Commander for direction with his words, “What has my lord to say
to his servant?”
Do you remember Paul’s response on the Damascus road, when he came to realize it was the
glorified Lord who was speaking to him? He quickly answered, “What shall I do Lord?” (Acts. 28:10).
What a comfort and how encouraging to know that we never have to bear our burdens alone or face
our enemies alone. Joshua was to know that the battles ahead and the entire conquest of Canaan
was really God’s conflict.
What is our part? We are soldiers in His army, His servants for whom He abundantly supplies the
armour of God (Ephesians 6:10-18).

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Important Lessons in Spiritual Warfare
Surely, these verses drive home the truth of Christ’s pre-eminence and lordship. He is the head of the
church, indeed, the King of kings and Lord of lords.
The passage also reminds us that God is not present to fight our battles or help in our causes or
jump to our rescue when we get in trouble as though He were a genie in a bottle. Instead, it reminds
us that the battle is His, and that our role is that of soldier/servant. We are here to serve Him, to do
His will, to follow Him and depend on Him completely.

The Commander’s Final Revelation (vs. 15)

And the captain of the Lord’s host said to Joshua, “Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place
where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.
In these last words of the Captain, there is a command, “Remove your sandals,” and an explanation,
“for the place where you are standing is holy.”
Removing the sandals was a sign of servant-hood, and a sign of respect and submission1. And the
declaration of this place of encounter and revelation as holy ground calls attention to the special
import of what Joshua had just learned and experienced.
God is not only the Holy One in our redemption through the provision of the suffering Saviour, but He
is the Holy One in our warfare through the Victorious Saviour. We can only enter into the battle so
that we experience God’s deliverance when we remove our sandals and submit to His authority and
His presence and power.
Here we see that the warfare of the Christian is a holy calling, but also a divine undertaking
accomplished in those who humble themselves under the mighty hand of God.
1 Peter 5:6-7 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at
the proper time, casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you.

Conclusion
In this passage, Joshua had an encounter with the living Logos, the very revelation of God. It was an
encounter that lifted a great burden from his shoulders. Joshua, standing and perhaps also walking
about the city of Jericho studying what lay before him and weighed down with the burden of his
responsibility, is so very much like us today!
We see the things we believe God has called us to do, but we are so prone to activity and running
ahead, more than we are to worship and inquiry from the Lord. Is our lifestyle such that it sends us
out into battle, mindful of the Lord and who He is to our every move, mindful of those principles of
His Word that must guide our every thought and step and fortify us with the comfort of God?
May we, as we look over the battles or tasks that lie before us, look up and see the Commander of
the Lord of hosts, hear and listen to His words and remove our sandals, as an act of submission,
humility and worship.

1
This is why in most Asian churches, you take your sandals off when you enter a church building,
because they have the revelation that where 2 or 3 are gathered, Jesus is in their midst, therefore the
place upon which they stand is holy ground.