Joshua 5:13-15 
When Joshua was near the town of Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with sword in hand. Joshua went up to him and demanded, “Are you friend or foe?”
“Neither one,” he replied. “I am the commander of the Lord’s army.” At this, Joshua fell with his face to the ground in reverence. 
“I am at your command,” Joshua said. “What do you want your servant to do?” The commander of the Lord’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” 
And Joshua did as he was told. (NLT)

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Sometimes, there is more going on than what we perceive. Such was Joshua’s experience. Sometimes, bigger battles are going on than those we perceive with our senses. The battles God fights for us are bigger than those we fight for ourselves. What we cannot manage in our strength, God does in his. 

The impending battle was God’s battle and not Israel’s. God took the lead, and Israel joined him, not the other way around. This is not the first time this was the case. Recall Exodus 14:13, 14 in those moments when Israel found themselves between the devil and the deep Red Sea. Moses said, 

But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.”
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭14‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Remember what God said through Moses in Deuteronomy 20:4: “For the LORD your God is going with you! He will fight for you against your enemies, and he will give you victory!’”
‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭20‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

What God had promised, he was fulfilling. 

These moments and memories provided courage and confidence for characters across the arc of the biblical narrative. In 1 Samuel 17:45-47, the shepherd boy says to Goliath, 

“You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. Today the LORD will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel! And everyone assembled here will know that the LORD rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the LORD’s battle, and he will give you to us!”
‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭17‬:‭45‬-‭47‬ ‭NLT‬‬

In 2 Samuel 22:35, King David sings, “He trains my hands for battle; he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow.”
‭‭2 Samuel‬ ‭22‬:‭35‬ ‭NLT‬‬

In Psalm 44:4, the Sons of Korah sing, “You are my King and my God. You command victories for Israel.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭44‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

In Psalm 144:1, 2, King David sings, “Praise the LORD, who is my rock. He trains my hands for war and gives my fingers skill for battle. He is my loving ally and my fortress, my tower of safety, my rescuer. He is my shield, and I take refuge in him. He makes the nations submit to me.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭144‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

In Isaiah 54:17, we find these words,

But in that coming day 
no weapon turned against you will succeed. 
You will silence every voice 
raised up to accuse you. 
These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the LORD; 
their vindication will come from me. 
I, the LORD, have spoken!”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭54‬:‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This leads to Paul’s rhetorical question in Romans 8:31: “What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭31‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This, in turn, leads to Ephesians 6:12-18:

“For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. 
Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 
Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6‬:‭12‬-‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

First Corinthians 15:57 says, “But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭15‬:‭7‬, ‭57‬ ‭NLT‬‬

And finally, 1 John 4:4 says, “But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Make sure you are on God’s side because he always wins. Hear and obey what God says. Humbly place yourself before him. Trust him for what he wants to do for you and through you. This is victory.

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I will join God’s side in humble dependence and grateful expectation. 

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Our Father, I fully align myself with you. I am on your side. I want what you want. I am weak, but you are strong. This is how I fight my battles: I place my trust in you. Amen.