Joshua 5:13 Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, "Are you for us or for our enemies?" From this its quite evident that Joshua had no idea who he was talking to. It seems a valid point in a war to ask every armed man, whose side he is on if his battle fatigues do not clarify that. But the reply to this question is 'beautiful' and 'challenging'.
Joshua 5:14 "Neither," he replied, "but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come." Can you believe this? The angel of the Lord looks at Joshua square in the face and tells Joshua something that I am not sure Joshua got the import of at that moment. Let me rephrase what the angel actually said- "Joshua! You & the people you are leading may be God's chosen people. But remember that the world, its fulness thereof & the people in it all belong to God. The promise to your forefather Abraham was that he will be the father of ALL nations. God is not fighting your war Joshua. YOU are fighting GOD's war. Can't you see child? Its not the Israelites vs Amalekites. Its Good vs Evil. Its God vs devil. Change your perspective Joshua. There are bigger things happening here".
Years ago I met a man of God in Delhi who reiterated the same. He had said that in any crisis, challenge, conflict, trouble, hardship or issue we need to know that the enemy is not people, its always the devil. The devil would like you to believe that he doesn't exist & would like you to be angry with yourself & those around you. But remember the big picture always, that the fight is between God vs devil and your attitude & reaction at that moment will determine whose side you are really on. You are not asked to call on God to fight your battles. You are asked to fight God's battles. Remember that in the scheme of things there are just 2 sides - God's & the devil's. If you have a narrow perspective like Joshua had, you are likely to be misled and may find yourself resisting God and submitting to the devil.
Jesus had said this once- Mathew 12:30 "He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters. Its not written, but the angel had actually asked an implicit question to Joshua- "Whose side are YOU really on"? He who has ears let him hear.
1 comment:
Yea, so many times we try to take a worldy way of thinking into a Sprit-filled life in Christ. As I see it, the war is in the mind... It's our new identity that God gave us that is so confusing. He looks at the inward man and not on the outer circumstances. It appears as though it is God's grand scheme to let His mind be in us, which is also in Christ Jesus. Our true identity is pure and holy. Living in the world sometimes rubs off on us causing us to judge on outward apearances but praise God for His grace. All we have to do is stay in the Light and living in the now to stay free.
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