Text: Joshua 5:1-15

“And the commander of the LORD’s army said to Joshua, ‘Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.’ And Joshua did so.” Joshua 5:15

In the heat of the American Civil War, one of President Lincoln’s advisors said he was grateful that God was on the side of the Union. Lincoln replied, “Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right.”

Or as that punchy theologian Rocky Balboa once said, “Only God ain’t wrong.”

Joshua chapter 5 describes the consecration of a new generation of Israelites in preparation for the great task that lay before them. Their mission was to launch a series of military campaigns to capture the land God had promised them. But before Israel could face the enemy, they needed a preparation of the heart. The success of their dance with destiny would hang upon their willingness to submit to God’s spiritual choreography every step of the journey.

As the young and bold Joshua grooms his people for battle in the most fortified city of Canaan, a mysterious man confronts him with a drawn sword in his hand (Joshua 5:13-15). This must’ve been a tense moment for Joshua. Is he a friend or foe? “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” Joshua asks. “Neither,” the mystery man replied, “but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come.”

So who was this mystery man? It was God Himself pulling rank on Joshua. Though Joshua was a great military leader, he needed to be reminded that he wasn’t the true Commander in Chief. The LORD was ultimately in control of this operation and Joshua didn’t need to concern himself with the question of whether God was on his side or not, he needed to make sure that he was submitting himself to God’s side.

It was not appropriate for Joshua to claim God’s allegiance for his cause no matter how right, noble, or holy it might’ve been. Rather, the urgent need was for Joshua to not only acknowledge God’s lordship over his military campaign, but over all the affairs of life. See we tend to approach our battles and causes backwards; we get life inverted when we try to marshal God to support our side rather than seeking how to submit to His side.

What if, in every situation in life, instead of trying to get God to move over to our side, we humbled ourselves and moved over to His side?

How would that cause us to respond when others offend or defame us? How would we treat our opponents? Our enemies? How would that affect our posture in the boardroom or with our colleagues? What if, in the middle of arguing with our spouse, we stopped battling over who is right and wrong, and humbly looked to the invisible Commander in Chief in the room to get His marching orders? We would find ourselves wrestling less and less over who is right or wrong, and more passionately over finding God’s glory for both sides in every issue.

How do we know if we are moving over to God’s side?

Look at Joshua’s response. First he falls down and worships. Genuine worship is a good sign that you are seeking to posture yourself on God’s side. But Joshua doesn’t stop at worship. It leads him to ask the right questions. “What does my lord say to his servant?” he asks. The humility of worship moves him to take action. If worship doesn’t move us to seek the Lord’s will and the often-sacrificial obedience it requires, we’ve missed something about the nature of worship.

I recently wrote a note to myself saying, “Don’t ask God to bless what you do, but that you would do what God blesses.” I believe this is a healthy question to help those of us who often assume that God is on our side. Being on God’s side means that we will earnestly seek His glory above our individual momentary need—especially our need to be right.

“Once your rights to yourself are surrendered to God, your true personal nature begins responding to God immediately.” ~ Oswald Chambers

Think about that as you seek to abide in Him this week.

Being on God’s side means that we will earnestly seek His glory above our individual momentary need—especially our need to be right. Tweet this

For further study: Matthew 16:24-25, Mark 14:36, Proverbs 3:5-6

Questions for Reflection and/or Family Discussion:

1. When have you been a part of a winning team? What was that like for you?
2. In many households, arguments are more about who’s right or wrong versus striving for God’s glory. Why do you think we are bent this way?
3. Why do we struggle so much with being in control?
4. What do you think your life would look like if you lived each day with absolute surrender to the will of God?
5. What can you do this week to draw nearer to God’s side instead of trying to get Him to move over to your side?

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