Commander Of The Lord’s Army

JOSHUA 5 | IAN NAISMITH

We often think that Jesus came into our world first at Bethlehem, but there are several Old Testament passages which many Christians believe record pre-incarnation appearances of the Lord.

One of these is in Joshua 5:13-6:5, where the Commander of the Lord!s Army meets Joshua to prepare him for the destruction of Jericho and remind him that the battle is a spiritual one.

Military language may seem inappropriate at Christmas, but Jesus came into a world largely dominated by a bitter enemy, and from the day of His birth He was victorious over the Devil as He lived without sin and utterly defeated him at Calvary. But the battle continues today, and we can only hope to prevail over sin if we stay close to our Commander. Joshua took Jericho not through any strength of his, but by obeying the order to march repeatedly round the walls.

It’s when we realise how weak we are, and depend wholly on the Lord, that we are truly strong. Like Joshua, we need to meet Him on holy ground, recognising that, as we submit to His authority, we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.