God’s Battle Plan

Joshua 3-6; 1 Corinthians 4 

“Then the Lord said to Joshua, ‘Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.’ So the place has been called Gilgal to this day…’Are you for us or for our enemies?’ ‘Neither,’ he replied, ‘but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.’…Then Joshua fell face down to the ground in reverence, and asked him, ‘What message does my Lord have for his servant?’…’March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days.’”

Joshua 5:9, 13, 14; 6:3

The seemingly impossible challenge of Jericho is similar to the spiritual obstacles we face in reaching the global cities of this world with the Gospel. The first ‘battle’ God called the Israelites to face was their shame of being slaves in Egypt. We, too, are called to consecrate ourselves to the Lord and circumcise our hearts from every rival lover and idol so that we, too, can love the Lord with all our heart. After consecration, Joshua bowed in submission and surrender to the Lord. God alone has the keys and strategies to reach every city.

Will we listen to the Holy Spirit and obey him?

The third step for Joshua was radical obedience to the plans of God once they were made clear to him.

Are we willing to obey the slightest promptings of the Lord, as well as his abundantly clear commandments, no matter how foolish we might appear to others?

Consecration, surrender, and obedience are still the ways God uses people to reach cities today. The battle is the Lord’s, but he chooses to involve us if we’re faithful, available, and teachable.

“Lord Jesus, use me to reach my city with your transforming Gospel, for your glory.”