Standing in the Glorious Church

(Joshua 5:15 NKJV) Then the Commander of the LORD's army said to Joshua, "Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy." And Joshua did so.

To lead God’s people into becoming the glorious church for which Jesus is returning, and for them to live permanently in their Promised Land, God instructed Joshua to meditate in the written word of God day and night. Plus, he told him to be strong; and he said to obediently do in the natural what he saw with God in the spirit as he meditated in the word. Joshua, whose name in Hebrew is the same as Jesus, gives us an Old Testament prefiguring of the leadership of the Lord Jesus in the New.

As Joshua obeyed and meditated in the written word, the man who appeared to him as “the Commander of the Lord’s army” was an Old Testament appearance of Jesus, the Living Word of God—revealed in Revelation as the Commander in charge of God’s army:

(Revelation 19:11–15 NKJV) Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. (12) His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. (13) He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. (14) And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. (15) Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

Scripture is unabashed to state clearly of the person on the white horse—the living “Word of God”: “In righteousness He judges and makes war.” Who is he? His identity is revealed in verse 16 as “King of kings and Lord of lords.” Without doubt, this is Jesus—the living word of God. He is a warrior, prepared and ready to go into battle against God’s enemies; he is the same person who appeared to Joshua outside Jericho in the Promised Land, and he is ready to go into battle to help you too.

I want to state again the connection between God’s command to meditate in the written word day and night, and the appearing in manifestation of God’s war commander, Jesus, the living Word of God—with his sword in his hand ready for battle. When we follow the same instruction with all of our hearts, leaning our whole trust and being entirely on God, he will be manifested to help us in our battle against the enemy too. They include squatters in God’s inheritance, usurpers of Jesus’s authority, principalities and powers, and every malicious evil levelled against us.

Let’s look again at what the Commander, Jesus, the Living word, said to Joshua:

(Joshua 5:15 NKJV) Then the Commander of the LORD's army said to Joshua, “Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so.

If his command to “take of your sandal” was merely for reverence and devotion, he surely would have said sandals, plural, so both of Joshua’s feet were evenly humble; but God said, “sandal off your foot,” singular. Why did the Living Word make such a strange command? In recent studies, we have looked at sandal removal and exchange as sealing a change of occupancy of property (See: Ruth 4:1-8).

God was confirming that he had given the Promised Land to Abraham by promise—as it was written in his eternal word—but that he was also announcing his decree that it was now time for Abraham’s descendants to possess it.

We also looked at this as being a holy place. It was God’s property, making it holy; and the commission to go in and dispossess the illegal squatters and usurpers was a holy assignment. To disobey this would be unholy, unwise, and hurtful to God. He expects the same of us right now; it’s time for us to take possession of what he has promised us in his written word.

Let’s next focus on the word “stand” in the above verse: “The place where you stand is holy.” This, according to the New Testament writings, is a word associated with spiritual wrestling. For example, look for the word “stand” in this familiar passage:

(Ephesians 6:11–17 NKJV) Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. (12) For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. (13) Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. (14) Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, (15) and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; (16) above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. (17) And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Yes, in the context of fighting the fight of faith, the Holy Spirit mentions “stand,” or “withstand,” in verses 11, 13, 14. It says to stand against the wiles of the devil and to withstand. Then, the Holy Spirit instructs us to “stand” by putting on God’s armour and using his shield. This, I believe, is what the Commander was saying to Joshua: stand on the word that God has quickened to you as you have meditated on his precious promises and his written word. This will enable you to “withstand” when you are besieged, attacked, and battered by the enemy. What’s more, this is how you hold your ground when the enemy tries his inevitable counter-offensive to push you out of what God has bequeathed to you and sworn that you can now possess.

The idea of “standing” in the fight of faith is confirmed in Peter’s writing:

(1 Peter 5:8–9 NKJV) Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in your faith and in the knowledge that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering.

Here, the Holy Spirit inspires the impression that pure and proven faith gives us a rock-solid footing on which to anchor ourselves—enabling us to resist and withstand. Without this stable and secure footing beneath us, we would have no leverage to wield our sword, defend with our shield, or confidence to resist Satan successfully. A crumbling foot hold is no foot hold at all:

(Matthew 7:24–25 NKJV) “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: (25) and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.”

Today, I encourage you to not only expect a fight as you advance into inheriting what God has promised you; but to prepare to win it. To successfully repel the enemy in his vicious counter attacks and defensive assaults, stay fully focused on Jesus and his word. Meditate in it day and night. Build it into your mind, consciousness, perception, and heart. Be so filled with his word that it overflows from you effortlessly. And always obey it; this way, you will have a rock-solid foundation for footing, an impenetrable shield for defence, and an invincible sword to wield. Thus, you can stand.

Along with the footing, shield, and sword, make sure you are living in right relationship with God; this will complete your equipping in the full armour of God. Believe you are the righteousness of God in Jesus, be girded with truth, be prepared to “go” when he says, “Go”; and guard your mind with the helmet of salvation. And always fight from the stance of a victor in Jesus.

Always remember that this is a holy venture; it is very important to God that you get the evil usurping squatters out of the inheritance allotted to you. In the process, you can overcome in the necessary wrestles and battles. Thus, you can take your place in the glorious church that Jesus returns for; you can be included in the pure bride for Jesus. What’s more, you can be one who hears, “Well done good and faithful servant”; and you can be one to whom Jesus gives rewards as an overcomer:

(Revelation 3:21 NKJV) “To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.”

(Revelation 21:7 NKJV) “He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.”