Overcoming Through His Presence

After Moses had died and Joshua took over, he led Israel across Jordan into Canaan but the struggles were not over, they had just changed their form. In the wilderness, their primary battle was with the elements. In Canaan it was against the seasoned and tough armies of the city-states of the land.

After discovering the strength and ferocity of the armies they faced, it is understandable that Israel was concerned. Their fear of the armies of Canaan was an issue that kept them in the wilderness until the old heads died off. God had preserved the two men who refused to see their strength to be in their own resources and who saw the strength of the enemy as “bread.” They knew how to trust God.

As Joshua surveyed Jericho in preparation for battle, He was confronted by an unexpected personage. Joshua recognized Him as being significant, important, and powerful, therefore fell down to worship him. When challenged as to who His loyalties were aligned with, this personage very clearly established His role. He didn’t come to take part, He said; He came to take over as the Captain of the Lord’s Hosts!

This illustrates several very important truths:

1. We never have a struggle that we have to face alone. The writer of Hebrews affirmed, “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me” (Hebrews 13:5-6).
2. The Lord is always there to see us through every difficulty. The Psalmist promised, “But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him” (Psalms 37:39-40).
3. There is always more at stake than our personal struggles and His caring for us is always in light of the greater issues. When we have conflicts and difficulties, we tend to think that everything centers on us but it never does. We are part of a larger system of conflict that rages in the Heavenlies. Our particular needs are part of the greater whole. It is for that reason that Jesus assured us that if we would concern ourselves with the issues of the Kingdom, He would take care of our needs. (See Matthew 6:33).
4. No matter what we face, the battle is not ours, it’s God’s! Our primary arena of conflict is never with the vicissitudes of life that we face. As long as we are on this earth, we will be faced with conflict of some nature or to some extent. The greatest struggles we face in any conflict are not those that rage on the outside, but are rather the inner battles of the mind. Our greatest struggle is never with God’s ability to see us through, to supply our needs, or to be victorious over every opposing force. Our battle is with the ever-present specter of opposing doubt. In those times, we need to remember Whose battle it actually is!

In those dark days when we can see no way to survive, He is always there. In those seasons of conflict when the battles of life seem overpowering, He is always there. In those times of abandonment when it seems we stand all alone, He is always there.

He is there as Captain of the Lord’s hosts, the Captain of our souls. He cares. He can. He will!

Jeff