Joshua's Courage: Worship, Humility, and God's Leadership

Joshua stands on the west bank, fresh from the Jordan’s dry path, and faces Jericho’s walls. Jericho is massive, double-walled, and shut tight, but Jericho is not the real issue. The Lord is. Joshua has been here before as a spy, when fear made the people feel like grasshoppers before giants. Then Joshua and Caleb said, their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Now the mantle rests on Joshua, and courage rises in him. “This time it’s going to be different.”

The Commander of the Lord’s army interrupts that resolve. Joshua asks, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” and the answer lands like a rebuke: “No.” The Commander reframes everything. The question is not whether God is on Joshua’s side, but whether Joshua is on God’s. Joshua falls face down and removes his sandals. Holiness takes the lead before any strategy moves. The Lord receives worship, not as an angelic messenger, but as the Holy One whose presence makes ground holy, just as with Moses at the bush. The text presses the point: real courage starts low to the ground.

The Lord then gives a plan no soldier would draft. Priests, trumpets, silence, six days circling, then a long blast and a shout. The wall will fall. The battle is the Lord’s, not Israel’s, and the sword is already drawn in the Commander’s hand. That drawn sword reaches back to Eden’s flaming blade, where no sinner can pass. It looks forward to a new covenant, where Jesus will take the sword for his people and make a way into life. The Holy One who sustains the universe does not sign on as anyone’s assistant. He commands, and he gives presence: “I have delivered Jericho into your hands.”

Joshua’s leadership bends under this weight into worshipful obedience. He stops asking God to back his plan and starts asking to go with God’s. He obeys the odd instructions, looks like a fool for six days, and then watches the Lord turn walls into a ramp. God’s plan outstrips Joshua’s best strategy, and the people enter straight up into the city. After Jericho, Joshua’s name spreads because the Lord is with him, and his leadership becomes defined by surrender and trust. Jesus later names the same pattern: all authority is his, the charge is clear, and the promise stands, “I am with you always.” Courageous leadership is not bluster or sheer willpower. Courage bows first, listens long, and moves only where the Commander goes.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Courage begins on holy ground Worship precedes strategy, because holiness reorders the heart before it retraces any steps. Joshua’s sandals come off and his face hits the dirt before a single trumpet sounds. The fear that once ruled the camp gets displaced, not by swagger, but by the weight of God’s presence. Courage is born when the Lord is first. [48:29]
• 2. The right question reorders leadership “Are you for us?” is the wrong ask; “Am I with you?” is the only one that matters. That shift moves a leader from demanding divine endorsement to offering unqualified allegiance. It trades anxiety for clarity, because the Commander’s will sets the plan and supplies the power. Alignment beats adrenaline every time. [42:38]
• 3. Jesus takes the drawn sword The Commander stands with sword unsheathed, and no one survives that blade on personal merit. From Eden’s flaming sword to Calvary’s new covenant, the Holy One secures access by absorbing judgment himself. Courage trusts the Substitute and moves forward under mercy, not performance. Leadership steadies when forgiveness is the foundation. [58:35]
• 4. God’s plan outstrips best strategy Marches, horns, silence, and a shout look foolish until walls turn into a ramp. The Lord loves routes where his power is unmistakable and his timing dismantles human boasting. Obedience may feel slow or strange, but it positions faith to see what ingenuity cannot produce. Jericho falls when heaven leads. [61:28]
• 5. Strength is surrender, not swagger Real authority shows up in bowed knees and a listening posture. The Lord entrusts influence to those who refuse self-importance and live under his word. Such surrender frees a person to act decisively without claiming credit. That is the kind of courage that lasts. [59:58]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [25:15] - Joshua and courageous leadership
• [27:00] - Commissioned to lead Israel
• [27:59] - Rahab and unlikely instruments
• [28:43] - Consecration and Jordan miracle
• [29:27] - Jericho ahead and Gilgal camp
• [30:48] - Reading Joshua 5:13 to 6:5
• [39:33] - Overlooked turning point
• [41:08] - “Neither” and the Commander’s claim
• [42:38] - The right question for leaders
• [46:26] - Worship God, not angels
• [52:01] - Jesus, radiance and ruler
• [55:14] - The drawn sword and its meaning
• [58:35] - New covenant and the taken sword
• [60:52] - Marching, shouting, falling walls
• [63:05] - All authority and abiding presence
• [66:48] - Communion and covenant remembrance

1. In Joshua 5:13-14, the Commander of the Lord’s army answers Joshua’s question with “No” (or “Neither”). What does this response reveal about God’s role in the battle?
2. What specific instructions did God give for conquering Jericho (Joshua 6:2-5), and how do they differ from typical military strategies?
3. How does Joshua’s posture change after encountering the Commander (Joshua 5:14-15)? What parallels exist between this moment and Moses’ experience at the burning bush (Exodus 3:5)? [45:00]

1. Why might God’s command to remove sandals and worship (Joshua 5:15) be a necessary starting point for courage and leadership? How does holiness reorient priorities?
2. The sermon states, “The question is not whether God is on Joshua’s side, but whether Joshua is on God’s.” How does this shift in perspective change the way we approach challenges or decisions? [42:38]
3. The drawn sword in Joshua 5:13 is linked to Eden’s flaming sword (Genesis 3:24) and Jesus’ sacrifice. What does this connection teach about God’s justice and mercy?

1. When have you approached God with a “Are you for me?” mindset instead of “Am I with you?” What practical step could help you realign with God’s leadership this week? [51:19]
2. The sermon emphasizes that “courage begins on holy ground.” What daily habits or postures (e.g., prayer, Scripture, silence) could help you prioritize worship before strategy?
3. Share a situation where God’s plan felt “foolish” or counterintuitive (like marching around Jericho). How did obedience—or resistance—shape the outcome?
4. The drawn sword symbolizes God’s authority over judgment. How does trusting Jesus’ sacrifice (instead of personal merit) free you to lead or serve boldly? [58:35]
5. Where are you tempted to rely on “swagger” (self-reliance) instead of surrender? What would it look like to exchange anxiety for alignment with God’s will in that area? [59:58]