Finding Victory Through Surrender | Daniel Bentley

Dec 03, 2023

Devotional

Day 1: The Light Shines Brightest in the Darkest Night

In a world that often feels increasingly dark, it is vital to remember the nature of light. The darker the night, the more brilliant a single light becomes. This is not a call to curse the darkness but to recognize the power and necessity of the light we carry. As followers of Christ, we are called to be that light, to shine with the hope and truth of the gospel. Our good works are not for our own glory but to point others to the Father in heaven. Do not hide your light, but let it shine for all to see. [04:23]

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16 ESV)

Reflection: In what specific area of your community or relationships does the "darkness" feel most palpable, and how might God be inviting you to shine His light there in a practical way this week?

Day 2: God Speaks in the Quiet of the Night

The Lord often chooses unexpected moments to communicate with His children. In the stillness of night, when the noise of the day has faded, He can meet us in profound ways. Dreams can be one such vehicle for His voice, a way to bypass our busyness and speak directly to our spirits. This is an invitation to cultivate a heart that is expectant and attentive, even in our rest. It is an encouragement to ask for and anticipate divine encounters. [05:38]

“For God may speak in one way, or in another, yet man does not perceive it. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls upon men, while slumbering on their beds, then He opens the ears of men, and seals their instruction.” (Job 33:14-16 NKJV)

Reflection: As you prepare for sleep tonight, will you specifically ask God to speak to you? What is one concern or question you could lay before Him, inviting Him to bring clarity or comfort through your dreams?

Day 3: Asking the Wrong Question Limits God’s Answer

It is human nature to approach God with our plans and ask for His endorsement. We often present Him with options, hoping He will choose the one we prefer. Yet, God consistently operates outside of our limited frameworks. He refuses to be confined to our either/or propositions, inviting us instead to trust that His ways and thoughts are infinitely higher than our own. True alignment begins when we stop asking if God is on our side and start seeking to be on His. [22:00]

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9 ESV)

Reflection: Where in your current decision-making are you presenting God with your preferred options (A, B, or C) instead of genuinely asking for His plan? What would it look like to lay down your agenda completely and ask, “What is your message for your servant?”

Day 4: True Victory Begins with Total Surrender

The path to breakthrough is often counterintuitive. The world teaches us to seize control, but the kingdom of God teaches us to relinquish it. Victory is not found in mustering our own strength but in bowing our knees in humble submission. When we surrender our will, our strategies, and our perceived rights to the Lordship of Christ, we position ourselves to receive the victory He has already won for us. This is the paradox of the cross: we win by yielding. [38:51]

“Then Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” And the commander of the Lord's army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.” (Joshua 5:14b-15 ESV)

Reflection: What is one specific area of your life—a relationship, a habit, a financial decision—where you are still resisting full surrender to Christ’s authority? What is the fear or hesitation that holds you back from complete trust?

Day 5: Our Surrender Proclaims His Finished Work

The place of our surrender is the foot of the cross, where the final battle was already fought and won. We do not surrender to a harsh taskmaster but to a loving Savior who sacrificed everything for us. When we lay down our lives, we are not admitting defeat but appropriating His victory. In communion, we remember and proclaim that His work is complete. Our declaration of “it is finished” is an acceptance of His triumph over every sin, stronghold, and enemy we face. [51:03]

“When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” (John 19:30 ESV)

Reflection: As you reflect on the truth that “it is finished,” what specific chain or struggle in your life can you, by faith, begin to walk free from today, knowing the power to break it was secured at the cross?

Sermon Summary

A clear biblical argument unfolds that true victory arrives through radical surrender to God’s authority. The narrative moves from the seasonal imagery of Kislev and the festival of lights—inviting believers to shine in dark times and pray for God-encounters in dreams—to the climactic Old Testament encounter in Joshua 5. Joshua meets a mysterious, armed figure who identifies himself with the covenant name of the Lord and challenges Joshua’s assumptions about allegiance. The initial question—“Are you for us or for our enemies?”—reveals a common mistake: attempting to enlist God on human terms. The decisive response reframes the issue: God has come to take over, and the right posture is not persuasion but submission.

Scripture links this theophany to earlier covenant moments, especially Moses at the burning bush, and interprets the figure as a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ, the commander of the Lord’s army. Joshua’s immediate response—falling face down, worshiping, and asking, “What message does my Lord have for his servant?”—models how authority disarms anxiety and opens the way for divine strategy. Removing sandals marks holiness and intimacy: God draws near when people remove barriers and acknowledge his lordship.

The account reframes Christian conflict. Promises of abundant life and promised inheritance do not bypass opposition; they require spiritual warfare, wise strategy, and a posture of dependence. God will fight for those who submit, but he will not be a subordinate ally to human agendas. Victory often follows unexpected, even counterintuitive instructions—marching around a city rather than storming its walls—as God’s wisdom outstrips human tactics.

Practical application centers on the cross and communion: surrender at Calvary’s feet becomes the means of access to victory. Giving Jesus full lordship—time, treasure, talents, relationships—unlocks divine provision, delegated authority, and breakthrough. The text insists that partial trust and selective lordship obstruct the very joy, freedom, and effectiveness God intends. The concluding call invites renewed, specific surrender so that God’s strategy can bring down strongholds and release freedom, healing, and authority into daily life.

Key Takeaways

1. Victory requires honest surrender Surrender acts as the hinge between promise and possession: when people stop trying to manage outcomes and instead submit to God’s command, God reveals the strategy that secures victory. This surrender does not mean passivity but a willingness to follow instructions that often contradict human logic. Obedience displaces anxiety with clarity about next steps and opens space for God’s supernatural intervention. [38:51]
2. God refuses human limitations God refuses to be shoehorned into human options; his ways and thoughts exceed every shortlist of plans and preferences. Expect divine answers that transcend binary thinking—“for us” or “against us”—and allow God to redefine allegiance by asking whether life aligns with his purposes. Aligning with God’s trajectory requires humility to abandon preferred outcomes and courage to trust unfamiliar paths. [22:00]
3. Jesus is commander, not copilot The divine presence appears with authority, not as a negotiable advisor; worship and submission follow naturally when God reveals himself as Lord. Treating Christ as co-pilot keeps control while disarming the power that comes through full submission. Making Jesus both Savior and Lord reorients decisions, resources, and desires so divine power can operate without obstacle. [34:05]
4. Breakthrough follows the bent knee Intimacy and holiness precede strategy: Joshua’s act of removing sandals and falling facedown preceded the tactical word that took Jericho. Physical and spiritual gestures of devotion clear the way for revelation and effectiveness, signaling readiness to receive God’s unconventional deliverance. The bent knee dislodges pride, aligns the heart with heaven, and positions people to inherit promised victories. [39:08]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:08] - Testimony from Israel family
[02:56] - Kislev: festival of lights
[05:38] - Praying for dreams and encounters
[07:19] - Paradox: victory through surrender
[09:28] - Joshua meets the commander
[22:00] - God’s ways higher than ours
[28:41] - Joshua’s worshipful surrender
[39:08] - Sandals, Moses, and intimacy with God

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading: Joshua 5:13-15 (ESV)
When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” And the commander of the Lord's army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.

Observation questions

What was the initial question Joshua asked the armed figure, and what was the surprising answer he received?
What specific actions did Joshua take after hearing the commander's answer?
What reason did the commander give for instructing Joshua to remove his sandals?
How does the sermon connect this encounter to the promise God made in Exodus 23:20-22? [27:09]

Interpretation questions

Why is the question "Are you for us or for our enemies?" considered the wrong question to ask God? What does this reveal about a common human approach to God?
The commander identifies himself with the covenant name of the Lord (Yehovah). What is the significance of this title, "commander of the army of the Lord," and how does it challenge Joshua's own position and authority?
Joshua's response shifts from confrontation to worship and surrender. What does this change in posture indicate about the nature of true encounter with God?
The act of removing sandals is linked to intimacy and holiness, as it was with Moses at the burning bush. What might this gesture symbolize about the kind of relationship God desires with his people?

Application questions

In what current situation are you tempted to ask God, "Are you for me or for my enemies?"—essentially asking Him to get on board with your plan? What would it look like to instead ask, "What message does my Lord have for his servant?" in that circumstance? [28:41]
Jesus comes as a commander, not a copilot. [34:05] What is one area of your life (e.g., time, treasure, talents, a specific relationship) where you are still holding the controls instead of surrendering them to His full lordship?
Breakthrough follows the bent knee. [42:44] Is there a specific challenge, stronghold, or recurring frustration where you have been relying on your own strategy and strength? What would it look like to physically and spiritually "bow the knee" in surrender over that situation this week?
The place of surrender is the foot of the cross. [44:20] As you reflect on communion, what does it mean for you personally that your victory was secured through Christ's surrender? How does that truth empower you to surrender areas you've been withholding?
Intimacy and holiness precede strategy. [39:08] How can you create space to "remove your sandals" and draw near to God in reverence this week, not to get a strategy, but simply to worship and acknowledge His holiness?

Sermon Clips

31s

#SurrenderAll

“When you ask Jesus to be your savior, but you hold him at arm's length and don't allow him to be your Lord, you're basically saying, I wanna remain in control. In that case, you haven't really decided to follow Jesus. What you've really done, if you drill down into it, is you've invited Jesus to follow you. It doesn't work like that. We're called to surrender all. I'm reminded of the words of that beautiful hymn that puts it so eloquently.”

56s

#VictoryAtTheCross

“So much power in the cross. It's where the war was waged, the the battle was fought, and Jesus came through it victorious. And so when you surrender at the foot of Calvary, your surrender becomes your victory. And in that place, you are able to triumph over sin, death, and hell. Jesus fought the battle for you, and he said it's finished. It's done. So when we partake of the bread, every time we celebrate at the Lord's table and drink the cup and eat the bread. We are proclaiming the victory that we have found in giving up our lives to Jesus.”

39s

#OnGodsSide

“In so many words, he was saying, I didn't come here to take sides. I came to take over. And that's what the Lord always does. You know, there's a story that kinda emphasizes this point. During the height of the civil war, one of president Lincoln's advisers approached him, and he said, jeez, it sure is nice to know that we have God on the side of the union. Lincoln is said to have replied, sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side. My greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right.”

27s

#AlignWithHisPlan

“And I would say, yes and amen to that. God is for you. But that doesn't mean he's beholding to you. He's not some genie in a bottle that you can wield at your command, and and he's, you know, duty bound to fulfill your wishes and dreams and desires. No. No. No. He's ready to fight for you, but only when you're aligned with his plans and his purposes. See, that's the key.”

35s

#SeekHisWill

“So knowing that to be the case, instead of trying to convince God to get on board with our plans, our agendas, or our ideas, what we ought to be doing is is seeking his face and and trying to discern his will so that we can make sure we're aligned with him. You see, the the the prayer of the true saint is thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Now some of you are thinking, but wait a minute. Doesn't the Bible state in various places that God is for us?”

33s

#SurrenderNotSolo

“Now the mistake he makes here is assuming that only two options existed. He he assumes that there are only two possible answers. He's either for us or he's against us. But then he's surprised by the man's answer. He says, neither. And that had to have caught Joshua by surprise. And the same thing happens with us. Something you need to know about the Lord is that he refuses to be limited or bound by the restrictions that we try to place on him.”

40s

#PrepareForSpiritualBattle

“Now there's a parallel to be made between what they had to do and what God calls us to do as his kids. You see, Jesus in John 10 describes this abundant life of flourishing. He said, I came that you might have life and that you might experience it to the full or to the max, that you that you might experience this victorious Christian life. And so that's been promised to us. But don't expect the enemy to just roll over or to give up or to relinquish territory without a fight. All progress in the Christian life is made through battles.”

29s

#JerichoWasStrategic

“I I remember being so discouraged when I heard that for the first time. I thought, you know, if I give my life to the Lord, then things should be pretty easy for me. It was a shock to my system to be confronted by the reality that the devil, if anything, he goes after you more and harder the more you try to pursue the Lord. In fact, Jesus said it like this. He said, the kingdom of heaven is taken by violence, and the violent sees it.”

35s

#DontBoxGod

“So if you wanna pursue the Lord, if you wanna lay claim to that life that we're describing throughout this series, the light series, the life of blessing, the life of abundance, the life of victory, then you better get ready for a fight. Now the first battle that Israel had to face took place at Jericho. Now Jericho wasn't the largest or most populous or even the most important city in Canaan, but it may have been the most strategic. Now its significance lied in its location.”

34s

#BowForBreakthrough

“And we forget that Jesus is the eternal word of God. He is the central figure in all of scripture from Genesis to Revelation. And so there are times at which Jesus chose to make an entrance prior to his birth in Bethlehem. And this, I believe, was one of those times. It was Jesus who stood before Joshua. And Joshua recognizes that this person is the Lord, and he falls on his face, and he asks the question, what are my marching orders?”

35s

#StandBeforeTheCommander

“To resist him, to to stiff arm him, to hold him at arm's length is to hold your very joy at arm's length. God is inviting you in to this this place of victory, this place of breakthrough, and I believe God wants to do that in our midst today. Will you bow your heads with me? Thank you, Lord. That the place of victory, where all our victory is found, is in our surrender. Now where do you surrender? You surrender at the foot of the cross.”

38s

#AreYouForUsOrEnemies

“He didn't have any siege weapons to work with or or battering rams that he could use, and and he's watching the clock tick. He knows he's running out of time, and so he sneaks over to Jericho, and and all of these these predicament predicaments are are weighing heavily upon his mind, and he's staring up at these walls, and out of nowhere appears a man. And he's got a a sword in his hand. Now the fact that the sword wasn't, you know, sheathed at his side, but rather was resting in his hand, let Joshua know that this guy was looking for a fight.”

36s

#ProvisionBeyondManna

“Now in situations like that, someone's approaching you, they've got a weapon in their hands, we all have kinda like that fight or flight reflex that kicks in in those those moments. Joshua was no coward, though. I mean, he was a man of war, and and I think in this moment, his military background kicks in, and he moves towards, not away from, the armed stranger. And before the man can speak, Joshua dictates the conversation, and he confronts the guy with this question. We find it at the end of verse 13 where he says, are you for us or for our enemies?”

36s

#FortressOfJericho

“For the forty years prior to that, every morning when Israel would wake up, they would step outside their tent, and covering the ground would be these wafer like substances that provided them with the nourishment that they needed. It was just God provided it. They didn't have to worry about where their next meal was going to come from. But now the manna has stopped because God was signifying to them, you've arrived. But that meant that their food supply was dwindling by the day, and so it highlighted the need to come up with a more stable food source and a more permanent living situation.”

37s

“These walls were enough to make any potential enemy think twice before attacking. I mean, before you even could scale the wall, you first had to deal with about a 15 foot high retaining wall. And once you scaled that, you came to the outer wall of the city. That was about 25 feet high. And if you could somehow manage to get past that, that the crest of the hill, the inner wall, was another 25 feet tall. So if you add all of that up from ground level, the top of the tallest wall stood stood 65 feet above where you were standing.”

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Finding Victory Through Surrender | Daniel Bentley

Devotional

Day 1: The Light Shines Brightest in the Darkest Night

Day 2: God Speaks in the Quiet of the Night

Day 3: Asking the Wrong Question Limits God’s Answer

Day 4: True Victory Begins with Total Surrender

Day 5: Our Surrender Proclaims His Finished Work

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Finding Victory Through Surrender | Daniel Bentley

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