The Man with the Sword in His Hand

(The Saving Life of Christ – Ian Thomas)


So Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, “Pass through the camp and command the people, ‘Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you will cross over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess.’” (Josh. 1: 10-11)

Moses was a spiritual type of John the Baptist who took the people through a baptism of repentance. When repentance is real, as observed by the all-knowing eyes of God, it will result in spiritual regeneration and a thirst to become like Jesus Christ. Moses then gave these called out people the law of God to teach them how God’s people are to act. But the law will only serve to make people aware of their own insufficiency. It is here, in the desert testing period, that God will use His law to tear His children away from the self-sufficient ways of this world. (Rom. 7: 13)

God makes use of desert preachers. But, like John the Baptist, they must learn to decrease while God’s children turn from the old way of law {trying to serve God by human effort in the strength of the flesh} to the supernatural life of living under the control and power of the Holy Spirit.

Joshua was a spiritual type of Jesus Christ who led the people through a baptism of the Holy Spirit. This is what cuts off the natural flow of the flesh-life. He then gave them the land where they would be enabled to participate with Christ in His divine nature and live out God’s will here on earth, as it is done in heaven. And on the third day after arriving at the Jordan River, early in the morning, they were taken into the land by God’s power!

Does this remind you of anything? What happened on the third day early in the morning? Jesus Christ rose from the dead! The number three in Scripture is associated with a new fullness of life – resurrection life! And this is the promised land {life}, the Promise of the Father (Acts 1: 4) – to know Christ in the power of His heavenly life and nature. “For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death {to the flesh-life}, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection {life}, knowing this that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin {self-will} might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died {to self-will} has been freed from sin.” (Rom. 6: 5-7)
Yes, as we have seen again and again, the promised land of Canaan is nothing less than the believer’s enjoyment, here on earth, of the firstfruits of Christ’s resurrection life.

Blessed is the man who endures temptation {and trials, in the wilderness time of testing}; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. (Jam. 1: 12) To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life {and sustain himself on the divine nature of Jesus Christ} which is in the paradise of God… Be faithful, even to the point of death {to self}, and I will give you the crown of life. (Rev. 2: 7, 10)

He does not come to give strength to your flesh – He comes to become your life. When you are eating from the tree of divine life in the Sabbath-rest of God, you will taste of the firstfruits of Christ’s eternal life.

The Lord you are seeking comes in the power of His resurrection life. (Mal. 3: 1-3, Heb. 7: 16) He says, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” (John 14: 6) He is the only one who has a victorious life. Therefore, we must enter into the Sabbath-rest of God and permit Him to take control of every aspect of our life.

Joshua went out to make a reconnaissance of the walled city of Jericho and determine how to attack the first major task that confronted him in the land of divine provision. But as he did so, he became strangely aware of the presence of a Man – a Man with a sword in His hand. In so many words, he said to the Man, “Whose side are you on? Are you on our side or are you on their side?”

“Neither,” the Man replied, “But as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” The Man with the sword in His hand said, in effect, “I am not on anyone’s side. I have come as the Captain who has control of every situation. I have not come to take sides – I have come to take over!” This is the supernatural work of Christ’s Spirit.

The One who now possesses all power and authority in heaven and on earth has promised to live within His obedient disciples. He comes to direct their every step and to fight their every battle in this world. He has control over every situation; and He will work out everything for our eternal good as long as we are walking under the control and power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 8: 28, 31)

The Lord gave this promise to Joshua as He prepared to take His called out people into the land of Sabbath-rest: “I will give you every place where you set your foot…No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life.” (Josh. 1: 3, 5) This promise goes out to everyone who will give up their self-life and permit the Spirit to lead them into the Sabbath-rest of God, where everyone lives by faith under His control and power.

The path of the righteous is level; O upright One, you make the way of the righteous smooth. (Isa. 26: 7)

In the land, you do not make your own plans in the flesh, hoping and praying that God will be on your side. You seek only to walk in union with the Lord’s plans. This is the one life of faith that everyone enjoys when they are living in the undivided kingdom of God. “For the kingdom of God is…{Christ’s} righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Rom. 14: 17)

The Lord is the only one with true power and authority. Jericho is no longer your problem. The Sovereign Lord will reign over every circumstance with His victorious life within your soul. When you live by faith, under the control and power of the Holy Spirit, you come under the supreme jurisdiction of the Man with the sword in His hand. This is the life of holiness. We are wholly devoted to serving the Lord according to His “good, and acceptable {pleasing} and perfect will.” (Rom. 12: 2) His will is always accomplished through His providential control when He finds someone who is willing to be a holy instrument of His life and glory. {The Man, who is the Spirit of Christ, said}, “…as commander of the army of the Lord I have come.” Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence {displaying a submissive nature}, and asked him, “What message does my Lord have for his servant?” The commander of the Lord’s army replied, “Take off your sandals {which represents our contact with the self-directed ways of the world}, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so. (Josh. 5: 14-15)