Joshua's strategy in overtaking Canaan would seem quite out of place stacked next to much of the church growth literature available to pastors and church leaders today: given the charge to "be strong and courageous," He and his fighting men seem to be doing only two things: ritual cleansing, and entering the land that is to be possessed.

Is it really that simple? Should we shelve all our sociological studies, polls, sermon illustration websites and strategy manuals and simply dedicate ourselves to the LORD and enter the places God has given us to possess?

Then there's the business of Joshua being met by a commander of the LORD's army standing in front of him with his sword drawn. This changes the entire trajectory of the story: so far, Joshua has been literally going through the motions until he crossed the trail of the LORD's army. Almost as if the Israelites were following little bread crumbs that led to a fight already in progress, and the commander sees the band of brothers and thinks, "look, reinforcements have arrived." Perhaps we would do well to learn that the battle really isn't ours, that we are late to a fight already in progress, and all we have to do is remain strong and courageous. We fight, but the battle really isn't in our hands.

Joshua 5:1