I have been thinking seriously about this and want to share what has been on my mind.
When Joshua took over leadership from Moses, God gave him clear instructions about how to lead the people of Israel. Joshua was stepping into a massive responsibility. Moses had been their leader for many years, and now Joshua had to guide the nation into the Promised Land.
Before Joshua could face the mighty walls of Jericho, something very significant happened. A man appeared before him with a drawn sword. Joshua approached him and asked a direct question: “Are you for us or for our adversaries?”
The answer Joshua received was unexpected.
Joshua 5:14 (NKJV)
“So He said, ‘No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.’ And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, ‘What does my Lord say to His servant?’”
This was not an ordinary man. This was the Commander of the Lord’s army.
This moment reveals something powerful: although Joshua was the visible leader of Israel, the real leader of the battle was heaven itself. The Commander of the Lord’s army had come to lead the fight.
Joshua and the people of Israel would do the physical actions—marching, shouting, fighting—but the real victory would come from the unseen realm.
Interestingly, this Commander appeared to Joshua before the battle of Jericho, but during the battle itself, he was never seen physically. The Israelites did all the visible actions, but the victory clearly came from a superior force working behind the scenes.
As long as the Israelites followed the commands given from heaven, victory was guaranteed.
But something happened shortly after that victory that made me pause and think deeply.
God gave a very clear instruction before the fall of Jericho: the people were not to take any spoils from the city. Everything in Jericho was devoted to destruction or dedicated to the Lord.
However, one man named Achan disobeyed that command.
He secretly took some of the spoils and hid them. No one around him saw what he did. It was done quietly and secretly.
Yet the next battle revealed something had changed.
Israel went to fight the small city of Ai, expecting an easy victory. Instead, they were defeated.
Why?
Because disobedience had entered the camp.
Although no human being saw Achan take the spoils, heaven saw it.
I imagine that the Commander of the Lord’s army saw what happened immediately. When that act of disobedience took place, something changed spiritually. The same divine help that guaranteed victory could no longer operate in the same way.
The Commander had not abandoned Israel completely, but He could no longer fight for them as before.
The victory of Israel depended on their obedience to heaven, and secret disobedience hindered the help they were receiving.
This reminds me of a common saying among soldiers: “Obey before you complain.”
In the military, obedience is essential. A soldier does not argue with the commander in the middle of a battle. Obedience ensures order, strategy, and victory.
As believers, the Bible describes us as soldiers of Christ. If earthly soldiers understand the importance of obedience, we cannot afford to take obedience lightly in our spiritual lives.
This realization led me to ask myself a very personal question:
How have I disabled the Commander sent from heaven to help me because of disobedience?
It made me understand something very serious: every time I disobey God, I am signing up for unnecessary defeat in the battles of life.
Sometimes the disobedience may be secret. It may be something no one else knows about. It could be a hidden sin or a quiet compromise that nobody else sees.
But the Commander sees everything.
There are no secrets in the spirit realm. What is hidden from men is never hidden from heaven.
God may have given us great promises of victory. He may have shown us signs that confirm His presence with us. Yet disobedience can hinder the full help that heaven wants to release in our lives.
This is why we must intentionally rid ourselves of every sin—whether people can see it or not.
This is why we must pray for the grace to obey God in all things, whether it is convenient or not.
Sometimes God may ask us to do something that is not necessarily sinful if we fail to do it. For example, if God asks someone to preach and they refuse, people may not immediately label that as a sin.
But it is still serious disobedience.
And disobedience—even when it appears small—can limit how actively heaven works in our lives.
Many times, God assigns angels to assist His people in fulfilling their assignments on earth. The Bible speaks of angels as ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation.
But when we walk in disobedience, we make it difficult for those heavenly helpers to operate fully in our lives.
They may still be present, but their activity can become limited because our lives are no longer aligned with the command of heaven.
This is why God constantly instructs us to live righteous and obedient lives.
He is not asking for obedience for His own benefit. God does not gain anything from our obedience in the sense that He needs it.
Rather, He wants us to live in a position where victory becomes our consistent experience.
God understands something very clearly: if we carry the property of the devil—sin, rebellion, and disobedience—we cannot effectively defeat the devil.
Jesus Himself revealed this powerful truth.
John 14:30 (NKJV)
“I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.”
This was one of the secrets of Jesus’ consistent victory.
Satan had nothing in Him.
There was no sin, no compromise, and no hidden disobedience that the enemy could use against Him.
Jesus lived a completely clean life before the Father.
The Bible describes His character beautifully.
Hebrews 1:9 (NKJV)
“You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.”
Jesus did not just avoid sin—He loved righteousness and hated iniquity.
Because of this, the heavenly assistance surrounding His life was always active and unhindered.
The Commander of the Lord’s army who was sent to help Him on earth could act quickly and powerfully because Jesus lived in perfect obedience to God.
Jesus always did what the Father asked Him to do.
He did not live in sin, and He did not walk in self-will.
Sometimes we pride ourselves on the fact that we are not living in obvious sinful lifestyles, and that is very good.
But there is another question we must ask ourselves:
Am I living a self-willed life?
Do I allow the Commander in heaven to truly take the lead in my life?
Do I let Him direct me in what to do—and what not to do?
Or am I quietly making my own decisions while asking God to bless them afterward?
If my life becomes aligned with God in these two areas—freedom from sin and freedom from self-will—then victory becomes a natural outcome.
Why?
Because the Commander assigned to help me will be able to work without hindrance.
So today, I want to invite you to join me in this prayer.
Prayer
Father, thank You for sending heavenly help to guide and strengthen me in the battles of life.
Thank You for the Commander You have assigned to watch over my journey.
If there are areas where I have disobeyed You, please forgive me.
Give me a heart that desires obedience in every situation.
Help me to obey You without questioning, without complaining, and without demanding explanations.
Give me the grace to follow You wholeheartedly.
Remove every spirit of rebellion and replace it with a spirit of surrender.
Father, give me a heart of flesh that will follow You like a sheep follows its shepherd wherever You lead.
Let my life remain in alignment with Your will so that the help You have assigned to me can operate without restriction.
Thank You, Lord Jesus, for hearing and answering my prayer.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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