And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have delivered them into your hand; not a man of them shall stand before you.” (v.8)
Do not fear them: This was a command, not a suggestion. And, the command was joined to a promise, "I have delivered them into your hand; not a man of them shall stand before you."
Fear takes away our ability to fight God’s battles. Even in the face of strong enemies, Joshua was commanded to not fear. For Joshua, fear was unbelief – being unwilling to believe what God promised. Though Joshua had reason to fear because Israel faced a confederation of five kings, God commanded him to not fear his enemies.
The most dangerous kind of soldier is one who does not fear death - one who believes he is invincible, and is fighting for the greater good. In our text, the LORD assures Joshua that He has already delivered the enemy into his hands and that not a man will stand before him. All Joshua needs to do is believe and take action, for the battle has already been won.
So it is with us when stepping into any area God has called us on His behalf. Being human we tend to say to ourselves, “I can’t do this or I’m not the right person for the job.” When in reality, we are afraid, afraid of failure. The truth is, where God guides, God provides and He will give us the boldness to believe and take the necessary action.
If we are in His perfect will, like Joshua, nothing can stand against us.
The Truth: “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)
