Back in December my daughter Anna needed new basketball shoes and we ended up purchasing Nike Kobe, named after the well known Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant. What a great marketing technique to get people to buy the same footwear as Kobe, inspiring players to think and hope that maybe, just maybe, wearing his shoes will help them play like him! Unfortunately Anna still can’t slam dunk a basketball, but the cost was worth it since her Achilles tendon is healing and she has been able to return to the court.

In our faith journey, we are given the Father’s shoes and our goal is to imitate His son Jesus. Jesus removed his sandals for us and gave up his life by dying on the cross so that we can stand in victory. He conquered our strongholds and gives us spiritual strength to go on. Last week we read that Joshua was commanded to take off His shoes in submission to the Commander of the Lord’s army (Jesus) and die to himself, so that he could ultimately follow the Father’s plan.

The Father’s shoes certainly don’t match those of our culture in style, color or in our idea of what we consider footwear necessary to win. Notice God’s plan for victory:

“I have delivered Jericho into your hands…. March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priest blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have all the people give a loud shout, then the wall of the city will collapse…” (Joshua 6:2-5)

These marching orders are the same for us today. The Father has already “delivered” your Jericho into your hands. Your Commander of the Lord’s Army secured your victory at the Cross. Put on His shoes and follow in His steps around the spiritual strongholds in your life. Keep your eyes on Jesus, the True Priest, and know the Holy Spirit dwells not just with you like the Ark of the Covenant, but in you.

Can you hear the greatest victory shout trumpeted out for the entire world to hear, “It is finished!” (John 19:30). Satan and the strong holds of our sin have been overcome by the Cross forever. There is just one more thing you are commanded to do, shout praise to your God in faith for your victory and watch the walls of your Jericho come tumbling down!