For several weeks now, I have been camping in Joshua 1:1–9.

As I continued reading and meditating on this passage, my attention kept returning to the words in verse 9:

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be terrified or dismayed (intimidated), for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
—Joshua 1:9 AMP

I sense fear, dismay, and intimidation spreading among many people. As this began to rise within my spirit, I asked the Lord what He wanted to reveal about it.

At first, I saw a man engaged in a sword fight with Jesus. It was not a real duel but a training exercise. Jesus was teaching the man how to wield his sword.

Then I saw another vision.

The man was holding something that resembled a virus—the kind often portrayed in illustrations as a round object covered with pointed knobs. He held it out and presented it to Jesus.

Jesus drew His sword and cut the virus in half.

The virus disappeared, but a sticky residue remained on the man’s hands. Then I heard:

“Clean your hands. Wash them.”

I believe the Heavenly Father is reminding us to be strong and courageous. He sees what the enemy is attempting to do through fear, dismay, and intimidation. But He has not left us defenseless.

He is training our hands for battle and teaching us to wield the sword He has already placed within them.

Train Your Hands

Psalm 144:1 AMP says:

Prayer for Rescue and Prosperity.
A Psalm of David.
Blessed be the Lord, my Rock and my great strength,
Who trains my hands for war
And my fingers for battle.

There is a war taking place—a war over our covenant, our inheritance, and our promised land.

Joshua 1:6 AMP says:

“Be strong and confident and courageous, for you will give this people as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers (ancestors) to give them.”

Just as Joshua was called to take possession of an inheritance, we have also received an inheritance from the Heavenly Father—an inheritance Jesus purchased for us with His blood.

The enemy may attempt to intimidate us and prevent us from taking hold of what the Father has given us. But the Father is training our hands for battle.

We are not being trained to retreat.
We are being trained to advance.

Cut Through the Lies: The First Edge of the Sword

Hebrews 4:12 AMP says:

For the word of God is living and active and full of power [making it operative, energizing, and effective]. It is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as the division of the soul and spirit [the completeness of a person], and of both joints and marrow [the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart.

God has given us a weapon for the war over our inheritance: His living, active, and powerful Word.

His Word cuts through the virus of fear, dismay, and intimidation. It exposes the enemy’s lies and dismantles the weapons formed against our minds and hearts.

We are not called to surrender to fear.
We are called to wield the truth.

When fear says, “You cannot,” the Word reminds us that we can do all things through Christ.

When intimidation says, “Turn back,” the Word commands us to be strong and courageous.

When dismay says, “There is no way forward,” the Word reminds us that the Lord is with us wherever we go.

The first edge of the sword cuts through what the enemy has sent against us.

Wash Your Hands: The Second Edge of the Sword

After confronting what the enemy has sent against us, we must also allow the Word to address what remains within our own hearts and hands.

In the vision, the virus disappeared, but its sticky residue remained.

Fear, dismay, and intimidation can leave behind residue—wounds, thought patterns, habits, and expectations that continue to affect us even after the immediate attack has passed.

The threat may be gone, but the fear of its return remains.

The lie may have been exposed, but the wound it created still needs healing.

This is why we need the second edge of the sword. The Word not only cuts through the enemy’s lies; it also penetrates our hearts. It exposes what has taken root within us and cleanses, heals, and restores us.

John 15:3 AMP says:

You are already clean because of the word which I have given you [the teachings which I have discussed with you].

The words Jesus has spoken to us—the truths He has personally taught and revealed to us—make us clean.

His Word heals us and makes us whole again. It repairs the damage caused by fear, dismay, and intimidation. It washes away the sticky residue of what the enemy has sent against us.

The first edge cuts through the lies around us.

The second edge cleanses the residue within us.

So swing your sword—and then allow the same sword to search, cleanse, and restore your heart.

I believe the Heavenly Father is reminding us:

“Be strong and courageous.

Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous?

There is a war over your inheritance, but I have not left you empty-handed. I have given you the sword you need to win the battle.

Cut through the enemy’s lies, and allow My Word to cleanse every residue left behind.

Surely, I freely and willingly give you your inheritance.

I am with you, and I am on your side.”

And here's the Heart of the Heavenly Father (Watch and Read along)

Words of encouragement 1 --> Be Strong and Courageous: Swing Your Sword (October 1, 2026)

Words of encouragement 2 --> Swing Your Sword (June 2, 2025)