If the book of Nehemiah teaches us anything, it’s that there will always be opposition to the work of God. How can we overcome the attacks of the enemy? Read on to learn from the life of Nehemiah!
I’ve been reading Nehemiah, and I’ve noticed a few things.
First, from the moment Nehemiah headed out to do what God had called him to do, he faced opposition.
He knew the work he was going to do would not be popular with the people around him.
When we set out to follow Christ, we can expect the same thing.
Jesus himself told us so. He said he was sending us out as sheep among wolves. Does that sound like a pleasure stroll to you?
You see, the enemy is real, and when we are part of what God is doing, he won’t like it.
He can’t stop God, but he can surely try to stop us.
Nehemiah’s encounters with the enemies around him give us some insight into just how the devil might try to do it, as well as how we can overcome the attacks of the enemy.
One of the most successful ways the enemy tries to stop us from doing the things God’s called us to do is also one of the most simple.
I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve been lured away from what I need to do by other things I “need” to do.
It’s easy to let days or even months pass before I realize I never followed through on something I felt led to do.
It might happen to me on an almost daily basis, but let me tell you, it didn’t happen to Nehemiah.
His determination was stronger than his distractions.
Nothing turned him from his task.
When distraction didn’t work, Nehemiah’s enemies tried deception.
They whispered what ifs and distributed doubts.
Nehemiah recognized lies; he didn’t listen to them. Neither should we.
Sanballat went so far as to to tell Nehemiah that all the nations were saying that Nehemiah was planning a revolt. He dangled doubts about the king’s response to the building of the wall.
Sanballat spoke lies, and Nehemiah called him on it.
Oh, how I need to say that to myself sometimes because, you see, Nehemiah teaches us that opposition to God’s work can come from without AND within.
I would have been wondering who to trust, but it seems Nehemiah already knew.
As soon as the work had gotten well under way, the Israelites started having as much trouble within the wall as they were having without.
The work had to halt while Nehemiah sorted out the personal problems of his people. Because do you know what? They were people. Just like the ones in our churches and our schools and our offices and our homes.
They weren’t perfect, and neither were their relationships.
Nehemiah knew the problems had to be addressed before the work could be completed so he dealt with it openly and honestly and right away.
By dealing quickly with the dissension, he didn’t let it cause division.
From the moment the work began, Nehemiah’s enemies hurled insults at him, mocking him and his people and the work they were doing.
They were the voices that said, “The job’s too big” or “Your strength’s too small.” They pointed out every point of weakness and questioned every advance.
And then he kept right on working.
Nehemiah knew the task was too big for him, but he trusted that God would grant success. His confidence wasn’t shaken because it was never in himself.
Of course, his enemies didn’t like the fact that no matter what they did, the wall kept being built.
As I’ve considered this in light of ministry, I can’t help but thinking that we often need to do the same. As we obey God, we need others to join our work by covering it in the protection of prayer.
Through study and prayer, we can know God’s will for us and learn to trust him like Nehemiah did.
It was his faith in God that truly helped him overcome the attacks of the enemy, and our faith will do the same.
Thank you so much for joining me today for Encouraging Word Wednesday! I’d love to hear from you. Have you ever studied the book of Nehemiah? What stood out to you? What have you learned about overcoming the attacks of the enemy? What tips do you have?
Be sure to join us for the Encouraging Word Wednesday linkup!
One of my favorite features of Nehemiah is the way he handled opposition. He sasses his enemies right back (“Why should I leave my work and come to you???” Why indeed!) and stays focused.
We can learn so much from his mind set.
A great reminder of how we are to respond to attacks of the enemy.
I was definitely feeling attacked over the last few weeks and all of these were so helpful. Thank you!
What a powerful, truth-filled post. Sadly, the devil often doesn’t even have to move past distraction. We are so easily entertained and focused on things with no eternal value. May God help us to be focused on God’s purposes as Nehemiah was. Thanks for sharing.