Be Ready for the Enemy

Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem to help rebuild the wall around the city. But he and the people faced opposition. In our text, we learn how they handled it. Today, we face opposition from the world. We are involved in a spiritual battle for the cause of Christ. How do we handle it? We can learn from what Nehemiah and the people did as they built the wall.

What Nehemiah and the Jews Did

• They prayed to God (Nehemiah 4:9) – they remembered their dependence upon Him; this did not mean they sat back and did nothing; they prayed, then set up a guard
• They received words of encouragement (Nehemiah 4:14) – they were afraid, and this was acknowledged; rather than being ridiculed for it, they were encouraged to remember that God was on their side
• They wore their sword as they built (Nehemiah 4:17-18) – they continued to work, but they were able to defend against their enemies’ attacks at any time
• They cooperated with one another (Nehemiah 4:16) – some would build while others would stand guard; one was not more important than the other; both were necessary
• They listened for the sound of the trumpet (Nehemiah 4:19-20) – they might not hear the enemies’ attack, but this would alert them; they would be ready to come to the aid of their brethren
• They remembered what their mission was (Nehemiah 6:15) – their goal was to rebuild the wall, and they did it; their goal was NOT fighting for the sake of fighting; pursuing the enemy would hinder their work

What We Must Do Today

• We pray to God because of the fight before us (Ephesians 6:18-19) – remember our dependence upon Him; this came after the description of the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-17); His strength aids us
• We must receive encouragement (Hebrews 3:12-13) – otherwise we may fall away from God; all of us need encouragement (Romans 1:11-12), even one like the apostle Paul
• We must take up the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17) – we are not ready without it; be prepared with the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-17)
• We must cooperate with one another (Hebrews 10:24-25) – this becomes more vital as difficulties increase; remember that the devil hunts us like a lion (1 Peter 5:8); isolation makes us more vulnerable
• We must be on the alert (Acts 20:29-31) – this is a special responsibility of elders, but all can help in this too; we must be mindful of threats and not ignore attacks against our brethren (Titus 1:9-11)
• We must remember our mission (2 Corinthians 10:3-5) – we fight to bring thoughts captive to Christ, not just fight for the sake of fighting; our goal is eternal life (1 Timothy 6:12); we must not get distracted

Conclusion

• The world wants to stop us from serving the Lord – if they cannot do this, they will try to hinder us
• We must remember the lessons from Nehemiah if we want to be successful in fighting the good fight – let us remember our dependence upon God, encourage and help one another, stay armed and on the alert, and remember our mission; if we do these things, we can “take hold of eternal life” (1 Timothy 6:12)