Avoiding the Schemes of the Enemy

​Nehemiah 6:9 ~ “For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, ‘Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done.’ But now, O God, strengthen my hands.”
 
With great effort the leaders of the surrounding nations did all they could to hinder the work led by Nehemiah. Commissioned by the LORD to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem and to anchor the gates in its place, the cupbearer to the king (see Nehemiah 1:11) undertook this great effort with the determination to accomplish the task to the glory of God. He would not be hindered by threats or attacks and even undertook to arm the workers that they should be ready for a fight (see Nehemiah 4:17).
 
But, my friends, those who walk with Christ must be aware that there is always an enemy around who wants to hinder the work that God has called us to do. With many assaults and devices, the enemy tries to gain advantage over the faithful of the LORD in order to prevent us from building what God has ordained. But God cannot be stopped. He will do exactly what He has minded to do, and it will happen according to His will. However, let us take note from what Mordecai told Esther, “For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this” (see Esther 4:14). As Nehemiah, and as Esther, and as all of God’s faithful, you are also placed in the time and location that you should serve and strive in obedience to the will of God. We have a purpose and a call from God to do what He requires. Through you, then, God will enact His purposes. And if you shrink back from obedience in the moment you live, God will still work and the dread consequence is that you won’t be a part of it.
 
If you have a moment, before you read further, pick up your Bible and read Nehemiah chapter six. In doing so, you will understand the means by which the world will try to frighten you out of your obedience to Christ. And if they succeed, our text describes what their end-game is: that your hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done. To consider an example of this, one time as I was with a group of faithful believers working to bring the gospel to the city, several told me that it was against the city ordinance to go door to door with the truth of Christ. They tried to intimidate and frighten us out of the task God had given. What they had said was not true, but that didn’t matter to them. Their goal was to end our work. However, we pressed on—as should all those who walk with Christ.
 
Let’s take a look at how Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem tried to intimidate Nehemiah. In Nehemiah 6:2-4 they tried to get Nehemiah to leave the work in order to come to them and have some “conference” meeting, all the while intending to harm Nehemiah. When that plot didn’t work, they resorted to deception. In Nehemiah 6:6-7 they tried to stir up strife by making the false claim that Nehemiah intended to make himself king in Jerusalem. Finally, they tried to use a friend of Nehemiah to deceive the leader and make him enter into the temple in order to hide (see Nehemiah 6:10-13). Lies, trickery, false reports, intimidations, and all other manner of deceptive schemes are used to keep the servants of God from walking in faithfulness and service to Him. But, just as Nehemiah would not give in to their intrigues, so we must not give in to the pressures in our world to shrink back from our obedience to Christ.
 
Let us then learn from Nehemiah’s response to this effort of the enemy. What did he do? Nehemiah prayed. Sanballat and the others wanted to weaken the hands of Nehemiah, so the cupbearer prayed that God would strengthen his hands. And in our work that God has commanded, we must pray that the LORD would strengthen us to accomplish the task. Consider what the apostles prayed when they faced the mounting persecution from the Sanhedrin. Acts 4:29, “And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness.” They did not pray that God would thwart the enemy or even stop the persecution. They prayed that in the midst of it they would be given the boldness to speak. Their prayer was one of courage, to pursue God’s purpose.
 
Beloved, the world will try to sway you, frighten you, intimidate you and falsely say all manner of evil against you in order to keep you from serving the LORD. Do not give in to the world’s effort to stop your obedience to Christ. In the end, you will be the one standing with the Savior in His victory while they will all have to acknowledge that God was with us all along.
 
In His Grace,
Pastor Michael

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