"Defeating The Enemy"

"And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it." Nehemiah 4:8 

In context this verse is talking about when Nehemiah had gone to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls of the city, and while they were working their enemies - Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabians, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, came against them to stop the work. (There is still an enemy who will try to conspire against us in the work of the Lord.)

 

That enemy is not Sanballat, or the Ammonites, or any of the ones that were named in this scripture. But it is the same enemy. It is the same enemy that conspired against Nehemiah, against David, against Daniel, Paul and against the Israelites. The real enemy who is behind the one who appears to be the enemy is the devil/adversary. He is the one who tries to stop the work of the Lord. He is the one who goes about seeking whom he may devour. He may come in many "forms"-- a wolf in sheep's clothing, an angel of light, a wicked king, a seductive woman, etc.-- but it is still him. 

 

How do we withstand and fight against this enemy? How do we keep him from stopping us in the work of the Lord? How do we keep him from side-tracking us and causing us to stop doing what we are called to do? The answer is in the next verse. "Nevertheless, we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them."

 

The first thing we do is pray to God. We call upon the Lord to defend, protect, advise, give us strength and wisdom. We bring God into our situation-- not think that we can handle it by ourselves. (The battle belongs to the Lord.) 

 

The next thing we do is keep an eye out for the enemy. How do we do that? Through God's Word. Ephesians tells us to put on the full armor of God so that we can stand against the schemes and devises of the devil. That armor is Christ Himself-- it is the Word. When we are clothed with God's Word, our spiritual eyes are enlightened, and we see clearly the tactics and plans of the enemy.

 

How do we fight against the enemy who conspires against us in our work of the Lord. The answer is clear, Jesus summed it up for us-- "Watch and pray". 

 

Have a great day. The devil still comes to stop us from doing God's work, but he is defeated when we watch and pray. 

 

For further reading:

Matthew 26:41

Ephesians 6:11,12

John 10:10

1 Samuel 17:47