Stand Against Your Adversary
I have never quite understood why it bothered Sanballat and Tobiah so much that the Jews were rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem; also Geshem the Arab. From reading Nehemiah 6, it seems that they didn't have anything else to do but pester Nehemiah. They tried to lure him away from his job, sending him a message to meet with them in a village on the plain of Ono. But Nehemiah realized they were scheming to harm him so he refused to meet with them. They didn't give up easily. They sent this message to him four times. On the fifth try they accused him of plotting to revolt and set himself up as king. They threatened him by saying this report was going to get back to the king. Nehemiah was onto them and realized they were just trying to frighten him.
Nehemiah refused to listen to their threats. I really like what is says in Neh. 5:9b. "But I prayed Now strengthen my hand." Sanballat and Tobiah still didn't give up but hired a man to prophesy to Nehemiah that he should go hide in the temple because men were coming to kill him. Nehemiah realized they were just scheming again and refused to go hide in the temple. He persisted and the wall was completed. When his enemies heard that the job was completed they lost their self-confidence because they realized that God had enabled the Jew to finish the job.
I think we can learn from Nehemiah in dealing with our enemy, the devil. 1 Peter 5:8-9 says "Be self-controlled and alert. you enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith." John Corson says, "The devil is a roaring lion. He had his teeth kicked out at Calvary. Yet he can still roar." That's exactly what Sanballat and Tobiah were dong, they were roaring at Nehemiah. But he resisted them. We can do the same thing. Realize when the devil comes roaring, "You're going to fail," or "You're going to give in," that he is just roaring and that you can resist him. James 4:7 says "Be subject to God. Stand firm against the devil; resist him and he will flee from you." (Amplified Version)
There are a couple of keys in resisting the devil. Nehemiah said, "But I prayed." When the devil comes knocking at your door with temptations, discouragement, discontent, etc., send Jesus to the door. We can't do anything in our own strength. Remember, Jesus said without him we couldn't do anything. So we need to bring our problems to the Lord in prayer and turn them over to him. James says, "Be subject to God." In other words, don't try to take things in your own hands and do them your own way. Realize you are a subject in the Kingdom of God and King Jesus will fight for you. You are under his protection.
Just as the enemies of Nehemiah lost their self-confidence when they saw Nehemiah forging ahead and completing the job, the devil will flee when he sees that he isn't going to prevail. That doesn't mean he won't come back on another day with a new tactic but when we consistently practice taking everything to the Lord in prayer and being subject to God, the devil will again flee.
2 Cor. 2:10-11 says that we are not ignorant of Satan's schemes. It is interesting that the verse leading into that statement is about forgiveness. Paul said that he has forgiven "To keep Satan from getting the advantage over us; for we are not ignorant of his wiles and intentions." (Amplified). Eph. 6:11 tells us to put on the full armor of God so that we can take our stand against the devil's schemes. Just as Sanballat and Tobiah were scheming and plotting against Nehemiah, so our enemy plots and schemes against us. Let it be said of us as of Nehemiah, "But I prayed." And the Lord will strengthen your hand.
Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. In all these things we are more than conquerors.
1 comment:
Forgiveness requires humility. We all know that pride comes before destruction. Pride would tell us that we can answer the door when Satan comes knocking, rather then sending God before us. Humility asks God to come into the situation because we know we can't handle it in our own strength. Humility brings victory.
Post a Comment