Stay True To The Task

Another tactic used by the enemy against Nehemiah and the building project in Jerusalem was sowing division among the Jews themselves — brethren cheating brethren, brethren accusing brethren. What a great negative that is, even today. That is a tactic of Satan, a negative to stop the work of God. It did not work on the Jews building the wall. They solved their problem and the work went on.

However, the devil is not one to give up easily and he had other tricks up his sleeve. You will find that when he is defeated in one area, he will emerge in another area. That is why we must ever be watchful, prayed up, and full of the Holy Spirit. Sanballat and the enemies had another plan ready when the others failed. This time they invited Nehemiah down for a talk. They wanted to “reason” with him.

There is no reasoning with the devil, and Nehemiah knew that. His message back to the enemy was very positive:

I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you? (Nehemiah 6:3)

The enemy came with these negative suggestions not once but five separate times. Nevertheless, Nehemiah continued to work the works of God and continued to speak with positiveness and authority.

Then I sent unto him, saying, There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart. (Nehemiah 6:8)

You would think the devil would quit after all these negatives failed, but he appeared again — this time in the person of a so-called prophet of God who warned Nehemiah to stop building and hide for his life:

…Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple: for they will come to slay thee; yea, in the night will they come to slay thee. (Nehemiah 6:10)

Satan often will use even well-meaning religious friends and even leaders to try to discourage us. Nehemiah still held to God’s positives:

And I said, Should such a man as I flee? and who is there, that, being as I am, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in. And, lo, I perceived that God had not sent him; but that he pronounced this prophecy against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. (Nehemiah 6:11-12)

Not every prophet comes from God. Some have been hired by the enemy. We certainly need to know the difference! In God’s power, on God’s Word, by God’s revelation, Nehemiah stayed true to his task until he had the victory. The enemy became discouraged. The work got done and the wall was finished (Nehemiah 6:15-16).