Did you notice exactly when the Spiritual opposition began? The enemies of Israel weren’t threatened until God’s people were activated in their identity — when they became confident in God and their purpose! What does that mean for us as we tend to God’s presence in our lives and partner with him in the Kingdom?
Join us as we discuss spiritual opposition — both in the text and in our current lives — and see what we can learn from Israel’s response to their enemies.
Nehemiah: The Handbook for Opposition
We are in our fourth week of our series in Nehemiah, and today we’re going through chapters four through six. So there’s three chapters, so I really hope that you’ve read. I’m going to do just a brief little overview, but I’m not going to do a deep recap. So if you haven’t been here, I really, really encourage you to go online and watch the messages.
This week we’re going to talk about spiritual opposition. I love these chapters because to me they’re just like a handbook for how to face spiritual opposition in our lives. So in the book of Nehemiah, we’re seeing the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem.
It’s a physical rebuilding that represents a spiritual rebuilding of God’s people, for shadowing our rebuilding in Jesus and eternity when all of creation will be restored. The Bible is deep and rich, and there’s so many layers and there’s so much imagery. This is what we’re seeing in these chapters.
Last week, the construction began, and this week they’re going to start facing some opposition. If you remember, when Nehemiah came to Jerusalem, the people were disillusioned, they were hopeless. They were living among the rubble, probably just feeling this is as good as it gets. When they were in that state, there was no need for an enemy to come against them.
As soon as they were activated in their identity and their trust in God and in their purpose, their enemies were threatened. So just like the physical rebuilding symbolizes a spiritual rebuilding, the opposition they face in these chapters gives us insight to this spiritual opposition that we face.
Because when you are activated in your identity, in your trust, in God, in your purpose, you become a threat. I become a threat. And suddenly there’s opposition.
So last week we talked about tending God’s presence in our lives. We talked about the fact that we are God’s temple. We are aware, God’s presence rests and rules now that Jesus has come. Our job is to tend His presence, our relationship with him. I would argue that the degree to which we tend His presence and our relationship with Him, is the degree to which we can stand in the face of spiritual opposition.
I want to pray for us and then we’re going to dive in. So Father, I thank you for Your presence. I thank you for Your goodness. I thank you that You’ve already preached a message through worship this morning, that you are a defender, that you are a healer, that the same God that delivered back then delivers now, the same God who healed back then heals now, who brought freedom, will bring freedom. God, You are the same yesterday, today and forever.
You are present. You are speaking. You are moving. So I just pray that you would remove distractions in this place, that you would silence anything that opposes you, any voices or agendas here other than Yours. Father, would you give us ears to hear you and eyes to see you. In Jesus name. Amen.
Opposition #1: Ridicule and mocking
So we have an enemy, and it’s not your boss you don’t like, or your neighbor that lets his dog poop on your lawn. We have an enemy. 1 Peter 5:8 says, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” That’s an intense verse.
We don’t want to be ignorant that we have an enemy. We also don’t want to go looking for him under every chair and hyper spiritualize everything. We want to be aware and smart. We don’t wrestle against flesh and blood.
Ephesians 6:12 says, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
So I know that song Defender (by Rita Springer), some people don’t like because of the imagery in that first verse, “You come back with the head of my enemy.” If we were talking about human enemies, indeed that would be disturbing… But we are not. It’s a spiritual battle that we are in.
So it’s important as we go through these next four chapters and these oppositions, we’re seeing people building an actual wall with flesh and blood enemies, but it’s all pointing towards this spiritual enemy that we have. Satan is not overtly mentioned in Nehemiah, but it’s his influences behind the scenes.
It’s very apparent, and we know he is vehemently opposed to God and his people. The entire Bible makes that clear. It starts in Genesis. So grab your Bibles if you have them. I’m not going to put all of the Scripture on the screen because it is three chapters. I’m going to summarize a lot, but if you want to skim through, I’ll identify what verses we’re talking about.
So in these chapters, we see seven types of opposition and seven responses from Nehemiah and the people. I brought this up last week, we’re going to start to see it more clearly that Nehemiah never waives in his identity and his trust in God or in His purpose.
He just never wavers and he never reacts out of emotion. He responds from his identity. And you know, who else did this? Jesus. There’s a lot of opposition that Jesus faced as well. There’s seven oppositions and we’ll go through each of them.
Ridicule, mocking, threat of attack and confusion, discouragement, intimidation, fear, opposition from within, distraction, persistence, accusation and betrayal. Jesus also experienced every one of these through His ministry here on earth.
So let’s hop into the first one, ridicule and mocking. Verse 1-3 of chapter 4. It’s Sanballat that ridiculed the Jews in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria. Just picture that, he’s accusing them, but he’s doing it in front of an audience. He’s got an entire army in all of his associates.
Then he just starts mocking them. “Who are those feeble Jews? Will they restore the wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day?” And he goes on and on and Tobiah chimes in, “Even a fox on that wall would make it fall down.” Just so petty.
But that’s what he’s doing. Ridicule and mocking. For us as believers, we experience this all the time. It’s those lies and those whispers in your head, “Who do you think you are? God’s not with you. Oh, you’re so not qualified. Oh, you’re not worthy, man. If those people knew what was going on in your heart yesterday, you wouldn’t even be allowed in the building.”
These ridicule, mocking thoughts, these lies. But watch Nehemiah’s response. There’s three things he does. He speaks to God, not the enemy. In verse 4 he says, “Hear us, Oh God, for we are despised.” And then he just starts telling God, “You deal with them. Turn their insults back on their own heads, and give them as plunder. Don’t cover up their guilt.”
He never turns his face and addresses the enemy. He turns his face to God and he says, “Lord, you take care of them.” And then the work doesn’t stop. In verse 6, it says, “So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart.” He looked at God. He doesn’t look at the enemy. He tells God “You take care of them.” And they keep working.
Opposition #2: threat of attack and confusion
Opposition number two is: threat of attack and confusion. In verse 7-8, it says, “When the enemies heard that the repairs to Jerusalem’s walls had gone ahead that listened to this, the gaps were being closed and they were very angry, and they plotted together to come and fight Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it.” Another version says, “stir up confusion.”
So they noticed that the mocking and ridicule didn’t work. And now, oh shoot, they’re making some progress. The gaps are being closed. And so now what are we going to do? It says that they start plotting to stir up confusion.
What does this look like? You can be in that place where you’re walking with the Lord, you’re excited about something, the thoughts come, but you say “No, I’m not going to pay attention to that. Lord, you take care of that. I trust you.” You keep going.
Then somebody says something or circumstances come up and suddenly you start going, “Wait, did you say that God?” It’s that air of confusion. But 1 Corinthians 14:33 says, “God is not the author of confusion but of peace.” He’s not the author of confusion.
I love Nehemiah’s response. “Again, we pray to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this need.” So the threat of attack and confusion comes, and they notice they don’t actually attack. It’s just the threat. It’s just murmuring. It’s just the intention to stir confusion and cause them to be dissuaded, right? He prays, He posts a watchman.
When I first read that, I had this image of like, you know, up on a ram part, someone looking out, they’re coming and then getting defenses ready. There may have been a piece of that. But this word actually is the same word used for “prison guard”. It’s used over and over again for a prison guard.
It’s not keeping the watch over the blocks by night. No, it’s guarding a prisoner saying, “No, no no, you’re staying there. You’re not going to get away with anything else. You’re not going to stir up any more trouble. You stay right there.” So he prays, he posts a watchman and he keeps building.
So again, their attempts are being thwarted, but they’re not fighting. They’re not stepping into hand to hand combat. They’re not fighting it in their own strength. They’re trusting the Lord.
Opposition #3: discouragement, intimidation, and fear
Now, opposition three is the trifecta: discouragement, intimidation, and fear. As believers, we deal with these guys a lot. Verses 10-12 of chapter 4. “Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, ‘The strength of the laborers is giving out. And there is so much rubble that we cannot build the wall.
Also, our enemies said before they know it or see us they will be right back among them and will kill them and put it into the work.’ And then the Jews that lived near them came and told us 10 times over, ‘Wherever you turn, they will attack us.'”
So this grand escalation, we’re overwhelmed, we were excited. At first we see the rubble. It’s like, I don’t know if we could do this. The wariness and then the far distant rumblings of the enemy. “We’re going to sneak in, we’re going to kill them.”
And then there’s the Bill Paxton character that comes in, “We’re going to die, right?” with the utter panic. It stirs up that panic in us. And that’s what happens. We get vulnerable when we’re weary.
We may be excited because we feel like God’s doing something. But then as life piles up, as circumstances maybe don’t fall in line the way we think they should, we get overwhelmed. And then those whispers that the enemy are in the background. Then our flesh just starts to freak out, “I don’t know what we’re going to do.”
But I love Nehemiah’s responses. In verse 13-20 he says, “Therefore, I stationed some of the people behind the lowest parts of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families with their swords, spears, and bows. And after I looked over, I stood up and said to the nobles and the officials and the rest of the people,
‘Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome and fight for your families, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.’ When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to our own work.”
Half of my men did the work while the other half were armed. “Then I said to the nobles and the officials and the rest of the people, ‘The work is extensive and spread out, and we’re widely separated from each other along the wall. So whenever you hear the sound of the trumpet join us there, our God will fight for us.‘”
Notice he didn’t say, “Join us there and we will fight.” He said, “Join us there and our God will fight for us.” Amazing wisdom and strategy in Nehemiah’s response. First he positions people. Where does he position them? In the exposed places, in the places of vulnerability.
We all have exposed places, we all have places of vulnerability. And that’s where the enemy is always going to try to come in. You’re insecurity, those places of fear, those places of control, those places of anxiety. And he positions them in that place of anxiety and he arms them.
So again, not wrestling against flesh and blood. We don’t need to go get a sword or any other kind of weapon. We’re talking about spiritual weapons and what’s the first spiritual weapon? Our identity, our trust in who God is, and our confidence in the purpose he’s given us. We’ll talk more about spiritual weapons later.
And then he encouraged them. He said, “Don’t be afraid. God is awesome. Remember who He is.” So all of these attacks are trying to undermine the identity, the trust, and the purpose, and he’s trying to shore those things back up. So trust in God, He’s awesome. Fight for your families.
Remember, we’re fighting to be reconciled back to God. We’re fighting for God and His people, for worship to be established and for this spiritual returning and wholeness. Fight for that, fight for yourself, for your family, for your children, for your children’s children. Fight for that.
And then finally, he’s unifying them. So he’s unifying them to stand. He’s unifying them in work, but he’s also unifying them. Remember he said, “We’re spread out. We’re really separated. So when the trumpet sounds come together, and again, don’t come together to go chop somebody’s head off. Come together and watch God fight for us.”
Opposition #4: Opposition from within
Let’s move on to opposition four. This is opposition from within the ranks of the people. There’s famine in the land and they come and they start complaining to Nehemiah. And he says, “Our sons or daughters are numerous and we need to eat to stay alive. Others are saying we’re mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, our homes to get grain. Others are saying we have to borrow money to pay the taxes on our fields.
And although we’re the same flesh and blood as our fellow Jews, and though our children are as good as theirs, yet we have to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters have already been been enslaved, but we are powerless.” There’s extortion going on among the people within God’s people.
They’re taking advantage of one another. They’re out for their own selfish ambition and gain. They’re not loving one another.
They’re in sin, and Nehemiah’s response, I won’t read it for the sake of time, but he gets angry. This is the only time Nehemiah gets angry of all these attacks. It’s the only time that he actually gets emotional. Why? Because it’s sin. Remember, the walls are broken down because of the sin and the rebellion of God’s people.
The whole point of this is to restore that relationship, to bring God’s people back into his presence and to remove the things that have separated them. They can’t stand in spiritual opposition if they are not submitted to the Lord. And they also can’t do that if they’re not unified. He gets angry.
God’s people are called to tend their relationship with Him and with one another, and they’ve refused to do that. How we treat each other strengthens or weakens us. So it’s interesting, He gets angry, but he doesn’t react out of his anger. He pauses, he steps back. Most likely he’s praying, he’s discerning, he’s strategizing. And then he comes back in and he rebukes them.
He makes them return the money, the family and the property. He takes an oath to stop charging interest. Then he declares a curse if they don’t comply. So it’s almost a small version of what’s happening in Jerusalem. It’s like, we need to clean this up guys, we need to get right. We need to submit to the Lord. But why is that so hard?
Like the sin is, really, failing to love one another. And I I think we underestimate the power of that. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and strength and love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus elevated those as the highest commandments. The entire 10 commandments are split up into those two categories, God and one another.
It matters to Him how we treat each other. Galatians 5:13 says, “Serve one another humbly and love for the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one commandment. Love your neighbor as yourself. If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.” That’s heavy. What’s been going on in the church for the last three years? I’ve never seen so much division and cruelty within the body, at one another.
John 13: 34 – 35. “A new command I give you: Love one another as I have loved you. So you must love one another. By this, everyone will know you’re my disciples, if you love one another.” Opposition from within, our own sin, disunity, we don’t want to be in that place. We don’t want to make ourselves vulnerable. We don’t want to add holes to our wall.
Opposition #5: distraction and persistence
Opposition number five is distraction and persistence. So he clearly hasn’t gotten anywhere with ridicule and intimidation and fear, and all of the things, so now the easiest thing he can do is, “Well, maybe I could just distract them. If I can just get them to look another direction and to get obsessed over something that doesn’t matter.”
It says that the enemies, when they had seen that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left, it’s like, “Oh no.” So what did they do? Hey, Nehemiah, why don’t you come over here and meet with us? Yeah, why don’t you leave the wall and come over here and meet with us?
It’s hilarious, Nehemiah’s response, in verses 3 – 4 of chapter 6 is, “So I sent messengers to them with this reply, ‘I’m carrying on a great project. I cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?’ And four times they sent this message, ‘Hey, why don’t you come over here? Hey, why don’t you come over here? Hey, you know, Nehemiah, would you like to come have lunch?” Just constant.
I love his response, he basically just says, “No.” And he keeps working. I think sometimes we get so focused on feeling like we need to tell the enemy something, and really he’s not worth the time. Say “no,” and go to the Lord and keep doing what the Lord’s asked you to do.
Opposition #6: Accusation
Opposition six is accusation. Well, this is no surprise. Revelation 12:10, Satans called the accuser. John 8:44 says “Satan was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth. For there is no truth in him.” When he lies, he speaks his native language for he is a liar. Satan is the father of lies and accusation.”
How often have you sat under the accusation of the enemy? “You’re not a Christian. God doesn’t love you. You’re not worthy of His attention. Who do you think you are? you’re going to do that? You’re going to help your neighbor? You’re going to step forward? Are you kidding? You can’t do that!” This is accusation.
This time as accusation is escalated, and he’s sending the enemies, it says for the fifth time. So remember four times he’s saying, “Come over here with me.” The fifth time they realize that just the invitation isn’t good enough. The fifth time they send an open letter of accusation. So now it’s not even a ridicule. Now it’s not a, “Hey, we’re going to get you!”
Now it’s a broadcasting from the top to everybody. And it says, “It’s reported among the nations that you and the Jews are plotting a revolt. You’re building the wall and the reports are that you want to become their king. You’ve appointed prophets and you’re going to proclaim through Jerusalem. There’s a king and Judah.” They say, “Now that report’s going to get back to the king of Persia, so you better come and meet with us.” They’re just trying so hard.
His response says, “Nothing like what you’re saying is happening. You’re just making it up out of your head.” Then this is interesting, Nehemiah says in verse 7-8 in chapter 6, “They were all trying to frighten us.” So the enemies are thinking their hands will get too weak for the work and it will not be completed.
“But I prayed, Lord, strength my hands.” So his response is saying, “You are lying.” He goes to the Lord. He knows what the enemy is declaring over his life, and he’s praying the opposite. They’re saying, “I’m weak, Lord, you make me strong.” They’re saying, “I’m not qualified. Jesus, you make me qualified.” He goes to the Lord. He has God firmly in his sights. He doesn’t waiver in the opposition.
Opposition #7: Betrayal
Number seven, the final one is betrayal. So the enemies hire someone, I’m not going to read through it for time, and tries to lure him into the temple by saying someone is going to kill him. It’s the ultimate, desperate move. But Nehemiah discerns that something’s wrong. He discerns that it’s a lie.
How can he discern that? He’s hanging out with God. He’s spending time in His presence. He knows his identity. He knows the voice of his God. He knows when another voice comes that isn’t Jesus. He prays again for God to deal with him. You see a theme here.
It’s also interesting that spiritual warfare is not as much about the attack, but where the attack leads you.
I think we like, “Okay, spiritual warfare, what do I need to do?” It’s less about the the combat and it’s more about you positioning your heart. Does it drive you into God’s presence? Does it drive you back into your identity and God, the safety of who God is and your purpose? Or does it drive you to abandon those things?
That’s the warfare James 4:7 says, “Therefore, submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you.” That’s what Nehemiah’s been doing. He’s been resisting the devil. He’s been resisting the temptation to give him more than he needs. He’s resisting the temptation to be distracted. He’s resisting the temptation. He’s recognizing their sin. He’s cleaning it up. He’s resisting the devil. And you know what? There was nothing they could do.
In Nehemiah 6:15, it says, “The wall was completed in 52 days.” 52 days. Jerusalem has been decimated for 142 years. Last week I said 140. I got my math wrong, 142 years. And the temple was rebuilt 71 years previously. It’s taken. They couldn’t build a wall in that much time, but here with God on their side with supernatural provision, they completed it in 52 days.
And Nehemiah 6:16 says, “When all of our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self confidence because they realized the work had been done with the help of their God.”
When we’re in that place with God, the enemy knows. Here’s the thing: We struggle remembering our identity and trusting God and knowing our purpose. The enemy knows our identity, knows our authority, he knows who our God is, he knows what God can do, he knows that we don’t, and he leverages that.
Nehemiah 4-6 Opposition Chart:
|
Ridicule and Mocking |
Nehemiah tells God to deal with them, He talks to God and tells Him to address the enemy and to turn their threats on their own head. Nehemiah goes back to work. |
|
Threat of attack & Confusion |
Prays, Posts watchmen, keeps building. |
|
Discouragement, Intimidation & fear |
Positioned, Armed, Encouraged, Unified |
|
Opposition from within |
Anger, pause, rebuke |
|
Distraction & persistence |
He says “No.’ and keeps working |
|
Accusation |
He tells the enemy “You’re lying.” Then prays “God strengthen my hands.” |
|
Betrayal |
Discerned it was a lie. Prayed. |
Check out Part 2 of this Message: The Armor of God
Check out the Dwell Meditations
Check out another blogs about this topic: Spiritual Opposition & Worship as Warfare
Exactly!