WEEK 2, DAY 14: THE ENEMY
The Enemy by Ruth Fraser, Crossland Community Church
Scripture Reference: Nehemiah 4
Nehemiah is heartbroken over the war-torn wall of Jerusalem and has decided to reconstruct it in spite of the naysayers. He has rallied the people and encouraged them to repair and rebuild. Once the work of rebuilding has started, the enemy is not far behind. Nehemiah 4 not only gives us a clear picture of the tactics the enemy uses to discourage us but also gives us the solution to overcome. The enemy is never happy when we repent and begin to rebuild. His main tactics are intimidation through mockery and insults, terrorizing to instill fear in us to stop us in our tracks, and to bring confusion to distract us from our destiny. The solution for us is to pray when we are taunted, prepare instead of being fearful and stay focused when the enemy brings chaos. The reason for Nehemiah’s success was these three: prayer, preparation, and single focus.
THE ENEMY TRIES TO SNEAK
Nehemiah 4:16-18 is a unique picture of praying ceaselessly. It is a picture of a lifestyle of continual connection with the Spirit of God where the sword is always by your side and prepared. It is this affectionate attachment to the Spirit of God that allows us to discern when the enemy tries to sneak through the cracks of our unfinished wall. In this chapter of Nehemiah, the people are in an emergency situation where they must work long hours and stay armed and alert. We are in one of those seasons when the sword of prayer has to be by our side. We cannot afford to be found sleeping.
PRAYER
Father in heaven we praise You for who You are. We thank you that You have given us clear instructions in Your word on how to overcome the enemy. Forgive us for our prayerlessness. Lord, we pray that you will give us great resilience against the enemy. When he comes like apathy or laziness or indifference or compromise, help us to overcome. Help us to not be intimidated by him who we know is already defeated. Help us to remember, that our battle is not with people but with the evil forces in the spirit realm (Ephesians 6:12). When people mock us and falsely accuse us help us to overcome evil with good. Make us bold and courageous in the face of adversity, not seeking vengeance but finding redemptive solutions. Help us to prepare by reading the word, spending time with You, and yielding to Your Spirit in obedience. We ask for a fresh anointing of Your spirit to lead us on the narrow path to everlasting life. Give us heavenly wisdom when the enemy brings confusion to distract us. Help us to stay focused. Our eyes are on You and our hope is in You O Lord our redeemer.
