The Real Enemy
by Paulette Stamper
One of the things that perplexes me the most these days (and Lord knows I seem to stay perplexed pretty much 24/7) is how Christians – those who claim to follow the Lord Jesus Christ – are so divided against each other. We have forgotten two important things: 1) It is possible to have unity even in disagreement, and 2) We are not each other’s enemy.
I used to be in the camp that believed Christians gave the enemy way too much credit for the discord and confusion in the Church. Now, I think we don’t give the enemy enough credit. He is wreaking havoc and dividing the Church in ways that many (most?) of us weren’t prepared for. We’d better wake up.
When Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the wall many years after its destruction by the Babylonian army, he and his fellow Jews were met with fierce opposition. Their enemies conspired against them and did all they could to intimidate them and stop their work. I strongly encourage you to read Nehemiah 4 for yourself. There are many treasures buried in this chapter that I won’t cover here for time’s sake.
Here’s what stood out to me and what I believe we need to take to heart in our current season –
Nehemiah and the Jews continued rebuilding while they armed themselves with swords, spears, and bows.
Read that again.
They knew there were plots and schemes against them. But they also knew that Almighty God had called them to rebuild Jerusalem and the wall. So, they proceeded, while arming themselves for battle.
In verse 14, Nehemiah spoke powerful words of encouragement –
“Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the great and awesome Lord, and fight on behalf of your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your families!”
Read that again.
Nehemiah encouraged them to fight on behalf of their families. Are we fighting the enemy on behalf of our families or are we too busy fighting fellow Christians who disagree with us?
Verse 17 is one of my favorite verses in the chapter:
“Those carrying loads did so by keeping one hand on the work and the other on their weapon.”
Read that again.
Listen. It’s time for us to wake up to the enemy’s schemes, plots, and wicked plans to divide, dismantle, and disrupt the Church from her number one priority – PREACHING THE GOSPEL OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.
We need to set our minds to the task at hand and keep our hands on our weapon – the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17).
We need to remember who the real enemy is and collectively fight against him and not each other.
You probably know the end of the story. The Jews definitely had their issues during the rebuilding process, but because they ultimately kept their eye on the goal and their hand on their weapon, they finished strong.
Will we?
