Paul writes in Romans 7:21,
I find then a law, that, when I would good, evil, present with me.
How many times have you sought to do good and you find obstacles in the way even find yourself saying ” Is that really what God told me to do?” The struggle is real and it started in the Garden of Eden. Why am I getting attacked? It’s not you but it’s who you stand for. Satan despised God so he will make it his goal to attack whom ever is associated to God.
As I thought more about Satan’s destructive ways I thought about the story of Nehemiah. Nehemiah was concerned about his people. Nehemiah 1 says that Nehemiah was in the safest place but his desire was to know about the Jews that were left behind. How many times you have found yourself in a comfortable place but you are concerned about those that are homeless or hurting? Well, that was Nehemiah he was at a place where he could not just think about himself but he thought about those who were left behind.
Nehemiah 1:3 says, He and the men who were with him said to me, “Some of the people who returned are still alive. They are back in the land of Judah. But they are having a hard time. People are making fun of them. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down. When I heard about those things, I sat down and sobbed Nehemiah prayed that things would get better. God gave Nehemiah the opportunity to go to Judah to rebuild that which was lost.
Not everyone was happy about their plans. Nehemiah 4:8, “All of them made evil plans to come and fight against Jerusalem. They wanted to stir up trouble against it.
There will be times in your life when the enemy will know you are praying more, reading your Bible, witnessing, walking with God and it will make him very angry. Satan will come in the form of friends, family, brethren, children to get you off track it will be people from afar and people near so what do you do?
Nehemiah 4:9 says, But we prayed to our God. We put guards on duty day and nigh to watch out for danger. The obstacles set that Satan puts in our way can make us feel defeated lost, broken like there is no way out. Nehemiah encouraged the workers by saying in Nehemiah 4:14, Remember the Lord. He is great and powerful. So fight for your brothers and sisters. Fight for your sons and daughters. Fight for your wives and homes.
I leave you with this there is a battle for your mind if Satan gets a hold of your mind he got you. When you are being attacked on every side push your way out through prayer.
I see Nehemiah in a spiritual sense as well when you turn your life over to Christ, satan is upset and he will throw darts at you to get you to give up but if we acknowledge that we can’t do this on our own then God will hear our cry and build a fort around us so that we can rebuild our own temple in him.
As you read this today, I pray you are encouraged. Know that God is with you in all circumstances. Lord, I pray that you help us decrease so that you can increase. Be a fence around us help us to be mindful of the enemy’s plan for our lives and help us fight our battles. Help us rebuild our spiritual temple and guard it so no enemy can have the victory in Jesus Name. Amen
