How the Enemy Attacks- Plot 6

Finishing up this series on how the enemy attacks those who follow God and His purposes, we examine the final plot against Nehemiah, as He works to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

First, let's recap the previous plots:

1. The enemies first attack - friendship and flattery.

2. His second line of attack is just the opposite - insults and ridicule.

3. If these fail, he'll come at you with threats and discouragement (which both lead to weariness).
4. The next set of attacks are internal. They are Selfishness and Strife.
5. When we are faithful and become strong, the enemy comes at us with Seduction and Slander.

Nehemiah 6:10-14 tells the story of the enemies' final attacks against Nehemiah, as he works to complete the "great work" of God. These strategies are the late-stage, final attempt of the enemy to destroy God's work in and through our lives. He knows that if these attacks fail, we will stay the course, complete the work of God, and God's purposes will prevail. These are desperate times for Satan, which call for desperate measures. At this point, he pulls out the stops, and uses anything and anyone to destroy us.

One day I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was shut in at his home. He said, “Let us meet in the house of God, inside the temple, and let us close the temple doors, because men are coming to kill you—by night they are coming to kill you.” Nehemiah 6:10, NIV.

The enemy of God, so also an enemy of Nehemiah, hires a friend to betray and try to intimidate him. Shemaiah locks himself in his house as a ruse of his own personal fear for life, and ask for Nehemiah to come. Then, he gives a false report and tries to get Nehemiah to betray his convictions and Cause, and in fear, cower from finishing the work of God.

There's the enemies tactic:

• betrayal- use those close to us to lie and bear a false message,
• intimidation- the message of the betrayal is intended to intimidate us away from following Jesus and doing the work of God,
• betrayal of the Cause and convictions- personal betrayal with an intimidating message can lead to internal betrayal of our own values, convictions, and betrayal of the Cause of Christ.

How did Nehemiah respond?

But I said, “Should a man like me run away? Or should one like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go!” 12 I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had prophesied against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. 13 He had been hired to intimidate me so that I would commit a sin by doing this, and then they would give me a bad name to discredit me. 14 Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, because of what they have done; remember also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who have been trying to intimidate me. Nehemiah 6:11-14, NIV.

The antidote to Betrayal and Intimidation from the narrative and response of Nehemiah:

• Recognize our position- "should a man like me...?" If Christ is in us (Gal 2:20) and for us, then who can be against us (Rom. 8:31)? We are bought by Christ through faith in the cross and His resurrection (1 Pe 1:18-19), and empowered by His Spirit (Acts 1:8). Greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4). We are more than conquerers through Christ Jesus (Romans 8:37). Convinced that Jesus-followers should not run away from intimidating reports? Good!
• Be Selfless- "should one like me go into the temple to save his life?" Nehemiah recognized a critical element about serving God and HIS Cause- it's not about ME! The Cause is about God and His Kingdom. Our suffering, even death, is not necessarily bad, and it is not our place to attempt to preserve or protect our own life. We are workman and servants of God. We do His bidding and will. He is responsible for our protection and He will accomplish His work in and through us.
• Discern the lies- "I realized that God had not sent him..." Nehemiah quickly recognized that fear and quitting are NOT from God, therefore, Shemaiah must be a false witness hired to betray. When someone says something that stirs fear and it makes you feel intimidated away from following God and His purposes, this is NOT from God BUT from the enemy!
• Don't betray the Cause or Convictions- the enemy will use anything or one to betray and intimidate us away from following God and His purposes. Anything or anyone that tries to get you to hide from your calling or God's purposes through your life is being used by the enemy. They are sent to intimidate you from staying the course and fulfilling God's purposes. Cause and Conviction are absolutes in our lives. We must never flatter or shrink from our faithfulness to sharing and showing God's love and communicate the hope of the gospel.
• Hide in God's presence- the one irony of this strategy, was that Shemaiah tried to get Nehemiah to cower in fear by running into the temple of God. While it would have been fear that motivated Nehemiah to physically hide in the temple, Nehemiah did follow that guidance. He fell headlong before God's presence and hide himself under the safety, wisdom, and courage of God. Instead of running for our lives from God, run to God. Run into the shelter of His love, power, and presence.

How is the enemy trying to intimidate you? What is he using in your own life or relationships to betray you away from following God's plan for your life?


Fired up,
-Pastor Patrick
www.lifehousechurcheast.org

How the Enemy Attacks- Plot 5

Examining Ezra and Nehemiah, we discover the strategies of the enemy AND the antidote from God to overcome these attacks. If you follow God and His purposes, then you will be opposed by God's enemies (Ephesians 6). These spiritual attacks can be both internal and external.

Here are previous plots with links to those blogposts:

1. The enemies first attack - friendship and flattery.

2. His second line of attack is just the opposite - insults and ridicule.

3. If these fail, he'll come at you with threats and discouragement (which both lead to weariness).
4. The next set of attacks are internal. They are Selfishness and Strife.

If all else fails, the enemy tries to tempt us away from our focus on living for God and following His purposes in our life. The fifth plot of the enemy is through SEDUCTION and SLANDER. These attacks come when you've been GOOD and FAITHFUL and the work of God is strong, powerful, and intimidating to the enemy. These are some of his final strategies.

"I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left in it—though up to that time I had not set the doors in the gates..." Nehemiah 6:1, NIV. Just before they finish the work of God.

Since he can't directly attack or threaten you, and the internal battles haven't worked, the enemies of God will work on your own desires. Your enemy will leverage your appetites and desires against you. He'll tempt and seduce you away from the work of God. He'll pull out the stops, appeal and tempt you.

Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: “Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono.” But they were scheming to harm me... Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer. Nehemiah 6:2,4, NIV.

The enemies of God will try to seduce us away from God's work by offering treatise, compromise, tempting opportunities, and delicious pleasures. They look good and sound good, but they are intended to distract and draw us away from God, His work and purposes. And how did Nehemiah reply?

...so I sent messengers to them with this reply: “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?” Nehemiah 6:3

Nehemiah was not tempted or lured away. He held to his resolve and maintained his commitments to God and His people.

• guard against temptation,
• recognize the voice of the enemy, even if he comes with a sweat, seductive voice or the promise of pleasures,
• remember your Call and Cause,
• renew your Commitment and Resolve.

When the seduction didn't work after several attempts, the enemies resorted to name-calling and slander.

Then, the fifth time, Sanballat sent his aide to me with the same message, and in his hand was an unsealed letter 6 in which was written: “It is reported among the nations—and Geshem says it is true—that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt, and therefore you are building the wall. Moreover, according to these reports you are about to become their king... so come, let us confer together.” Nehemiah 6:5-6,7.

When you are doing God's work and following hard after God's purposes, expect God's enemies to stir up lies and rumors about you. In fact, if there aren't lies, slander, and rumors being spread about us, then we may not be doing much for God and His Kingdom.

How did Nehemiah respond? Did he retaliate? Fight back to defend himself? No...

I sent him this reply: “Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head.” They were all trying to frighten us... Nehemiah 6:8-9, NIV.

Nehemiah knew the rumors were a lie, and called it what it was. "You're just making this up to scare us, and try to discourage us from continuing the work of God in this great project/ cause." He didn't expend a lot of energy answering their questioning or defending himself, but simply stated, "Nope, that's not true!" And then continued about the work of God.

Leaders, Jesus-followers, don't engage the enemy in lies and defending against lies. He's the master of deceit, and only the guilty have to be defensive about their trustworthiness and truthfulness.

Best guidance I've ever received when under attack of lies, slander, and attacks against my reputation: STAND on TRUTH! Let Christ's character be your defense and His omnipotence, your protection. He will defend the defenseless.

• Guard your heart against temptation and don't come down from the Great Cause of God.
• Recognize the enemy. He's the one trying to lure you away from the Work of God.
• Remember your call and renew your commitment.
• Don't engage the enemy in rumors and lies NOR try to defend your reputation.
• Stand on truth!

How the Enemy Attacks- Plot 4

If you follow God and His purposes, then you will be opposed by God's enemies (Ephesians 6). These spiritual attacks can be both internal and external. I've been walking through Ezra and Nehemiah, pointing out the plots/ strategies of the enemy AND the antidote from God through the life of Ezra and Nehemiah to combat those plots.

Here's a brief overview of the previous plots with links to those blogposts:

1. The enemies first attack - friendship and flattery.

2. His second line of attack is just the opposite - insults and ridicule.

3. If these fail, he'll come at you with threats and discouragement (which both lead to weariness).

In Nehemiah, the next strategy to rob God's people of living their purpose didn't come from the obvious enemy (Sanballat and Tobiah) but from within their own community.

This plot from the real enemy, not the obvious one is Selfishness and Strife.

Now the men and their wives raised a great outcry against their Jewish brothers... "Although we are of the same flesh and blood as our countrymen and though our sons are as good as theirs, yet we have to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but we are powerless, because our fields and our vineyards belong to others.” Nehemiah 5:1,4, NIV.

The real enemy of God, the devil, stirred up strife among the people, because of the selfishness of a few. The wealthy were taking advantage of the poorer, and this caused tremendous disunity among all the Jewish people, who were trying to work together in "this great work".

It's really hard to stay focused on following Jesus and serving His purposes for our life if we are angry with other Jesus-followers, feel taken advantage of, and are not serving in unity with the larger body of Christ. Secondly, if our motivation is pride and selfishness, this will stir up strife among other Jesus-followers, who are serving with pure and selfless hearts.

When I heard their outcry and these charges, I was very angry. 7 I pondered them in my mind and then accused the nobles and officials. I told them... “What you are doing is not right.” (Ne 5:6-7, 9).

Nehemiah didn't react in haste or overact, but in wisdom, immediately dealt with the conflict and corrected those who were wrong. To overcome this attack of the enemy, we must:

• deal with conflict quickly. 
• confront, correct, and challenge selfishness and pride. 

Why is this so critical?

“Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies?” (Ne 5:9). Nehemiah states that the fear of God is the antidote to selfishness and pride among God-followers.
“I and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and grain. But let the exacting of usury stop! 11 Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the usury you are charging them—the hundredth part of the money, grain, new wine and oil.” (Ne 5:10-11).

Finally, Nehemiah models, then challenges them in generosity. Generous giving is the antidote to selfishness.

How do we overcome the plot of selfishness and strife:

• deal with conflict quickly,
• confront and repent of selfishness and pride,
• guard the testimony of God among and within the Church,
• Give generously to overcome selfishness.

How are selfishness and pride sabotaging God's purposes in your life? What conflict do you need to deal with quickly? What sin do you need to repent of? Where can you begin to give generously?

How the Enemy Attacks- Plot 3

Jesus-followers are in a very real battle, not against people or politics, but against the enemies of God (Ephesians 6). If you follow God and His purposes, then you will be opposed by God's enemies.

The principles of how these enemies attacks and the antidote to those plots are found in Ezra and Nehemiah, which Lifehouse studied in January, as we went through the Unquenchable Series (subscribe to our podcasts). Here are a series a lessons about spiritual battle, that I didn't cover in that sermon series.

1. The enemies first attack - friendship and flattery.
2. His second line of attack is just the opposite - insults and ridicule.

When these attacks fail, the enemy comes at you with threats, discouragement, and weariness.

His goal is to leverage your exhaustion and fear against you -  to get you to quit without actually having to go to battle. Read Nehemiah 4, where the enemies are strategizing in anger,

“They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat."
Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall.”
Also our enemies said, “Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work.”
Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.” Nehemiah 4:8–12, NIV.

The enemies threatened the Jewish people from the outside, and stirred up fear. In the midst of the threats, the people were already growing tired and discouraged.

When you are faithful to doing God's work and obedient to His purposes in your life, guess what? You get TIRED and DISCOURAGED and face THREATS! The enemies of God don't want you to follow God, and they certainly don't want you serving Him and building His Kingdom.

So, what do we do when we get weary, discouraged, and face threats?

"I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and 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 his own work. Nehemiah 4:14–15, NIV.

Nehemiah rallied the people and encouraged them to muster their strength. How?

• He reminded them that GOD IS FOR US! And if God is for us, who can be against us? See verse 20, Nehemiah states, "God will fight for us!" Awesome!
• Then, he challenged them to NOT be AFRAID. If God is on our side, whom shall we fear?
• Then, he challenged them to BE on GUARD. While working for God, we must guard our hearts and recognize that the enemy is constantly strategizing to destroy us.

See how the enemy uses both external and internal strategies?

• Threats from outside, 
• Fear, discouragement, and weariness from inside. 

Finally, Nehemiah was able to recognize the enemy! We have both an external and internal battle. We must fight on both fronts- outward threats and internal fear and discouragement.

In the face of these strategies:

1. Recognize the enemy- both external and internal.
2. Rely on God, He will fight for you and don't be afraid.
3. Rally your strength.
4. Be resilient- stay the course and keep working.

How is the enemy trying to threaten you to quit, while victory is so close at hand?

How is the enemy using your own emotions of fear and discouragement to weary you? 

Where do you need to stay the course?

A Scary Prayer

Recently I have felt an increased awareness of a tension that I think many find challenging. It's this- the world vs. eternity; living for the now vs. living for eternity; wanting more vs. giving more.

So, today in our staff prayer, I prayed a very uncomfortable, scary prayer, and I even thought of retracting it as it was coming out of my mouth. But I mean it and I really believe God will answer it.

Here's what I was thinking before I prayed, "God, this is so hard for me, and the flesh side of me doesn't even want you to answer my prayer. But here goes..."

"God, help me to surrender fully to you and live only for eternity,
so that this world has no grip on my life.
I don't want to be consumed with what this world has to offer or what I can gain.
Help me so live for eternity that I will make any sacrifice, surrender every care, and submit to your perfect will. And give me such a firm grasp on eternity, that it doesn't even feel like sacrifice. Help me live only for eternity!"

Will you pray the scary prayer, "Help me live only for eternity"?

How would the answer to that prayer change your life?

GUEST BLOG: DEAN PETERSON on The Art of War

I just finished reading SunTzu's classic work and it is well worth your time if you haven't read it yet. There are some great leadership principles and practical wisdom. My only recommendation is to get a well organized version. There are several translations and the commentary provided is often as solid as the text. My version was too choppy with its commentary. Just wanted to share a few thoughts and hopefully stir a personal examination of the work.

LESSONS:

• There is no substitute for purpose and preparation when engaging in battle.
  
• "You must have a vision of victory before you can achieve it."
  
• The commander who has dared to dream of taking impossible ground and then prepared his army to attack with a bold maneuver that takes the enemy by surprise will find success.
  

Isn't this our calling in poignant terms? We must have a God-sized vision of reaching people(bold evangelism) and we must train ourselves and the rest of the church(discipleship) to conquer new ground. What bold strategy will we employ? What creative and biblically relevant things can we employ in battle?

Finally, there are five faults which cripple leadership:

• recklessness (not properly preparing and understanding the conditions of the battlefield),
• cowardice,
  
• a quick temper,
  
• delicacy of honor(a fragile ego),
  
• worry which produces inaction rather than making swift decisions.

Hope you all have a great day. It is an honor to serve with you in battle.

"Strength and honor",
Dean