"Begin Again" Devotional - Pt 10 (Nehemiah 4:13-23)

13 So I placed armed guards behind the lowest parts of the wall in the exposed areas. I stationed the people to stand guard by families, armed with swords, spears, and bows. 14 Then as I looked over the situation, I called together the leaders and the people and said to them, "Don't be afraid of the enemy! Remember the Lord, who is great and glorious, and fight for your friends, your families, and your homes!" 15 When our enemies heard that we knew of their plans and that God had frustrated them, we all returned to our work on the wall. 16 But from then on, only half my men worked while the other half stood guard with spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail. The officers stationed themselves behind the people of Judah 17 who were building the wall. The common laborers carried on their work with one hand supporting their load and one hand holding a weapon. 18 All the builders had a sword belted to their side. The trumpeter stayed with me to sound the alarm. 19 Then I explained to the nobles and officials and all the people, "The work is very spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall. 20 When you hear the blast of the trumpet, rush to wherever it is sounding. Then our God will fight for us!" 21 We worked early and late, from sunrise to sunset. And half the men were always on guard. 22 I also told everyone living outside the walls to move into Jerusalem. That way they and their servants could go on guard duty at night as well as work during the day. 23 During this time, none of us -- not I, nor my relatives, nor my servants, nor the guards who were with me -- ever took off our clothes. We carried our weapons with us at all times, even when we went for water.-  Nehemiah 4:13-23 (NLT)


When Nehemiah learned that the enemy intended to take the lives of all who were working to rebuild the wall with him, he employed several strategies so that the people could continue their work and defend themselves. We can expect no less as we attempt to rebuild our lives. The enemy will use every tactic available to him to distract us. If we do not succumb to his distractions, he may even attempt to take our lives.


It is said that, "the best offense is a good defense". The enemy cannot touch us as long as we are living righteously. The Lord tells what we must "put on" to live righteous lives (see Colossians 3:12-14). In essence we must "put on" Christ! The Lord also tells us what to wear to defend ourselves spiritually (see Ephesians 6:10-18). The only offensive piece of spiritual armor that we have is the sword of the Spirit (the Word of God).


Because of the enemies threats, Nehemiah and the rest of the people of God, wore their clothes at all times (v. 23) and carried their weapons with them at all times, as well. While some of the people worked on the wall, the others rested with their weaponry by their sides.


As people of God, we cannot afford to be without our spiritual coverings. What's more we need to employ help from other believers who will under gird us in prayer as we fight "the good fight of faith" to restore our marriages, our relationships with other people, our ministries and/or careers, and our health (to name a few).


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