The Enemy’s Lies
Nehemiah 4:1-3
1 But it so happened, when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, that he was furious and very indignant, and mocked the Jews.
2 And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, "What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Will they revive the stones from the heaps of rubbish—stones that are burned?"
3 Now Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, "Whatever they build, if even a fox goes up on it, he will break down their stone wall."
The background to the book of Nehemiah is one of brokenness and destruction. Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian army had previously laid waste to Jerusalem and taken the people captive. After 70 years in captivity many Jews had left Babylon and returned to Jerusalem. There they rebuilt the temple, but the city remained in ruins. Its walls were broken down and its gates were burned with fire (Nehemiah 1:3).
The rebuilding process undertaken by Nehemiah provides a picture of restoration. Though we love and serve the Lord, our lives are often full of brokenness and destruction. The Holy Spirit comes to restore and rebuild. Nehemiah portrays both the role of the Holy Spirit and the lifestyle and leadership of those who seek to serve the Lord.
Chapter one begins with Nehemiah discovering and acknowledging the call of God on his life. He then leaves the comfort of Babylon and travels to Jerusalem to rebuild its walls (Nehemiah 2:17,18). In the process Nehemiah encounters setbacks and enemies. The leaders of this opposition are Sanballat the Horonite, who was the governor of Samaria, and Tobiah the Ammonite (Nehemiah 2:10). These men provide insight into the opposition and lies of the devil.
Heaven rejoices when we love others, pursue our destiny, and build the kingdom of God. There is an enemy however who seeks to undermine and discourage. Though our situation may be very different from Nehemiah’s day, the opposition and accusation the devil uses to dishearten and hinder us are not.
First, the enemy used heightened emotion, humiliation, and mockery to intimidate and control. Ever been there? The devil loves to bombard us with words, accusation, and passion to compromise our peace and cause us to react. He seeks to get us into the realm of our soul, where emotions rage, words fly, and our spiritual weapons are abandoned. The soul provides no ready defense, for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal (2 Corinthians 10:4). It’s only as we walk in the Spirit and live from peace that we overcome the enemy’s assault against our life.
What follows is a series of questions and allegations. For most of us this warfare is waged within the mind rather than played out publicly. Though we may not have others vocalize these accusations, they are nevertheless issues that we all contend with. Second Corinthians encourages us to not be ignorant of the schemes of the enemy and not allow him to take advantage of us (2 Corinthians 2:11). Let us therefore take a closer look at the accusations and lies that the devil frequently uses.
What are these feeble Jews doing?
Sanballat starts by mocking the Jews. Mockery, ridicule, and contempt undermine who we are. It carries the message that we are not good enough and should never be taken seriously. How the devil loves to insinuate that we are feeble, weak, and incompetent. He tells us that we are not good enough and will never qualify for living the dream that is in our heart.
The word “feeble” used here is the same word used to describe a woman who is too old to bear children (1 Samuel 2:5). It is also used in reference to those who have been defeated (Hosea 4:3), or of fisherman who have had no success (Isaiah 19:8). How telling these references are. The demonic realm loves to highlight an aspect of our life to insinuate that we do not measure up. Maybe it’s an area of bondage, lack of success or simply that we are too old, or it’s too late. Regardless of the topic of questioning or mockery, the underlying issue is always one of identity. In the temptation of Jesus, the devil’s first words were, “If you are the son of God” (Luke 4:3). He questioned Jesus’ identity and he will question ours. When there is an attack against our identity it is aimed at destroying our destiny.
Will they fortify themselves?
Our inability to do what we are called to do is an open target for demonic assault. The devil not only tries to convince us that we are useless but will quickly follow up with the lie that what we feel called to do will never come to pass. “Useless” and “hopeless” are deep seated lies that immobilize many in the body of Christ.
Jesus said that we will know something by its fruit (Luke 6:44), not its accuracy. The chatter and questioning of the demonic realm are characterized by undermining, accusation, hopelessness, and despair. Learn to recognize the fruit. Do not swallow the lies regardless of how accurate the comments are concerning the current situation or past realities.
What we are called to is always greater than who we are and where we are. A God dream is always bigger than us. Therein lies the invitation to partnership with a mighty God who loves to do impossible things through yielded people.
Will they offer sacrifices?
The question was not, "will they worship God," but rather, "will they offer sacrifices?" In other words, "what do they have to offer to God?" How can they bring anything of value to the Lord? Furthermore, they will trip over all the rubble and mess within the city on their way to the temple. Do you ever feel like you have nothing to offer? Or that your love, worship, and service to the Lord is in question because of the mess you are in? Does it feel hard to push past the issues and failures to reach a deep place of worship?
David, in the aftermath of his sin with Bathsheba states:
For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart—These, O God, You will not despise. Psalm 51:16,17
The brokenness within our lives does not disqualify us from worshipping the Lord. The "rubble" from lost battles and times of captivity, do not exclude us from serving our God. All He is looking for is a yielded heart.
Ultimately demonic attacks are not about what we do. They are aimed at our relationship with God and who we are. Our strength comes from the Lord so our connection with the Lord will always be the target of an assault. Recognize what the devil is after, and do not give him your confidence or your intimacy with the Lord.
Will they complete it in a day?
Notice the repeated reference to “they.” The devil will always draw our attention to ourselves. He will tell us how unworthy and incapable we are and that we cannot possibly worship God and do the things that are on our heart.
To complete the rebuilding of the walls in a day would be impossible. Oh, how the devil loves to tell us that what we are trying to do is impossible! It is too hard, would take too long and we are too late. The impossibility of the task and issues of time are battles in the mind before they become matters of lifestyle. If we don’t believe we can, we won’t try. If we think we are too late or too old, we will kill the passion that once burned in our heart. Don’t let the devil play mind games with you. Focus on what the Lord has called you to.
Will they revive the stones from the heaps of rubbish—stones that are burned?
The inference is that the job is too hard, the time frame impossible, and what we have is insufficient or lacking. Building on the lie of being incapable is the accusation that what we do have is marred, sub-standard, and useless. Past failures, lost opportunities, and brokenness prevent many from making any progress. Ever been here? Ever considered doing something for God but the issues seem too big and the resources too small? Chances are that you are not just dealing with the situation you find yourself in but the demonic accusations and assault that is contrary to the plan and purpose of God. Don’t give in. Don’t give up on the dream or the passion that burns in your heart. God is a God who supplies. What you have may be insufficient. What He has, isn’t.
Whatever they build, if even a fox goes up on it, he will break down their stone wall.
Tobiah’s assertion is that whatever they build will be so feeble and unstable that it will collapse under the weight of even a small creature like a fox. Have you ever battled thoughts that what you are building won’t be good enough? Or allegations that what you produce or do will never meet the requirements of others or pass the test of time? These thoughts are more than just our insecurity and concerns coming to the fore. They are the taunts of an enemy that tries to convince us that we have no future and that whatever we do or build, will be temporary or substandard.
Don’t listen to the lies of the enemy or be held back by his accusations. Keep pushing through and do what God has called you to do. Yes, there will be setbacks to navigate and there may even be failure to walk through. Yet who we are is unique, and what we produce is beautiful because it is an expression of who God made us to be.
Regardless of whether the battle has simply raged within our mind or been vocalized by others, we all contend with the Accuser of the brethren (Revelation 12:10). He seeks to undermine our walk with the Lord and limit our effectiveness. Don’t let his lies keep you from what the Lord has called you to do. Recognize the warfare and like Nehemiah, rise up and build.
Consider:
Which of the enemy’s lies stood out to you the most? Why?
What do you have a heart to build within the Kingdom of God?
