“We all slept in our clothes—I, my brothers, my workmen, and the guards backing me up. And each one kept his spear in his hand, even when getting water.”
Nehemiah 4:23 (MSG)
Last time we watched Nehemiah position those outside the walls of Jerusalem as watchmen inside. Today we see how Nehemiah’s inner circle handled this time of battle.
“Not myself, my brothers, my servants, nor the men advising, guarding, and backing me up – we never took off our clothes or let down our defenses.”
Have you ever been to war? Maybe not an actual military war, but a war against your soul? A war against sacred truths and your sanity and your faith? I have. There was a time when I wasn’t sure if the battle would crush me. If I hadn’t had an inner circle of truth-tellers and God’s Word to cling to, it might have.
Nehemiah and his brothers, advisors and servants never let their guard down. They never took off the clothes which held their weapons, even for a brief time to wash up and get water. Because an enemy is an enemy for a reason. An enemy will look to attack when you least expect it. When your guard is down and the stakes are up.
Friends, the stakes are up now. The enemy of truth and beauty and justice and compassion is having his way in our time. And if we’re not making sure to guard against his attacks, we will be casualties. So do we get paranoid and anxious and fearful? Walk around with a defensive chip on our shoulders?
Certainly not. But we saturate our minds with the Word He breathed. We keep the lines of communication with Him open at all times. We make sure those to whom we entrust our hearts to advise us are doing the same. And we rest knowing the battle is His.
The weapons He gives us for our spiritual battle are not like those of this world. But, oh, are they powerful. And they lead to trust rather than anxious striving. And we all know there is much in our time to be anxious about. Praise Him we don’t have to be. We can keep our guard up without being defensive. And we can fight battles on a level no sword or spear can match.
Friends, let’s take Him at His Word. No enemy can stand against Him. And He is so faithful.