There are times when we know exactly what we’re called to do, and one of the lessons we learn from the book of Nehemiah is that our enemy also knows it.
As Nehemiah was finishing up the work, his enemy began ramping up the distractions. After four unsuccessful verbal threats, he put his accusations in writing and delivered them to Nehemiah.
Then, the fifth time, Sanballat sent his aide to me with the same message, and in his hand was an unsealed letter… (Nehemiah 6:5 NIV, emphasis mine)
An unsealed letter in that day was like an unsigned letter today. It was unofficial and lacking authority, and Nehemiah dismissed it:
I sent him this reply: “Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head.” (Nehemiah 6:8 NIV, emphasis mine)
Nehemiah saw that threats for what they were: an attempt to intimidate him into not finishing the work he had begun. But the enemy can’t threaten us about things that don’t affect us.
When the enemy bluffs Click To TweetIt’s like someone trying to blackmail us with information that we know is 100% false. It’s a threat, and it can feel intimidating, but it loses its bite when we realize that there’s no validity to it. We become the poker player holding the Royal Flush while our opponent goes all in. There’s no panic when you know that you’re calling a bluff, and I promise you, the enemy of our soul has been defeated, and bluffing is all he has left.
Intimidation leads to compromise. Click To TweetIntimidation leads to compromise. Do what Nehemiah did and tell your distractors, “I’m doing a good work, and I can’t come down.” (Nehemiah 6:3)
