Exposed Enemy Strategies and How to Overcome

Nehemiah 6:16 – When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God.

Enemies are people who dislike us and wish us no good. Enemies want us to fail in whatever we are doing. Enemies are happy when we fail. Enemies also seek to harm us or even kill us. Enemies are real in life!

Our actions and words against some people or someone can make them our enemies. That means we can initiate enmity by the right or wrong things we say and do. Some enemies we have could have been made by us knowingly or unknowingly. We should avoid taking wrong avoidable actions that create enemies. If right actions create enemies in a manner that can’t be avoided, so be it!

Our enemies could also be people who are jealous. They dislike us and wish us failure and harm. They have become our enemies, not because of our direct action against them, but because of their own jealousy. The more we succeed the angrier they become. They are dangerous and everywhere. We can only pray about them and be cautious around them.

Other enemies are historical and inherited. They dislike us because of our race, tribe or previous historical issues. Only our failure and harm can satisfy them. We found the hatred and even after we exit they will hate our descendants. They hate us for things we can’t change. We need to be careful around them.

Other enemies are people who refuse to forgive our past mistakes. They derive pleasure in continued acrimony. They take every opportunity to rub it in, that we offended them. They want us to constantly fear them because they have this offense as a weapon against us. At the slightest provocation or even none, they will replay the past offense with glee and torment us while at it. They will use this as an excuse to seek to harm us an dev enslave us to their threats and control. Since they can’t forgive, God won’t forgive them, they are candidates for hell. Bear with them, avoid them, be careful around them, and pray for a way forward.

Whether we know our enemies or not, they do exist. We need to avoid making enemies. If we can’t avoid enemies because we haven’t done anything wrong, we should remain cautious around them.

May God save us from excessive sensitivity to enemies or perceived enemies. Paranoia is a sign of mental illness. Paranoia is unrealistic suspicion and conclusion that someone is your enemy. Constantly believing that someone is against you or what is done unknown to you is against you, is what we call being paranoid. While enemies are real, being paranoid is something that should concern us. A paranoid person will have enemies both real and unreal. A paranoid person will create many more enemies. May God save us from the insecurity defined us paranoia.

Our Bible chapter of consideration today explains the activities of enemies. Nehemiah is rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem. Enemies of Israel are alarmed because rebuilding of the wall means restoration of a good life for Israelites. They hate Israelites. They are chocked by any success the Israelites have. They decide to engage Nehemiah and from it we learn a lot about enemies and how to deal with them.

Nehemiah 6:2 – 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;

Some sudden good gestures from historical enemies could be a scheme to harm you. Know that enemies scheme. Enemies plan. Enemies want to hurt you. Be careful when sworn historical enemies turn out to be good and invite you to a situation you may not be in control or safe in. Do not be naive and don’t be too trusting. Enemies scheme. May God save us from their schemes for we may not know all of them!

Nehemiah 6:5 – Then, the fifth time, Sanballat sent his aide to me with the same message, and in his hand was an unsealed letter

Enemies are persistent and change tact when one method against us doesn’t work. Enemies will persist to cause us failure or harm. They may take a break but they will be back to act against us in a different way. Beware of the new methods against us. Do not be exasperated by their persistence.

Five continuous times the enemies sought to trap Nehemiah and harm him. Enemies are persistent. Be tough and resilient. They will be back again and again. Do not lower your guard.

When persistence didn’t work against Nehemiah the enemy changed tact. The enemy sent a threatening blackmail letter. Blackmail is criminal is all justifications. Blackmail is when you ask someone to do what you want or else you threaten to reveal something bad that they said or deed and that will bring them harm. Blackmail is the hope that in fear of being exposed someone will cooperate with you and do whatever you want.

We all make mistakes and grounds for blackmail can easily be found or insinuated. The problem with blackmail is that it will be used to torment you as long as your enemy wishes. It is tested and proven that calling a bluff of the blackmailer is cheaper, better and easier in the long run than yielding to threats. If you yield to blackmailers you become their slave for life. It’s better to go to prison now, lose a job now, face an angry spouse and family now, face a bad publicity now, than being a slave to an enemy. Nehemiah called their bluff and refused to yield to blackmail. Do not yield to blackmail!

Nehemiah 6:9 – They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.” But I prayed, “Now strengthen my hands.”

Nehemiah 6:13 – 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.

Enemies seek to affect our progress by frightening and intimidating us. Do not accept to be frightened. No one should cause you to fear. When you fear and stop your journey to excellence, you may feel safe but the enemy has won. You will live in regret for yielding to fear. Let no one cause you out of fear to stop the good things you are doing.

Enemies lured Nehemiah to make the mistake of desecrating the temple. Enemies knew that the mistake will harm Nehemiah and favor them. Be careful when enemies encourage you to make mistakes. They are not with you. You will make a mistake with them, but you will bear the brunt. Do not be lured into wrong doing!

Do not be lured to hate someone. Do not be lured to speak on behalf of people who may want your words used against you. Do not be lured to write on behalf of others. Do not be lured to lead a team of people in wrong doing. Once the mistake is made, you will become the highlight as the others fade and seem insignificant in the story. Be careful about those who urge us into wrong doing promising to be with us. Do not yield!

Shemaiah lured Nehemiah to go with him to the temple to escape harm. Nehemiah knew that going there would desecrate the temple. Nehemiah resisted those attempts to lure him into wrong doing!

Nehemiah 6:14 – Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, my God, because of what they have done; remember also the prophet Noadiah and how she and the rest of the prophets have been trying to intimidate me.

When you feel frustrated by the enemies, don’t quit but pray. Nehemiah prayed about his enemies and their actions. God kept Nehemiah safe and He will keep us safe from our enemies. Pray about your enemies!

Nehemiah 6:15 – So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days.

Nehemiah 6:16 – When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God.

When you wisely work around your enemies, you will emerge victorious. When you pray about your enemies and use common sense and wisdom to evade them, you will be victorious. Amidst all active enemies actions, Nehemiah completed the wall in fifty two days! What an achievement amidst active dangerous enemies! May God grant us similar success in our almost similar circumstances!

The enemies of Nehemiah grew weaker when they realized it was God granting Nehemiah success and protecting him. Your enemies will give up or slow down when it dawns on them that they are fighting with God when they fight you. Your enemies should know it is God and not you who is behind the success. Let God be seen by your enemies!

Nehemiah 6:17 – Also, in those days the nobles of Judah were sending many letters to Tobiah, and replies from Tobiah kept coming to them.

Nehemiah 6:19 – Moreover, they kept reporting to me his good deeds and then telling him what I said. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me.

Some people in Nehemiah’s camp were actually collaborating with Nehemiah’s enemies. Our enemies can enlist some of the closest people around us. Nehemiah worked with them carefully knowing they were working with the enemies. He knew they were reporting everything he said and deed to his enemies. Be careful what you say and do, because your closest associates could be reporting to your enemies and it will be used against you!

Nehemiah’s associates would tell him about the good deeds of his enemies. If someone praises your enemies, it could be a trap to get your guard lowered. In active enemy territory, work smoothly with your associates even when you suspect they are compromised. Keep your guard up even among close associates!

1 Peter 5:8 – Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

1 Peter 5:9 – Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

Be alert against your enemies including the devil. Be sober because we are in active enemy territory. The enemies are actively around us seeking to destroy us, and this includes the devil. Resist the devil and all your enemies. Don’t act weak. Stand firm in faith and God will save you. You are not the only one suffering. All believers around the world are struggling against the devil and other enemies!

May God save us from paranoia. May God save us from our enemies. May we succeed in spite of our enemies. In Jesus’s name, Amen!

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