Enemies of Faith – Discouragement
Today we continue in our series of enemy to our faith – we have dealt with “The Divided Mind” and “Fear” - now we will look at discouragement using portions of the Book of Nehemiah.
The tool used to bring discouragement is the tongue – whether in criticism, slander, threats or lies it is speech either in spoken or written form – this is the opposite of faith - Romans 10:17 so then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Nehemiah means consolation of Jah this speaks of the Holy Spirit John 14:16-17 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another (Comforter) Helper, that He may abide with you forever-- the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. Nehemiah is representative of “the Spirit filled believer” – it is also pictures any work the believer undertakes through the Holy Spirit.
If you’re going to do a work for God - no matter how small or how large - you will face opposition to your work. Nehemiah began to build the walls - but as soon as he started the work there was an opposition that came his way. First there was external opposition; then there was also internal opposition
There are forces and characters, personalities in the spiritual world, who are interested in our downfall; they are interested in keeping the word of God back.
Paul in 2 Corinthians 2:11 said these words: ’Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices’ - if we, as believers, are going to build for God we have to know the plan and the strategy of the evil one
FOES - External Opposition
Neh 2:10 When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard of it, they were deeply disturbed that a man had come to seek the well-being of the children of Israel.
Neh 2:19-20 But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they laughed at us and despised us, and said, "What is this thing that you are doing? Will you rebel against the king?" So I answered them, and said to them, "The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no heritage or right or memorial in Jerusalem."
Neh 4:1-9 But it so happened, when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, that he was furious and very indignant, and mocked the Jews. 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?" 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." Hear, O our God, for we are despised; turn their reproach on their own heads, and give them as plunder to a land of captivity! Do not cover their iniquity, and do not let their sin be blotted out from before You; for they have provoked You to anger before the builders. So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work. Now it happened, when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being restored and the gaps were beginning to be closed, that they became very angry, and all of them conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion. Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night.
Neh. 6:1-6 Now it happened when Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall, and that there were no breaks left in it (though at that time I had not hung the doors in the gates), that Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, "Come, let us meet together among the villages in the plain of Ono." But they thought to do me harm. So I sent messengers to them, saying, "I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?" But they sent me this message four times, and I answered them in the same manner. Then Sanballat sent his servant to me as before, the fifth time, with an open letter in his hand. In it was written: It is reported among the nations, and Geshem says, that you and the Jews plan to rebel; therefore, according to these rumors, you are rebuilding the wall, that you may be their king.
Ephes 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Rev 12:10 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.
These scriptures reveal the nature of opposition to the work of God – we see the working of the enemy against us and his strategy – the devil has no shortage of manpower when it comes to opposition to God’s work - In 2:10 there were two enemies: Sanballat and Tobiah. In 2:19 there’s Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem - there’s three of them, somebody joins them. In 4:7 there is Sanballat, and Tobiah and Geshem, the Ashdodites and the Ammonites -
Characteristics of the Enemy - he was angry - he was filled with indignation - he began to mock the people of God - The devil’s mouth is filled with mockery and ridicule. Remember Jesus Christ on His way to Calvary was mocked and ridiculed, when He was hanging on the cross He was mocked and ridiculed - ’He saved others, Himself He cannot save!’ - The people did it, the soldiers did it, the Romans did it, the Jews did it. Out of every corner and crevice of humanity people came, motivated and inspired by the evil one himself, to mock Jesus. The devil is the prime mocker of all time. If you are a mocker, or if you ridicule anyone involved in the work of the Lord, do you realise the seriousness of being involved personally in the devil’s work?
The Enemy – Speak Discouragement – They said: "What is this thing that you are doing?”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?" "Whatever they build, if even a fox goes up on it, he will break down their stone wall."
Notice the sarcastic mocking critical spirit - criticism rubs off and is contagious - critics like to be reinforced in their views - they get friends alongside them that will agree with them - Sanballat runs with Tobiah, and another named Geshem, and then he gets all the close friends together and together they oppose the work of the Lord. To demoralise anybody doing a work for God, critics pull down, they don’t encourage, they sap the strength and energy and vitality out of the servant of God. Even mutual enemies at times can become mutual friends in their effort to stamp out the work of God! Luke 23:12: ’And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves’ - but when it came to opposing God’s work in Christ, they were united! What type of people do you naturally gravitate towards in a body such as this? Is it the complainers? Is it the backbiters? Is it the criticisers? Is it negative people?
FRIENDS - Internal Opposition
Psalm 41:5-9 My enemies speak evil of me:” When will he die, and his name perish?"
And if he comes to see me, he speaks lies; His heart gathers iniquity to itself; When he goes out, he tells it. All who hate me whisper together against me; Against me they devise my hurt. "An evil disease," they say, "clings to him. And now that he lies down, he will rise up no more." Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, Who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.
This is a tactic that Satan has often followed, even up to this very present age. Not only does he bring opposition externally from without but he brings opposition from within. Internal opposition comes from the people themselves
Neh 4:10 Then Judah said, "The strength of the laborers is failing, and there is so much rubbish that we are not able to build the wall."
Neh 4:12 So it was, when the Jews who dwelt near them came, that they told us ten times, "From whatever place you turn, they will be upon us."
The Internal Strategy– Discouragement
Look what the very people of God were saying to each other and leadership:
’And Judah said’ - we have had the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, and the Arabians, Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem - but now ’and Judah said’ - Nehemiah’s own people, were starting now to rise in opposition - they want to down tools and give up - ten times - they said to us: "From whatever place you turn, they will be upon us." ’No matter where you go, these people are going to follow us - you might as well give up!’ - anyone who’s in the work of the Lord will know what it is to be discouraged, and Satan loves to discourage His servants, and he loves to discourage them by internal strife - persistently coming again and again and again with the same thing - It wears you down! It comes from those who ought to be encouraging you.
Negative speaking causes:
Fatigue The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed - The Hebrew means ’stumbling, tottering, staggering under a load’ - you can almost see them drained so much physically that they couldn’t actually carry the bricks, and they were falling down - 1/2 way through the work
Frustration There is much rubbish
Failure we are not able to build the wall
Fear They shall not know, neither see, till we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease
They didn’t have a vision any longer for the work of God - Instead of being encouraged by all the building that had already been accomplished, they only saw the huge task that was before them - Their confidence was deflated we read that they had a mind to work - The Hebrew says ’they had a heart to work’, but their heart had been buried under all the rubble, they lost their heart for the work! There motivation had gone, and in place of it was a feeling of overwhelming defeat, even fear.
FALSE PROPHETS - False Prophecy
Neh 6:7-13 Afterward I came to the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was a secret informer; and he said, "Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you; indeed, at night they will come to kill you." And I said, "Should such a man as I flee? And who is there such as I who would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in!" Then I perceived that God had not sent him at all, but that he pronounced this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. For this reason he was hired, that I should be afraid and act that way and sin, so that they might have cause for an evil report, that they might reproach me.
False prophecy is qualifying the work of the enemy by adding a “Thus says the Lord”- if the word doesn’t build up and bring life then we don’t need to hear it 1 Cor 14:3 But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.
Edification = building - to build a dwelling - by implication a family - home, house temple Exhortation = comfort – consolation - to call near – invite - invoke comfort, desire Comfort = encourage
The gift of prophecy edifies by proclaiming God’s Word in such a way that it gave them strengthening, (oikodomeôn, “edification”), encouragement, (parakleôsin), and comfort (paramythian, “consolation,” used only here in the NT).
The Antidote for Discouragement - Encouragement
Neh 4:13-23 Therefore I positioned men behind the lower parts of the wall, at the openings; and I set the people according to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows. And I looked, and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, "Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses." And it happened, when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that God had brought their plot to nothing, that all of us returned to the wall, everyone to his work. So it was, from that time on, that half of my servants worked at construction, while the other half held the spears, the shields, the bows, and wore armor; and the leaders were behind all the house of Judah. Those who built on the wall, and those who carried burdens, loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon. Every one of the builders had his sword girded at his side as he built. And the one who sounded the trumpet was beside me. Then I said to the nobles, the rulers, and the rest of the people, "The work is great and extensive, and we are separated far from one another on the wall. Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us." So we labored in the work, and half of the men held the spears from daybreak until the stars appeared. At the same time I also said to the people, "Let each man and his servant stay at night in Jerusalem, that they may be our guard by night and a working party by day." So neither I, my brethren, my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me took off our clothes, except that everyone took them off for washing.
Hebrews 10:22-25 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
Encourage yourself in prayer we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night.
Encourage others by
Share in the Work - in continuing the work of the Lord, you’ve got to be prepared to share in the work - the sword in one hand and the trowel in the other - in verses 19 - 22 ’When you see your family in need, or you see your neighbour in need, and there’s an attack on the way at their piece of the wall, you all rally round and support them!’.
Realise we have a Common Purpose - let us three times mentioned – together - all of us returned to the wall, everyone to his work
Have a God Focus - draw near - ’And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not afraid of them: remember the LORD, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren’ - Nehemiah looked up - he lifted his eyes heavenward and encouraged the people not to focus upon the rubbish and dereliction that was around them, not to focus on the enemy, because if they did that there would be no progress at all - but to look to the Lord - we need to look to God if we’re going to guard against discouragement. If you look to others - if you look to yourself - You will be discouraged.
Have a positive attitude and confession - with a true heart in full assurance of faith - hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering - He who promised is faithful – exhorting one another
Share in the Work - consider one another in order to stir up love and good works - in continuing the work of the Lord, you’ve got to be prepared to share in the work - the sword in one hand and the trowel in the other - in verses 19 - 22 ’When you see your family in need, or you see your neighbour in need, and there’s an attack on the way at their piece of the wall, you all rally round and support them!’.
Meet together regularly - not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together
All these areas are done by making conscious choices - so much the more as you see the Day approaching
