Enemy Tactics (part 1)… Nehemiah
I make the suggestion that you read the fascinating book of Nehemiah.
Nehemiah, whilst rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, faced tremendous opposition from the enemy.
For us... when we work in partnership with the Lord to seeing lives saved, delivered and restored, great opposition will be generated against us from the enemy.
Our enemy, the Devil will give us a hard time... guaranteed!
Let us take a good look at our adversary's tactics, ploys, schemes, strategies that he would, could and does use against us.
We must realise that "we wrestle not against flesh and blood"... even though he mainly works through human agents.
Satan is very real and he does not mess about.
He means business and we need to be aware of what he is up to.
Behind these human agents are."... principalities, powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world, spiritual wickedness in high places."
Take careful note of the enemy's tactics that Nehemiah and his Jewish friends were up against... and what Nehemiah did to counter them. Be aware! Beware!
There is no order (the Devil's modus operandi is chaos) as to which tactic our adversary will use against us.
He might be the "god and prince of this world," but he certainly IS NOT the god of order nor charm.
Remember... chaos, confusion, despondency, discouragement, death, defeat and destruction is his ultimate goal.
[1] ☆ Nehemiah 4:1... "But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was wrath, and took great indignation, and MOCKED the Jews."
■ Satan will use [INSULTS], ridicule, mockery, scorn, derision (contemptuous ridicule) to wear down the Saints of God.
Insults cause hurt and wounds the heart.
This is the lowest of the low to discourage God's kids. And, he uses people to do this... even those very close to us.
The Media is also very effective in making Christians look like "losers."
Spoken words are very powerful. Proverbs says very clearly that, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue... " Satan knows this and fully capitalises on it.
□ Our solution strategy...
Receive and believe who we are and what God says we are in Christ Jesus.
How do we find out what God says? Read and immerse (marinate) yourself in the Word of God!!
Counter negative words and insults with reading the Word of God.
If God be for us, who or what can be against us? Absolutely no one and nothing!
We are special, we are accepted, we are loved, we are cleansed, we are justified, we are saved, we are redeemed, we are forgiven, we are sanctified... all through Christ's finished work on the Cross.
And... we are more than conquerors through Him Who loved us! We are the King's kids.
[2] ☆ Nehemiah 4:8. "... and conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it."
■ Satan [INCITES], (stirs, plots, schemes and conspires) to...
▪ cause trouble...
▪ cause contention...
▪ to hinder the work of God.
He's a stirrer. He stirs up trouble and dissension. He's out to cause grief, to upset and discourage God's people.
Slander, gossip, lies, misunderstandings are very powerful tools here.
He "twists" God's Word like he did with Eve in the Garden of Eden.
He'll use anything and everything to hinder and disrupt the work of God.
□ Our solution strategy...
The best way to combat the lies of the enemy, is to have big doses of truth... God's TRUTH!
And we do that by being solidly grounded in the Word of God.
I have said it before, but I will say it again...
it is imperative that the child of God is immersed in and saturated with the Word of God... and to stand on and speak out the promises of God. Jesus did... so must we!
There is no other way to have victory over our enemy the Devil and his lies.
☆ Nehemiah 4:9..."Nevertheless, we made our prayer unto our GOD, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them."
And... we need to... we must pray. Pray without ceasing! Have the intercessors praying as a rear guard. The church must have intercessors praying regularly for the body of Christ.