3 Step Plan to Counter the Opposition

When Nehemiah’s enemies heard the rebuilding was underway, they were not happy. The last thing they wanted was for God’s people to be busy doing God’s work. Rebuilt walls and fortified gates in Jerusalem would lead to emboldened people of God, and emboldened people of God are unstoppable. So they quickly began their opposition campaign. They ridiculed. They threatened. They sowed seeds of doubt and discouragement.

“Can they restore it themselves?”

“Will they ever finish it?”

“Can they bring these burnt stones back to life from the mounds of rubble?”

“Before they know what’s happening, we will swoop down and kill them and end their work.”

The task was daunting. The opposition was relentless. But the people persevered because they were determined. When discouragement started to get the best of them (Nehemiah 4:10), Nehemiah devised a three-step plan to counter the opposition:

Step 1 – Pray

There’s a consistent theme in Nehemiah’s story: He prayed often! He knew whatever they needed – whether it was protection, provision, or divine intervention – would only come through prayer. When mocking and scoffing were leading to discouragement and threatening their mission, he once again went to the Lord.

Step 2 – Station a guard

As enemies threatened to move in and attack, Nehemiah knew the vulnerable areas needed to be protected, so he placed armed guards to watch over them.

Step 3 – Remember the Lord

Finally, when he noticed their fear, he reminded them of who they were working for. He told them not to be afraid because the Lord is great and awesome, and He would provide the courage they needed to stand against the enemy.

Nehemiah did not ignore the opposition, but he also did not cower to them. He assessed the situation and did what needed to be done to silence and immobilize them. When the threat subsided, they were able to get back to the work of rebuilding. (Nehemiah 4:15)

When we set out to accomplish something mighty for God, we will face opposition. But we cannot allow the enemy’s lies to get us off track. Instead, we must counter the opposition. We must ask God to sustain us while we work for Him. We must carefully guard our vulnerable areas, which in a godless culture is undoubtedly the next generation. And we must remember who we serve and that God’s purposes will always prevail.

“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” – Matthew 5:11-12 ESV