Recognising the Battle

We're in Nehemiah chapter 4 in the Old Testament. If you've been with us in this series, you'll know that Nehemiah is really about how this man gets the burden — that's Nehemiah 1. Then in Nehemiah 2 and 3, the building gets started. Now in Nehemiah 4, we start to see more and more the battle taking place.

Because the moment you step out to do something that God has put on your heart, you're going to find something greater than your ordinary life. If you've got a mission from God, you're going to find opposition to that. With every assignment, there's an adversary.

Not everything that opposes you in this is natural — some of it is spiritual. When we did our survey here at Ivy, we realised quite a lot of people said, "Yeah, I'm kind of aware that's the case." But today I want to make you 100% aware that we are in a spiritual battle. It's huge, and to be complacent is the worst possible place to be.

Take criticism as an example. If somebody criticises you and you don't look behind it and think, "Maybe there's something spiritual going on here," you're just going to take it personally — and maybe give up prematurely.

Opposition Rises with Progress

In Jerusalem, from the rubble, the wall is going up. We read:

"When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed."

There's an enemy, and he's angry. Momentum is starting to come, people are getting engaged, progress is visible — and right then, when things are starting to go well, opposition arises. It comes through a person — actually, more than one person — but it is fundamentally spiritual.

Notice it starts with words. Sanballat ridiculed the Jews in front of his associates: "What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day?" They never said they'd do it in a day — he's undermining them. Tobiah the Ammonite adds, "What they're building — if even a fox climbed on it, it would break down their wall of stones." He's mocking, using sarcasm, undermining — because if they can get inside their heads, it might get inside their hearts. Then the enemy doesn't need to stop the work; the people will stop themselves.

Pray First, Then Post a Guard

When we did our survey, a lot of us said our first response to opposition is to think, "How can I fix this?" But that isn't Nehemiah's first response. He says:

"When I heard this... Hear us, O Lord, for we are despised."

He prays and talks to God about the problem before he tries to tackle it. It's summed up in verse 9:

"But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night."

That's how we win. Powerful, simple, balanced. Pray and post a guard. Let's unpack that.

1. Recognise the Spiritual Behind the Physical

This isn't necessarily just difficult people, awkward conversations, chemistry, unfortunate timing, or difficult team dynamics. Scripture makes it clear:

"We do not wrestle against flesh and blood." (Ephesians 6:12)

When you're doing something for God, there's going to be a fight, and you're going to be attacked and opposed. If you think it won't happen, all you're going to do is get hit, get wounded, and maybe get out of it.

People may be involved, but they're not the actual source. I do believe you and I have an enemy, the devil, and it's personal with him — but he uses voices, pressure, and accusation. Just as God works through people, the enemy will try to work through people too. That doesn't mean those people belong to the devil — I know at times I've changed sides a little myself, when my words haven't built somebody up but pulled them down. That's the downfall of Satan; I'm joining him if I pull people down too.

We need discernment about what's going on and which voices we're listening to and repeating. Not every personal conflict is a spiritual battle, but a spiritual battle often leads to personal conflict.

2. Expect Critics — But Sift the Voices

Every builder for God will face critics eventually. As you step out to lead, serve, restore, rebuild — as you do good things — you'll hear voices: Who do you think you are? This will never last. You're out of your depth. You're the wrong person. Nobody's going to help.

Sometimes those things are said loudly; sometimes they're said behind your back and you hear them eventually — gossip, subtle undermining. The real danger is that as you hear it, you start saying it to yourself. You hear it, rehearse it, repeat it — even though it's not true — until you start to believe it. Now the loudest critic isn't out there, it's in here.

"Don't take criticism from somebody you wouldn't take advice from." — Brené Brown

Not every voice has to count equally, because not everybody is on your side, not everybody is wise, and not everybody is qualified or aligned to God's plans for you.

As Theodore Roosevelt put it:

"It is not the critic who counts... The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly... who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly."

Nehemiah and those building with him are in the arena — risking, stepping out, doing something. The critics are on the sidelines doing nothing good, just resenting those having a go.

3. When Criticism Becomes Discouragement — Pray Again

External criticism can become internal discouragement. Nehemiah notices: "The strength of the labourers is giving out." What does he do? He doesn't send everyone on a team day or buy a box of donuts. He prays.

That was a key question in our survey too — maybe it's something we could all change: I'm going to pray before I act. That could change a lot of things in our lives. Nehemiah's first instinct is prayer — not reaction, not retaliation, not going straight to the person. Your prayer life has to work under pressure, not just in peacetime. You build it in times of peace so you have it ready in times of spiritual war.

Prayer is where we learn dependence, alignment, and authority. Prayer is where we get God's wisdom and see that God is trustworthy — where we can admit, "I don't know what I'm doing, but I think God does."

4. Post a Guard — Stay Alert Together

They didn't just pray — they set a watch. Stayed alert. Organised in community to keep an eye on each other.

"The enemy roams around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour... resist him, firm in the faith." (1 Peter 5:8-9)

That's not passive. We need others to pray with and stand with us, because the greatest threat isn't external attack — it's internal erosion. We get picked off and worn down if we're isolated, if we get alone. That's why Proverbs says:

"Above all else, guard your heart, for from it flow the issues of life." (Proverbs 4:23)

Watch what you think about, who you listen to, and what you dwell on and repeat — because it shapes what you believe. Not every voice should have a place in your heart.

Building Through the Battle

They prayed and posted a guard — that's how they kept going. One day at a time, one stone at a time, because restoring doesn't happen in a day. It takes work, hard work, and time. They didn't stop building; they adapted how they did it — one hand building, one hand ready for the battle.

They were built by the battle and in the battle. We don't learn much in easy times, but when you keep building through battles, that's maturity — recognising that opposition isn't a sign you have to stop. It's often a sign you're building something that matters, because hell itself opposes it.

The Victory Already Won in Jesus

This ultimately finds its fulfilment in our Lord Jesus Christ.

"Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." (Hebrews 12:3)

Thinking about what Jesus went through can help me go through what I'm going through. He was innocent and perfect — I'm certainly not — yet he still faced criticism, endured opposition, was misunderstood, misrepresented, betrayed. Why should I think I'd get away with less?

He never let the wrong voices inform him; he kept listening to what the Father was telling him. It took him to the cross, where it looked like the critics were right. Those standing around Calvary were happy as they saw him die — but they didn't know the real battle was deeper. He wasn't just fighting them; he was fighting sin, death, and the demonic powers of hell. Through his death and resurrection, Jesus won the victory.

So now, because of Jesus, we don't pray for victory — we pray from victory. We stand on who he is. In our daily struggles, we still must pray, stay alert, and guard our hearts, but we do it from a place of confidence, not fear. From authority, not anxiety. From assurance — he is God, he wins, he's sovereign no matter what is going on.

Waking Up to the Battle

Some of us really need to wake up to the reality of the spiritual battle we're facing. It isn't just what's going on around you — something wants to affect what's going on inside of you: what you believe, what voice you listen to, how much God's word is informing your thinking.

Has there been another voice, contrary to his word, bringing doubt? A little sentence, somebody mocking you, a little lie — you didn't believe it at first, but it pecked at your head until you started to think, "Maybe they're right." We do have to sift these things through who God says we are.

If somebody says, "Who are you kidding? That's never going to happen. You're bound to fail. We tried that" — well, you tried it. Me and God didn't try it yet. If somebody says, "You've missed it, it's too late now, you can't restore what's broken" — it might not happen quickly, but if that voice in your ears becomes a belief in your heart, the Bible calls that a stronghold. Strongholds are little lies believed long enough to become big enough to keep tripping you up, keeping you stuck, going round and round in the same place. The problem is they feel like truth — until, like in Nehemiah 4, your strength gives out.

Here's how we get it back: in praise, in worship, by considering Jesus — focusing on how much he's loved us and what he's done for us.

A Prayer of Breakthrough

Let's start to pray. Stand up if you can, right where you are, and say: "I'm making my stand today on the truth of God's word." Today we don't just pray for protection — we're praying for breakthrough in the heart and mind, because when the lie breaks, the stronghold breaks. That's when the builder rises up inside of you.

Father, in the name of Jesus — every voice that did not come from you, every word that has shaped our identity or limited our faith, we bring into the light. Every lie anyone has believed about who we are, about what we can or cannot do, about what you've called us to build — if it isn't your truth, we renounce it now. By the authority of the name of Jesus Christ, I take the sword of the Spirit and cut it off, and I pull down every stronghold. We demolish every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of Christ, every false narrative, every curse word spoken, every internalised accusation, every agreement with the enemy — we break its power now in the name of Jesus.

Let the truth arise — truth about your identity in him, truth about your calling, truth about God's faithfulness. Where there's been fear, I release courage. Where there's been confusion, I release clarity. Where there's been discouragement, I release strength, in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

Father, in this year of restoration, restore what was broken, restore what was delayed or robbed, restore what was abandoned — whether we felt abandoned or we abandoned the mission you gave us. We take it up now in faith. Those listening will not just be healed, they will be whole. They will not just be builders and restored, but they will rebuild what was left undone. Wherever the enemy took anything, it will be restored sevenfold in the name of Jesus Christ.

Just as in Nehemiah's day, so it will be in your life: the work will go on, the wall will arise, the opposition will not prevail. Jesus will have the full victory he's won and paid for in your life. We will pray, we will work, we will guard, we will watch over one another, and we will build — all with confidence from the victory of Jesus, and for his glory, in his name. Amen.