FIGHTING PRINCIPALITIES OF THE AIR
Please read Nehemiah 4:1-9 in support of this essay.
Ephesians 6:17 tells us this: “Take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.” There are two tools of warfare, the sword of man, and the sword of the Word of God in Christ Jesus.
One of my favorite Generals said some words that I will apply for my essay today. When we are in battle, I will not speak to my men like ladies. I expect them to stand and fight like the men that they are. On this day, I will write with such fortitude, for we are in the greatest battle known to Christendom.
As soon as Nehemiah began the work of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, the enemy attacked. Sanballat was not only a thorn in Jerusalem’s flesh but Nehemiah’s as well. Once Nehemiah began to observe the attacks, Sanballat asked this:
“What are these feeble Jews doing? Are they going to restore it for themselves? Can they offer sacrifices? Can they finish in a day?”
Today’s paraphrase: What are these feeble Christians doing? Are they going to restore the Church for themselves? Can they offer worthy sacrifices? Can they finish in a day?
These workers were next to worthless when it came to rebuilding with excellence - so are the lion’s share of believers today. Nehemiah certainly had a huge challenge on his hands, and so do the Nehemiahs of today. The evidence was in what Tobiah said: “Even what they are building—if a fox should jump on it, he would break their stone wall down.”
Those of us who are likened to Nehemiah believe that our present global church is suffering the exact conditions of Jerusalem in Nehemiah’s day. If you haven’t noticed, on the internet and beyond, Christians betray and shoot their own. It is tragic what our modern-day church is doing to one another. Overall, Christians today are not only lazy but are cowardly.
We can't understand the enormous challenge that Nehemiah faced. The Jews in Jerusalem at that time were lazy and irresponsible when caring for their own. Due to Nehemiah’s evaluation, it was obvious to him that the local Jews were lazy sitting back and allowing the walls to fall that were erected to protect them. The odds of Nehemiah counting on quality workers were next to none.
Work ethic is a major issue within our church today. Following directions from authoritative leaders is next to impossible for modern-day workers. If they don’t command themselves, simply put, they don’t do the work. Overall, the body of Christ is sick, lazy, and stubborn. Each one defaults to a position of putting the workload on the leader. What is a leader to do? Pray covenant prayers before the Living God. Only God can strike a match and put some heat under His people; He has always been creative in finding ways to do that.
REBUILDING THE WALLS OF MARRIAGE
In our present culture, husbands put their wives to work outside the home - driving them into exhaustion and despair, while they sit around and tout opinions over what they are guilty of - calling it ministry. When their marriages crumble, their children become refuters of God’s immovable Word - they blame everyone but themselves for the erosion. These are arrogant men without a backbone. Any head of home who violates Titus 2:1-15 by requiring women to do what the men are called to do is walking a thin line.
I can assure you that there was not ONE woman doing the work on Nehemiah’s wall during the rebuilding. The women tended to their homes, children, and did preparation work for the ordain sword bearing workers of the wall - the men. With honor I might add. Not today my reader. Men are quick to divorce their wives if they don’t pull their own weight.
The perfect description of Covenant Marriage is best described in the book of Revelation. Nehemiah prayed covenant prayers, although it was through the Old Covenant; however, the meaning, purpose, and description are found in Genesis to Revelation.
I believe the ordained reason for creation, the Old Covenant (Old Testament), the New Covenant (New Testament), and the book of Revelation, was given to us to secure a Bride for God the Father’s Son, Jesus. God the Father gave John the heartbeat of why He created the earth, allowed the fall of man, delivered a Redeemer, and offered Covenant Marriage to all those who received the indwelling life of Christ by Salvation through the filling of the Holy Spirit.
You must understand these two types of Covenant Marriages. The first is the New Covenant Marriage represented in Heaven, the only anointed marriage system God supports. The second is marriage certificates fabricated or established by the governing laws of nations—a modality proved by a license required by a state or country along with the signature of an ordained church leader.
One of the misnomers of governed marriages is that God supports all marriages sealed by the governing state or nation; He does not. If He did, it would erase the ordinances of New Covenant Marriage. Plus, all current legal marriages between dogs and their masters, adult/minor marriages, same-sex marriages, and other culturally friendly marriages would be ordained or accepted by God. That would be heresy. God only sustains and supports Covenant Marriage in the Old and New Testaments.
DESENSITIZATION
Satan has successfully used the world and its influences to bring a light-hearted attitude and mindset regarding the kingdom of darkness, which was the exact case with the Jews Nehemiah was responsible for overseeing. As for today, just look at the enormous volumes of books, movies, video games, T-shirts, music, toys, television, advertisements, the internet, fashion, jewelry, and silly jesting; we are bombarded with whatever we desire! Today, all worldly influences are leading us to anti-authority, anti-work ethic, and anti-Jesus Christ. The results leave the masses with broken-down walls of country, Church, and individual lives, precisely what Nehemiah was up against, with the Jews continuing to be influenced by the beliefs and practices of Old Babylon. Satan is about desensitizing God’s people toward him and the influences and mandates that God puts before them.
The callous view that the world has about Satan and his role in man’s sin is a subtle but a tragic attack on God’s divine creation—His blessed children. The enemy of this world sees that the world, his domain, laughs off his actions with indifference. Always remember that this callousness is the enemy's most powerful tool in defusing God’s serious plan of redemption. Christians should never entertain crude jokes, purchase degrading media products, or lightheartedly support Satan. Also, believers must exercise care in not assigning all their wrongdoings as Satan’s responsibility. We must, with Biblical insight, understand the limited power of Satan and his kingdom. Oppression and bondage are no joking matter.
APPROACHING SATAN BIBLICALLY
The key to the believer’s emphasis on spiritual warfare must be based on a biblical approach to the subject. Subjective feelings, emotional desires, and genuine sincerity are not sufficient weaponry against the enemy who laughs in the face of one’s intent. He yields no ground to emotion or sincerity, even if you use Jesus’s name. He retreats only from the authority and power given to the Christians through their union with the Lord Jesus Christ and the absolute Truth of the Word of God.
If I were to give you a sharp two-edged sword and a butter knife, which would you use to fight an assailant? That’s a dumb question, right? I don’t think so. Your logical side would choose the sharp two-edged sword; however, we are essentially using a butter knife to war against an enemy who slings a ball and chain when we do not use the Word of God to fight him off.
Ephesians 6:17 tells us this: “Take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.”
Satan hates the New Covenant, which is the fulfillment and release of the condemnation of the Old Covenant. Furthermore, he hates New Covenant prayers.
Here’s a sample of a New Covenant Prayer: “Dear Lord Jesus, I have sinned before You. I know that I am covered in the power and authority of Your holy Name. While I admit I have committed this sin, I simply ask You to cause me to accept the forgiveness You provided for me many years ago.” In using the Old Testament style or the New Testament style with a mixture of the law, people will say this prayer by begging God for His forgiveness when He has already provided it.
We have two primary offensive weapons against Satan: the Word of God, primarily the New Covenant, and the power of prayer released via the Holy Spirit who lives within us. When we combine these two, we have the most intimidating weapon known to the enemy. The enemy knows he’s been “had” when a man or woman of God masters the art of using the Word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit through prayer.
Even though Nehemiah was bound to the Old Covenant, he used it to maximize his ability to combat Jerusalem’s enemies, which worked. Why? In the Old Testament, God used the law to fulfill His ordained mission with His people, while in the New Testament, Jesus fulfilled the law by placing full responsibility upon Himself. Then He put the Holy Spirit within authentic Christians to enact the same power to ward off the enemy of His Bride. I pray that you are beginning to see our critical need for the Word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit released through prayer.
The Word of the Spirit, God’s Word, is living and active. The sword that Nehemiah commanded his people to use is the Old Testament parallel of the New Testament Sword of the Spirit. In Nehemiah’s story, the brick is the perfect symbol of the New Testament depictive of work ethic, the authentic Jews, and today’s Christians' greatest weakness and challenge. What I am imparting to you today is the life-giving words from the mouth of the Living God. Use God’s Word and live; it is that simple. Use our own words and die—minimally, fail.
Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Don’t tell me that the Word of God is not powerful and active with the ability to pierce through the edges of darkness.
TRUE WARFARE IS ETERNAL
The Word is eternal because God is eternal. Just as God is omnipotent (all-powerful), His Word has all the needed power to defeat the enemy and accomplish His will. Just as God is immutable, the Word of God will never change. Just as our Lord is omnipresent, His Word is always there and ready to be used in every situation. Just as God is holy, so His Word is holy. The bottom line is this: “The word of God is living, active, and sharper than any two-edged sword.” The enemy hates hearing it. Jesus used it to fight off temptation, so why shouldn’t we? We can’t survive without it.
The Word has the power to penetrate the life of every being who hears it, including the enemy. The Word is to do corrective surgery within the soul, spirit, thoughts, attitudes, and body of all those who hear it, which is the secret of its power against the enemy. As it is read or heard, the Word can penetrate, cleanse, and change the lives of those who embrace it as Truth. Therefore, it cuts away at the grip of the enemy. There is nothing more powerful, and there is no substitute to accomplish such a mission when coming against the enemy; even Jesus, the Son of God, used the written Word to fight Satan in the wilderness. What worked for the Son of the Living God will certainly do no less for us.
Like Nehemiah being quick to call for help—a kind of help far beyond his understanding and certainly beyond humanity, we need to do the same today. The difference is that Nehemiah did not have a Spirit from within to release; however, the authentic, born-again Christians today can release the TRUE weapon against the enemy from within them.
Watch the video for the full message.
Stephen Phinney
#6 NEHEMIAH: From the Knees Up