Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other. (Neh. 4:17)
Expanded Passage: Nehemiah 4:1-15, 19-23
An old southern gospel song twangs, “It’s a battlefield, brother, not a recreation room; it’s a fight and not a game.”
The men rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem were frightfully aware of the literal battle. The Arabs, Ammonites, and people of Ashdod “all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem” (Neh. 4:8). The builders worked with one hand and held a weapon in the other.
One of the worst things our spiritual enemy can do is to convince believers that life is a recreation room, a game. There is no enemy, no battle. Yet the apostle Paul warned us in Ephesians 6:12 that it is a life-and-death struggle: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
We needn’t be frightened, but we must be prepared with good works and well-armed with Scripture and a holy lifestyle. And, there is strength in numbers. Nehemiah ordered, “Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there” (v. 20). Fellowship with other believers, supported by prayerful concern, makes for a powerful force.
Finally, Nehemiah promised the wall builders, “Our God will fight for us!” (v. 20). This is echoed in Ephesians 6, when Paul says “take your stand” (v. 11) and “stand your ground” (v. 13), but never to fight. God will fight for us!
“Be alert. . . . your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion” (1 Peter 5:8).
James N. Watkins is an author, editor, and ordained minister in The Wesleyan Church.
© 2026 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
