“So we built the wall. And all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work. But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem was going forward and that the breaches were beginning to be closed, they were very angry….Those who carried burdens were loaded in such a way that each labored on the work with one hand and held his weapon with the other.”

Nehemiah 4:6-7, 17 ESV

The rebuilding of the city of God, the time of transitioning from brokenness to completion, that era will be hotly contested. The story of Nehemiah shows how in our day we will be fighting the enemy and building the Lord’s habitation.

Satan must always harass the saints. There cannot be peace. He must send ministers of distraction, deviation. The Sanballat’s of this age are as real now as in Nehemiah’s day. And it is our sword that keeps them at bay.

But pure vigilance is not enough to build the house. The ministers of rebuilding must carry the trowel as well. They must be capable in defense and combat as well as construction and orderliness. They must be able to begin with nothing and end with a beautiful wall.

When the work begins with the Holy Spirit, the rebuilding will be supernatural and take a supernaturally short period of time. When the people set their mind to match the Lord’s we will only have to fight off Satan for a while, as we participate in the building of the dwelling place of God. Take courage then, the walls will be up soon and the house will be restored on the earth.