The Enemy’s Playbook

The Enemy’s Playbook

Adversity is never neutral. It is used either as a catalyst to finish or as a weight to press you down.

I went through a significant professional challenge in which I dealt with adversity for more than nine months. I drew tremendous strength and counsel from the story told in the Old Testament book of Nehemiah.

Nehemiah is trying to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem when he is opposed by a group of adversaries. These men circulated rumors about him and repeatedly caused him significant challenges. Nehemiah 6:5-7 includes some of the rumors:

The fifth time, Sanballat’s servant came with an open letter in his hand, and this is what it said: “There is a rumor among the surrounding nations, and Geshem tells me it is true, that you and the Jews are planning to rebel and that is why you are building the wall. According to his reports, you plan to be their king. He also reports that you have appointed prophets in Jerusalem to proclaim about you, ‘Look! There is a king in Judah!’

“You can be very sure that this report will get back to the king, so I suggest that you come and talk it over with me.”

The enemies of God have a simple playbook of lies, deceit, and fear. If you pay too much attention to the enemies’ ways, they can derail you from what you were called to in the first place. So look at how Nehemiah responds to the adversity. He says, “They were just trying to intimidate us, imagining that they could discourage us and stop the work. So I continued the work with even greater determination” (Nehemiah 6:9).

Know the enemy’s playbook, and let the adversity strengthen your resolve. Remember, the adversity will either press you down or cause you to rise up. Choose to rise up, and continue the work!

They were just trying to intimidate us, imagining that they could discourage us and stop the work. So I continued the work with even greater determination.

Nehemiah 6:9