CONSTANT VIGILANCE

Nehemiah 4: 7 – 18


“The price of peace is constant vigilance”.

I can remember a time when we were proud to live in this nation, and were equally proud of it's armed forces. One of the things that I remember the best was something they called the DEW line. (Distant Early Warning) this was a radar system stretching across that arctic circle used to detect any threats to the USA and Canada as early as possible.
It was in fact an invisible wall to protect all those living inside of it.
Walls have been used throughout history to protect nations and cities; The great wall of China, The Maginot line, these are a few of the more famous walls that failed. Why? The lack of vigilance. The walls were never breached. The enemy passed either around or through, because officers were bribed and gates were opened, or security just looked the other way.

Jerusalem had a wall that was torn down by the cities enemies. The people lived in fear of constant attack.
Someone had to build the walls back up. That someone was Nehemiah.
He was a slave that was released from his servitude for a period of time to build the walls of Jerusalem, while under constant attack.

8 They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it.
9 But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.

13 Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows.
14 After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, "Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes."

16 ¶ From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah
17 who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other,
18 and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me.

As Christians, we are under constant attack from all sides and even sometimes from within. So, we must be vigilant at all times. We must go about our business with our tools in one hand and sword in another. Even the most mature believer must be alert at all times.
The apostle John warns us of enemies from three quarters. He identifies them as “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16). These enemies lure us away from God and His Word and leave a gap for the enemy to sneak in.
Let’s be alert to what entices us today. A lapse opens the door to sin, which in turn may develop into a habit that overwhelms us. Don’t permit a breach in the wall.