The church of our Lord Jesus Christ is the most important community in the world. It is a microcosmic picture of heaven to those around us. It is our—and their—only hope. It is the body Christ birthed and leads as the Head. It is the vital tool for the Father's work in this season, and He has ordained its centrality and purpose.

So why should we expect no opposition? The enemies of the church, both inside and out, will never stop. They are varied in form.

Often we feel the relentless attack of worldly ideas and philosophies that tend to creep under the door, subtly eating away at the faith "once for all handed down to the saints" (Jude 3). We also face the constant pull of our pagan gods of power, pleasure, and materialism that pull believers away from the "simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ" (2 Cor. 11:3).

And at times we experience the direct attack—criticism, gossip, and the "we've never done it that way before" comments from within and without that nip away at a church leader like piranha. How do you handle constant attack?

There was a leader once who built a wall around God's city, led the people to repentance and faith and back into a covenant relationship, and reestablished the church of his time in just 52 DAYS! All of this work would have been aborted if Nehemiah had not seen and handled his enemies properly and promptly.

Enemies Without

Nehemiah's most visible enemies were those from without (Sanballat and Tobiah). But they came in an offhand way. They just asked for a simple, reasonable discussion: "Come, let us meet together ... in the plain of Ono" (Neh. 6:2). All they seemed to want was a leisurely talk to come to some nice compromise together. This would make sense to the logical mind.

But Nehemiah had the discernment to see this for what it was. He wouldn't even take the time to answer them himself.

"But they were planning to harm me. So I sent messengers to them, saying, 'I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?" (vv. 2-3).

Nehemiah recognized his enemies, understanding their true motives. He also saw his calling and priorities clearly, and he realized that time spent in useless conversation with an enemy was time wasted from the critical task at hand. He squandered no time on idle conversation. To the invitation to the plain of Ono, Nehemiah politely but strongly responded, "Oh? No!"

Incessant Confrontations

But enemies don't stop. Nehemiah records, "They sent messages to me four times in this manner, and I answered them in the same way. Then Sanballat sent his servant to me in the same manner a fifth time with an open letter in his hand" (vv. 4-5).

A leader must be equally persistent with his enemies. Each time the Siren call came, Nehemiah refused. It is critical for a leader to understand that our enemy will not let up. It is an indictment on our lack of biblical knowledge that most of us are surprised when the attack comes on our work or ministry.

If we are good students of God's Word and human history, we should never be ambushed. We should have the wisdom to see through seemingly well-meaning conversations ("All we want to do is just talk, shouldn't that be okay?") to the real motive ("... but they intended to do me harm").

Enemies Within

The next challenge to Nehemiah was subtler and sounded very spiritual. One of his own countrymen came to him and encouraged him to "meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you."

What would not be good about huddling in God's house? "Let's just slow down a little bit. You need to take care of yourself and hide from your enemies," was the call.

But again, Nehemiah's uncanny discernment saved him from distraction. He realized that Sanballat and Tobiah had hired this man, and he refused the invitation.

How many times have I heard a pastor say, "I don't think I can do this anymore," and retreat—to another church, to passivity, to a ministry without visionary plans. I understand, believe me, for I have faced this numerous times.

But Nehemiah's persistence should challenge us. He was unwilling to retreat, because God had told him to build the wall. Until God said stop, his calling was unchanged. Retreating because of discomfort is giving in to the enemy. Christian leadership is rarely comfortable.

Supernatural Strength

It's hard to continue standing against your enemies. It's often difficult to recognize their attack, and you will suffer great defeat if you try to accomplish this by yourself. You need an ally. You need someone bigger than your enemies. You must have divine strength.

Nehemiah consistently accessed this through prayer. Before the king in Babylon, before Sanballat, before enemies in his own country, we hear this simple phrase: "So I prayed to the God of heaven" (Neh. 2:4; cf. 4:9; 6:9, 14).

We must know our limitations and our inability to win this battle. We must, in humility, cry out to the Head of our Lord's armies. This humble prayer is always met with immediate reinforcements. You CAN win the battle, and you CAN build the wall in 52 days if God desires it so. Just watch out for your enemies.