41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41 (ESV)
“And we prayed to our God and set a guard as a protection against them day and night.” (Nehemiah 4:9 ESV)
Jesus’ command to His disciples in Gethsemane to watch and pray against temptation was not only applicable to them, and for all believers in Christ, but also to the Jews rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem under Nehemiah’s leadership in approximately 446 B.C.
Opposition arose concerning the rebuilding project (Nehemiah 4:1-8). What did Nehemiah have the people do? They prayed and set a guard. In other words, they watched and prayed (Nehemiah 4:9).
On July 24, 1890, Pastor Charles Haddon Spurgeon preached Nehemiah 4:9 from the Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit. The following is an excerpt from his message.
“NEHEMIAH, and the Jews with him, were rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. Sanballat and others were angry with them, and tried to stop the work. They determined to pounce upon the people on a sudden, and slay them, and so to put an end to what they were doing.”
“Our text tells us what Nehemiah and his companions did in this emergency: “Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.”
“These people had not only to build the wall of Jerusalem, but to watch against their enemies at the same time. Their case is ours. We have to work for Christ. I hope that all of us who love him are trying to do what we can to build up his kingdom; but we need also to watch against deadly foes. If they can destroy us, of course they will also destroy our work. They will do both, if they can. The powers of evil are mad against the people of God. If they can in any way injure or annoy us, you may rest assured that they will do so. They will leave no stone unturned, if it can serve their purpose. No arrows will be left in the quivers of hell while there are godly men and women at whom they can be aimed. Satan and his allies will aim at our hearts every poisoned dart they have.”
“Nehemiah had been warned of the attack that was to be made upon the city. The Jews who lived near these Samaritans had heard their talk of what they meant to do, and they came and told Nehemiah of the plotting of the adversaries.”
“We also have been warned. As our Lord said to Peter, “Simon, Simon, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat,” so has he, in his word, told us that there is a great and terrible evil power which is seeking our destruction. If Satan can do it, he will not only sift us as wheat, but he will cast us into the fire that we may be destroyed. Brethren, “we are not ignorant of his devices.” You are not left in a fool’s paradise, to dream of security from trial, and to fancy that you are past temptation.”
“It was well for these people, also, that, being in. danger, and being aware of the malice of their enemies, they had a noble leader to incite them to the right course to be pursued. Nehemiah was well qualified for his work. He gave the Jews very shrewd, sensible, and yet spiritual advice, and this was a great help to them in their hour of need.”
“Beloved, we have a better Leader than Nehemiah; we have our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and we have his Holy Spirit, who dwells in us, and shall be with us. I beg you to listen to his wise and good advice. I think he will give it to you through our explanation of the text. He will say to you, what Nehemiah, in effect, said to these people, “Watch and pray.” Although the adversaries of the Jews conspired together, and came to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder the work of rebuilding the wall, Nehemiah says, “Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.”
“In the text, I see two guards; first, prayer: ‘We made our prayer unto our God.’ The second guard is watchfulness: ‘We set a watch.’ When I have spoken on these two subjects, I shall take, as my third topic, the two guards together. We prayed, and we set a watch. We must have them both if we would defeat the enemy.”
Whatever the enemy you may be facing, the world, the flesh or the devil, there is one primary discipline to observe. Dear friends, believers in Christ are to watch and pray. Have a blessed day in the Lord.
Soli deo Gloria!
His Word Today 