Stay on the Wall

Nehemiah 6:3
“And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?”

The greatest battle that Nehemiah faced while building the wall was to stay on the wall. When Nehemiah started building the wall, those who didn’t want the wall built did everything in their power to get him to come down. These people threatened, attacked, lied, and attempted to negotiate with Nehemiah to get him to come down from the wall, but to his credit, he stayed on the wall until it was finished.

My friend, though you are not building a wall around a city, you are doing a work for God. The wall that Nehemiah built was a work of God, and that was why he didn’t need to come down from the wall. The wall that you are building is a bus route. The wall that you are building is a Sunday school class. The wall that you are building is a soul-winning church. The wall that you are building are the lives of people. The wall that you are building are marriages that reflect the image of Christ. Your wall is the work that you are doing for God. There are many reasons as to why you should not come down from your wall.

First, don’t come down because the work will cease when you come down. Nehemiah came down from the wall one time, and when he came down, the work ceased. It says in Nehemiah 4:15, “…we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work.” While you come down from the wall to address the enemy, the great work you are doing ceases. The work you are doing for Christ is greater than addressing anything the enemy throws at you. Stay on the wall!

Second, don’t come down because it will give the enemy fodder that your work is not that great. The whole reason the enemy wanted Nehemiah to come down from the wall was for the purpose of discrediting the work. You must stay on the wall so that the enemy doesn’t use your time off the wall to discredit the validity of what you are doing.

Third, don’t come down to fight worthy battles. Stay on the wall and fight. There are many worthy battles for which you could come down from your wall to fight, but the wall is the greatest work you can do for Christ. Never come down for “worthy” battles whose purpose is to get you to come down from the wall. Keep the sword in hand, but keep the trowel working.

Fourth, don’t come down because it allows the enemy to dictate your agenda. The very moment you come down from the wall to address the enemy is the moment they begin to dictate your agenda. Only God should dictate your agenda; therefore, you must stay on the wall that God has for you to build. This wall is not your work but God’s, and He is capable of defending you as you build the wall for Him.

Fifth, don’t come down because what you are doing is a great work. Your work is great because in your city are souls that need to be saved, marriages that need to be mended, lives that need to be put back together, and a next generation that needs to see that a wall can be built in their day. The work that you are doing for God is greater than anything that may present itself to you. When the enemy threatens you, stay on the wall. When the enemy maligns you, stay on the wall. When the enemy wants to negotiate with you, stay on the wall. There is NOTHING worthy that warrants you coming down from the wall.

Author: Allen Domelle