“In Judah it was said, “The strength of those who bear the burdens is failing. There is too much rubble. By ourselves we will not be able to rebuild the wall.” And our enemies said, “They will not know or see till we come among them and kill them and stop the work.” At that time the Jews who lived near them came from all directions and said to us ten times, “You must return to us.” So in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in open places, I stationed the people by their clans, with their swords, their spears, and their bows. And I looked and arose and said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.” “ – Nehemiah 4:10-14
I have not prepared an extensive post for this point as of now, but I recently came across this verse in a sermon and thought that it portrayed a very strong message for those trying to live the lifestyle of revolutionary Christianity. That being, there will be discouragement from within (“In Judah it was said…”), and there will be attacks from without (“And our enemies said…”), and in light of such we must be prepared, with swords and spears and bows if necessary, in order to protect our Christian faith and family.
I believe this is a point, seemingly obvious, but all too often glossed over by churches who are exceedingly timid to bear their own arms in the fight to preserve that which we believe in, love and cherish. There are too many churches who have adapted a policy of not being quarrelsome (2 Timothy 2:14,23-24), but instead of taking this stance in the proper context of not mincing words with false teachers who are arguing foolish things, they use it to be noncommittal and overtly passive to the fiery arrows which the world is all too ready to launch at us.
Instead, as Nehemiah shows, the revolutionary Christian must always be ready to take up arms and defend Christianity against the forces which want to see it dead. If Nehemiah had of allowed passivity the church may have never been rebuilt in Jerusalem. In the same way, if we don’t stand ready for battle today, the attacks of popular culture and secularprogressivism may leave the modern Christian landscape as desolate as that of Jerusalem before Nehemiah.
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” – Ephesians 6:10-11
Posted by Todd Burus 
