Time to Fight

Introduction

Do you have regrets? Or properly I should ask, what are your regrets? When someone looks back on their life and says, I don’t really have any regrets. They’re probably plagued with either a failing memory or a problem with honesty. We all have regrets, don’t we? I look back on my life and contemplate regrets. Most of them are centered around things I didn’t do. Now don’t get me wrong, there are things certainly that I did that I regret. But it seems like the list is dominated by things I didn’t do. I can look back on my life, and when I think about this category of regret for things I didn’t do, they fall into two categories primarily. Number one is meals I didn’t eat.

That you mean you missed a meal.

Times that I should have stood up for what was right. Times that I should have boldly defended some cause or some person. Words that I should have said. And even fights I should have fought. But I didn’t. You know, think about the old testament character of Nehemiah. We don’t know everything about Nehemiah, but I can imagine that when Nehemiah looked back on his life, he didn’t have as many regrets, maybe as I do. Because Nehemiah was a man of action, wasn’t he? You know, you think about Nehemiah, what one word comes to mind to really illustrate or personify who Nehemiah was. It might be a leader. Nehemiah was a leader, certainly. Subcategory of that, you might say, well, Nehemiah, as a leader was a builder. And yes, he was.

1. Nehemiah Was a Fighter

But in Nehemiah chapter 13, we see that Nehemiah was something else. Nehemiah was a fighter. Turn with me, if you will, to Nehemiah chapter 13. This is obviously the end of the story, the recorded story, at least, of Nehemiah. We remember him most for those early chapters when he heard that the city wall had not been rebuilt, and he was motivated, and he motivated the people to build that wall. And he did just that. That’s what we remember Nehemiah most for. Nehemiah did that. He served as a governor of the territory that included Jerusalem for about twelve years. But then after that twelve years, he left and went back to Persia. And he’s gone, we don’t know how long he’s gone, but he’s gone for a period of time.

And now he comes back. And he’s motivated again. That’s what a leader does. Leader is motivated, and he in turn motivates others. But now he’s not motivated to build. He’s motivated to fight. Nehemiah comes back to his home, to his people, and he sees what they’ve done. And he’s just flat out mad. He sees, beginning in Nehemiah chapter 13, he sees that the temple is not being reverenced and used as it ought to. They’re in the temple grounds. There were storerooms where items were to be stored so that the Levites and priests could be supported from the work that they were doing. One of those storerooms has been cleared out, is not being used for its intended purpose. In fact, the priests and the Levites are being neglected.

And even worse, it’s being rented out as a room for a Gentile. And not just a Gentile, but that sorry old Tobiah, who was an enemy of Nehemiah and the people and the building of that wall. And so what does Nehemiah do? Look over in Nehemiah chapter 13, verse 8. It says, And it grieved me bitterly. And I threw out all the household goods of Tobiah out of the room. Don’t you vividly picture what Nehemiah just goes in there, and I don’t think that’s a poetic license. I think Nehemiah literally went in and took Tobiah’s stuff and threw it to the curb. Then I commanded verse 9 them to cleanse the rooms, and I brought them back into it, and the articles of the house of God with the grain offering and the frankincense.

The Levites have been neglected because the storerooms have not been filled. And so in verse 11, I contended with the rulers and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them together and I set them in their place.

They’re not honoring it, they’re not resting.

And I warned them about the day in which they were making or selling provisions. Men of Tyre dwelt there also, who brought in fish and all kinds of good and sold them on the Sabbath to the children of Israel and in Jerusalem. Then verse 17, I contended with the nobles of Judah and said to them, What evil thing is this that you do by which you profane the Sabbath day? So verse 19, so it was at the gates of Jerusalem, as it began to be dark before Sabbath, that I commanded that the gates be shut, and charged that they not be open until after Sabbath. Then I posted some of my servants at the gate. See, Nehemiah is a man of action, a man of angry action.

He’s thrown the stuff of Tobiah to the curb, demands that the people do what they ought to do in reverencing and taking care of the Levites and the priest. Now the Sabbath day is profane. He contends, he argues with them about that. He goes himself and physically locks the gates and puts guards at the gate of the Sabbath day on the Sabbath day. Verse 20, now the merchants and sellers of all kinds of ware lodged outside the Jerusalem once or twice. I like that. Once or twice. They’re going to learn better not to do it a third time. Because in verse 21, so I warned them and said to them, Why do you spend the night around the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you.

A third problem. In his absence, in the absence of good leadership, they had married these pagan people that they’d been warned against. And so, verse 25, so I contended with them and cursed them, struck some of them and pulled out their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, You shall not give your daughters as wives to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons are for yourselves. You know, sometimes a leader builds. Sometimes a leader has to fight. And chapter 13 of Nehemiah is a chapter about fighting. Nehemiah is throwing stuff out of rooms. He’s arguing and contending with the people.

2. Things Nehemiah Fought For

Do you see Nehemiah as an old man on his deathbed looking back on his life and having a whole lot of regrets about what he didn’t do? Nehemiah was a man of action. He was a leader, and sometimes a leader builds, but sometimes a leader is called upon to fight. And Nehemiah was ready to fight. Here’s some things that he fought for. He fought for the proper reverence for the house of God. They were not treating the house of God with the due reverence. They were treating it like some other building, any other house. He fought for respect and observance of the Sabbath, the day in which God had set aside as a holy day. And one again, like the house of God, they were profaning as just common and ordinary.

And lastly, he fought for the defense of their personal and family morality. Seems like this is what angered him the most.

They were letting corruption come in, a corruption such that even Solomon, he says, could not withstand the damning influence. So who do you think you are that you can? Nehemiah was a fighter. Question I want to ask you this morning are you ready to fight?

Now here’s where I must add a disclaimer.

3. Contend Earnestly for the Faith

But I am saying that there is a time for children of God to be leaders. And by leaders, I’m not simply saying the elders, the evangelists, the deacons. All of us, men and women, old and young and children alike, are called on by God to be leaders. Leaders in your families, leaders in your workplaces, leaders in your schools, leaders of yourselves and your own body and soul. And sometimes a leader builds. But Nehemiah teaches us that sometimes a leader has to draw a line in the sand and say, let’s fight. You know, the New Testament, surprisingly, or maybe not so surprisingly, has a lot to say about this. Jude says that we are to contend earnestly for the faith. And though I recognize the differences in languages between the old and the new testament, but if you want to know what contend earnestly looks like, go read Nehemiah 13.

To contend earnestly for the faith. Paul told his apprentice Timothy to fight the good fight of faith. And if there’s a New Testament equivalent of Nehemiah, it might be Paul, who was both a builder and a fighter. Look in Ephesians chapter 6. Maybe the most familiar New Testament passage about fighting. We’re familiar with this passage that tells us in verse 11 of Ephesians 6 to put on the whole armor of God. That you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. I’m afraid we’ve over-illustrated this passage, if that’s possible. That we’ve broken down every element of this armor. And we can all probably picture the picture, can’t you? Of this piece of armor represents that, this piece of armor represents that. And I think we’ve peeled the bark and looked at the leaves of the tree so much that we’ve missed the forest.

Why do you put on armor? Verse 10 really begins, finally, my brethren, finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God. First century Christian hearing that admonition would have immediately known what armor was for. It was the fight.

Put on armor to watch television. You put on armor when there was a fight to be fought. And so he says, be strong in the Lord in the power of his mind. Put on the whole armor of God. Why? Verse 12, for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against the spiritual host of wickedness in the heavenly places. Now that’s a fight. A fight for the very fiber of your soul. And so he says, therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand. Paul says, It’s time to fight. The spiritual fight. This same Paul would tell the Corinthians that, and here’s our disclaimer again, the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but are mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.

4. It’s Time for Us to Fight

You know, if the scriptures have so much to say, both old and even New Testament, if the scriptures have so much to say about fighting, about boldness and courage. What does that say about me? What’s that say about you? I know it says it’s time to fight. And it’s time for us to fight. It’s time to spiritually angle our toe and draw a line in the sand and say it stops here. That’s what Nehemiah did. It’s time for us to spiritually, metaphorically throw some stuff to the curb. To kick some things out of our life.

A little arguing. And again, metaphorically, spiritually, it’s time for us to hit somebody and pull out some hair. And if I’m honest with myself, I, like the Apostle Paul, will be the recipient of most of those blows? And I’ll pull out what little hair I’ve got left. Because sometimes fighting for myself demands that I fight against my baser elements? I look at Nehemiah, who was willing to fight, because that’s what sometimes a leader does. When I think about Paul and Timothy, who was told to fight the good fight of faith, I ask myself honestly, what am I doing? Number two hundred and seventy-five in our song books.

Maybe that’s so old it’s new. Isaac Watts asked this question Am I a soldier of the cross? A follower of the Lamb? And shall I fear to own his cause or blush to speak his name? Must I be carried to the skies on flowery beds of ease while others fought to win the prize and sailed through bloody seas? Are there no foes for me to fight? Must I not stem the flood? Is this dark world a friend of grace to help me on to God? Sure, I must fight. Increase my courage, Lord. I’ll bear the toil. Endure the pain. Supported by thy word. Are you ready to fight? Are you a soldier of the cross? It’s time for us to draw that line. It’s time for us to channel a little Nehemiah in ourselves.

5. Stand Up and Fight for the Body of Christ

It’s time for us to stand up and fight for the body of Christ. To be unapologetic, that doesn’t mean rude. That doesn’t mean intentionally offensive, but to be unapologetic in our stand for and defense of the truth, I will not apologize for believing in God, believing in the Word of God, the exclusivity of Christianity, and of the rigid standards the world may view that He places upon me in my morality. I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. In fact, I’m ready to fight to defend it.

I’m ready to fight to support it. To support it on its local level. To support and defend those who preach the gospel, to support and defend those who shepherd the flock, to support and defend the efforts of the local church. To fight. And much of the battle is just showing up on the battlefield. Of being here when the trumpet call.

6. Time to Fight for Our Own Faith

Stand up and fight. Say, I’m going to be a husband and a father. And I’m going to take upon the God given task of a leader in this home. Wives. Stand up and fight for the beautiful role that God has given you. It’s time to fight. It’s time to fight for our own faith. Familiar passage in 1 Peter chapter 5. When Peter says in verse 8, be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Verse 9 adds, resist him. If you want to know what resisting the devil looks like, go read Nehemiah 13. It means that you have to clear your house, your mind of those worldly evil things. Throw those things to the curve.

It means that you have to lock the gate. And pardon the illustration, tell Satan, I’ll lay hands on you. Resist him. Steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. John in the revelation letter paints the horrible picture of hell. We sang about heaven beautifully this morning in the 9 o’clock hour. As the soldiers arrayed on the battlefield to sing praises to God. We sang about heaven, but the Bible also talks about hell. And in John’s graphic picture of hell and those who will be there in the Revelation letter, he includes not just those what we would term as those heinous, out there wicked sins. Of those who will be cast into that fire, into that lake, John includes the cowardly.

Jesus said the cowardly will have their place. I don’t think he was talking about those who are afraid of the dark or afraid of spiders or of roller coasters. We know who he was talking about. When he said the cowardly will be cast away from the presence of God.

Conclusion

Will we stand up and fight for the cause of God? Fight with every fiber of our being for our own soul. And stand shoulder to shoulder, wearing the full armor of God, having done all to fight and to stand. And remember this.

Are you engaged in the fight this morning? Why not become a child of God? Why not render obedience to that gospel? Enlist in the Lord’s army this morning. Maybe you’ve been in that army, but you’ve been cowardly. You sat on the sidelines while others fought. It’s not too late. It’s not too late to enter the fray. Will you stand up this morning and fight? Would you become a child of God? Would you become a better child of God this morning if we can help you in any spiritual way? Stand up and come as we stand and as we sing.