Guarding Against Confusion

Nehemiah 4: 7-8

When Sanballat, Tobiah, and the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard that the repair to the walls of Jerusalem was progressing and that the gaps were being closed, they became furious. They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and throw it into confusion.

Imagine what you could accomplish if you never had any resistance to your efforts. If you could start a project and just work on it without any interruptions, you could probably be much more productive and quite possibly much more stress free. Our progress in God’s kingdom is a threat to the enemy, as Nehemiah and the Israelites who rebuilt Jerusalem quickly learned. The neighboring tribes did not want the city to be rebuilt for fear it would flourish and diminish their territory and regional dominance. When efforts to discourage and intimidate the Israelites did not work, the neighboring enemies decided to take more direct efforts to fight the rebuilding process.

God is not the author of confusion. When He gives us a word or instruction to do something, He makes it very clear. He wants us to understand so we can be obedient, and He will bless our efforts. Confusion prevents you from moving forward. If the enemy can’t stop you with subtle means such as discouragement, doubt, fear, intimidation, or any other emotion that makes you feel insecure, he will directly attack your efforts by confusing the process.

We see this every day as we watch the news. When we continue to move forward, despite dire predictions for the future, or question things that are causing chaos to our economy, the media often attempts to redefine our frame of reference or redirect our attention. Lying, misinformation, disinformation, are all tools used to distract us from the truth and to cause confusion. The devil is known as the father of lies, and wherever he works, we can expect lies to be his trademark. Distinguishing the truth from the lie can be difficult, although quite often the lies are so blatant one must be completely asleep not to recognize it. A lie, however, cannot stand the full test of time. Sooner or later, the truth becomes obvious because it has the evidence to sustain it. Knowing the truth will also free us from the confusion of the lie.

Nehemiah did not allow confusion to stop the progress of the wall. He taught us how to fight confusion in verse 9 of this same chapter:

So we prayed to our God and stationed a guard because of them day and night.

The most effective defense against confusion is to keep talking to God and guard against the enemy. By bringing every thought captive and submitting it to the knowledge of Christ, we can keep the communication channel with God clear of confusion and continue in the work He has called us to do. We have the power to choose to listen to the enemy or to disregard him. Resist him, and he will flee. Engage with him and believe his lies, and he will gain victory over you by confusing you. If you are experiencing confusion in any area of your life, the enemy has introduced a lie to you. Begin to bring every thought captive and submit it to what you know to be true about Christ. Pray for clarity, and submit your matter to God. Keep praying and doing what you know is right to do. God will enable you to distinguish the truth from the lie, and you will be free to move forward.

Have a blessed day!