Look out for the Enemy!

Ephesians 5:15 "See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,"

Paul is talking to the church at Ephesus and teaches them that they should walk in the newness of their saved lives. They are to put away the old man and be imitators of Christ. Christ is light and, like Him, we are to have no fellowship with darkness. Light shines in to every corner of a room and brings to the forefront that which is hidden. Darkness conceals and hides that which does not want to be seen. God calls us to a life lived fully in the light, with no hidden sin or dark secrets. All parts of us need to be brought into the light by Jesus and they need to be dealt with at the cross. We are to have no fellowship with darkness.
In this verse, Paul tells us that if we want to avoid darkness and its evil minions, we must first of all "walk circumspectly." The Greek word is akribo and talks about being careful and diligent. The picture here is that of a sentry standing guard on the walls of a city, ever diligent to watch for the enemy that might be sneaking up out of the darkness. To be circumspect, or to "look around," is to be on the constant lookout for anything that may entice us to allow darkness sneaking back into our lives. We are to live with the awareness that that there is an enemy out there who wants to destroy us by luring us back into the old life of deception and death.
Nehemiah was a great example for this kind of awareness. When he gave orders to rebuild the city of Jerusalem, he was fully aware of the dangers that the enemies of God presented to him and his people. In Nehemiah 4:8 we hear that "all of them conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion." And what did Nehemiah do? He could have stopped the work and worry about their safety or he could have ignored the threats and go on building the walls. He did neither. He perceived the threat for what it was: a real and present danger from real sworn enemies. He took the necessary precautions, but at the same time kept on doing God's work. He armed the workers and positioned them strategically around the city. He encouraged the workers and reminded them of the greatness of God. So from then on half the men worked and the other half stood guard, armed to the teeth. And what was the result of Nehemiah's presence of mind? God discouraged the enemies and brought their plans to nothing. They found a prepared people, ready to take on the enemy, and they didn't even try to attack.
God wants us to have the same mindset as Nehemiah when it comes to facing the threats from our enemies. We need to be ready for them, prepared to do battle, yet continuing with the works that God has called us to. To stand watch and walk circumspectly is wisdom, to neglect the enemy is foolishness. To think that there is no enemy that is willing to destroy us is utter folly and will make us easy prey for that lion that is going to and fro upon the earth, seeking whom He may destroy. We have already won the victory over death in Christ, but we have to still be wise when it comes to the strategies of the adversary of God, lest he render our efforts useless for the kingdom.

Application
I want to have the awareness and wisdom of Nehemiah when it comes to dealing with those that want to destroy my witness for Christ. Today I will read again the story of Nehemiah and pray that God grant me the wisdom to learn the lessons of Nehemiah.