“When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites. But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. “What is this you are doing?” they asked. “Are you rebelling against the king?”
Nehemiah 4:1-3,7: “When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, "What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble-burned as they are?" Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, "What they are building-even a fox climbing up on it would break down their wall of stones! But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the people of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem's walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry.”
Nehemiah 6:1-8 “When word came to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left in it—though up to that time I had not set the doors in the gates— Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: “Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono. ”But they were scheming to harm me; so I sent messengers to them with this reply: “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?” Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer. Then, the fifth time, Sanballat sent his aide to me with the same message, and in his hand was an unsealed letter in which was written: “It is reported among the nations—and Geshem says it is true—that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt, and therefore you are building the wall. Moreover, according to these reports you are about to become their king and have even appointed prophets to make this proclamation about you in Jerusalem: ‘There is a king in Judah!’ Now this report will get back to the king; so come, let us meet together.” I sent him this reply: “Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head.”
The spirit of Sanballat and Tobiah is the spirit of cancer that kills and therefore must be quickly recognized and dealt with else it ends your vision, passion, mission for life or ministry. This spirit operates at the level of families, friendships, workplaces, communities, and the church.
Characteristics:
Knows how to get information: Beware of who you talk about your life or ministry.
An enemy: Recognize and treat as such
Mocks and ridicules: Don’t give in
Operates out of anger and jealousy: Take note and avoid
Works in collaboration: Be wise and vigilant
Never stops until it fulfills its purpose: Never stop praying and resisting
Knows how to create and spread false narrative: Focus on God
Operates in malice, deceit or hypocrisy, slander and envy: Recognize and run away
Intimidates and create fear: You have not been given the spirt of fear.
Colossians 2:6-8 “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.”
Pray that we will be rooted in the Lord so that any form of false narratives of the enemy will never persuade or move us.
1 Peter 2 2-3 “So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.”
Pray that the Lord will help you put away any form of malice, deceit or hypocrisy, slander, envy that may attack the spirit of Sanballat and Tobiah over you.
2 Corinthians 13:5 “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? —unless indeed you fail to meet the test!”
Pray for the grace of diligently examining ourselves so that we may recognize when we may be falling away from the faith in Christ Jesus
2 Timothy 1:7 “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” Isaiah 41:10 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Pray that the Spirit of God will overwhelm you and take away any spirt that has intimidated you
Titus 2:11-12 “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age.”
Arise church and let us renounce all these forms of spirit in the church, families, workplace.
Hebrews 12:2 “Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Ask the Lord for the grace to look up to Jesus no matter what. He is the only One that matters in life.
1 Kings 18:24 “And you call upon the name of your god, and I will call upon the name of the Lord, and the God who answers by fire, he is God.” And all the people answered, “It is well spoken.”
Isaiah 66:15 “For behold, the Lord will come in fire, and his chariots like the whirlwind, to render his anger in fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.”
This spirit cannot stay in the church, home, workplace or ministry, we must call on God to answer us by fire and destroy this gangrene. Call on the fire of God to arise.
1 Samuel 2:1, 10 “Then Hannah prayed and said: My heart rejoices in the Lord; in the Lord my horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance. “The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; against them he will thunder in heaven. The Lord will judge the ends of the earth; he will give strength to his king and exalt the power of his anointed.”
This was Hannah’s prayer after the birth of her son Samuel, the enemy cannot stop what God has purposed. We must stand our ground and on the word of God. Pray that your horn will be lifted up and your mouth must boast over your enemies.
Pray that every adversary fighting the blessing of God in any aspect of your life and your ministry be broken into pieces and let the Lord thunder over them in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 5:8 “Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
Pray that the enemy will not devour any aspect of your life, ministry, finances, job, family, children etc.
Job 5:12 “He frustrates the devices of the crafty, so that their hands achieve no success.”
Arise and ask God to frustrate every evil plan of the devil over every aspect of your life and ministry.
Luke 12:35 “Stay dressed for action[a] and keep your lamps burning, 36 and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks.”
Ask God for the grace to stay dressed up, being ready and vigilant so when the Lord knocks, you will know He is God and will not open the door for the enemy.
Thank God for hearing your cry.
Ennette Heaggans