Avoid Sabotage by Being Sober Minded

Nehemiah’s example teaches us how to avoid sabotage by being sober-minded.

In Matthew 10:16 our Lord warned his disciples, “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” In this passage, Nehemiah stands before us as a vivid example of what it looks like to be wise as serpents while remaining innocent as doves.

Throughout this series, Nehemiah has been a consistent model for us. We have watched him stand firm in the face of opposition. With God’s help, he has shown us what self-sacrificing leadership looks like in pursuit of the mission God gave him. He left his prestigious position as cupbearer in the Persian court, traveled to Jerusalem, and rallied God’s people to rebuild the wall. When Sanballat and Tobiah stirred up a military threat, Nehemiah led the people to strap swords to their sides and keep working. In the previous sermon from Nehemiah 5, we saw how the fear of God became a sword against sin, a shield against compromise, and fuel for sacrifice. That same fear of God remains Nehemiah’s shield here. Or to say it another way, the fear of God puts steel in our spine so we can stand firm against our enemies instead of being cowed or tricked by them.

In Nehemiah 6, the enemies of God are looking for another way to stop the work, which verse 1 tells us is now going well. They have already tried an ambush; that is why the builders are working with swords strapped to their sides. The opportunity for a surprise attack has passed. So now they turn to more subtle tactics. In this chapter they launch three different attacks.

1. Dishonest diplomacy. They invite Nehemiah to come out and meet them. But Nehemiah sees through their plot and refuses, even though they persist.
2. Threats and slander. They claim, “It is reported among the nations, and Gashmu also says it, that you and the Jews intend to rebel. That is why you are building the wall. According to these reports, you wish to become their king” (6:6). They urge him to come negotiate so they will not send the letter to the Persian king. Nehemiah refuses the bait: “No such things as you say have been done, for you are inventing them out of your own mind” (6:8).
3. Attempt to discredit. Growing desperate, they bribe prophets to frighten Nehemiah into running away and hiding in the temple. If they can make him look like a coward, he will lose the confidence of the people. But Nehemiah sees through this scheme as well. He would rather die than be a coward or compromise his obedience to God.

The main thing happening in this text is that Nehemiah is attacked and responds with shrewd, serpent-like wisdom. We are meant to learn from his godly example. Nehemiah’s shrewdness is simply this: he refuses to negotiate with those who want to destroy the work of God. He has the spine to stand firm because he fears God rather than man.

All three attacks are attempts to sabotage Nehemiah’s good work by exploiting his good character. They are the political and emotional equivalent of terrorist tactics. Terrorists hide among civilians—schools, hospitals, women and children—hoping the goodness of their enemy will restrain him from striking. Nehemiah’s enemies do the same. With false diplomacy they try to hijack his desire for peace. With threats of slander they attack his desire for a good reputation and justice. With bribed prophets they seek to exploit his trust in God and God’s messengers. In other words, this text is about how to avoid sabotage. And the God-given antidote Nehemiah embodies is sober-mindedness.

Perhaps you are thinking, “I understand why politicians need to avoid sabotage, but why should I care?” Joe Rigney’s excellent book Emotional Sabotage (which I commend to all of you) explains why this matters for every one of us. Its subtitle says it well: “Resisting the anxiety that will wreck your family, destroy your church, and ruin the world.”

Rigney shows that when a society rejects the God-given order of authority—husbands over wives, parents over children, teachers over students, magistrates over citizens, older over younger—fear, disquiet, and anxiety rush in to fill the vacuum. God did not design us to be our own final authority. He designed us to live under his authority in structured relationships. When that structure is dismantled, egalitarian anxiety reigns. Sabotage becomes an especially effective tool because it undermines leadership without a direct assault.

We all face sabotage in nearly every sphere of life. A wife may be tempted toward dishonest diplomacy to get her husband to change his mind. Children may resort to threats and slander when parents will not give them their way. Co-workers may try to discredit us. Because our culture and our own sin nature resist authority, anyone who bears responsibility in any sphere needs to know how to avoid sabotage.

Some imagine that resisting manipulation requires special relational techniques or secret knowledge. This passage shows us something far simpler. Avoiding sabotage is as simple as staying sober-minded. If your soul is firmly anchored in the fear of God, the winds and waves of demands, sabotage, and manipulation may blow against you, but they will not move you.

The opposite of sober-mindedness is to be drunk—inebriated and intoxicated by the feelings and urgency of the moment, under the influence of others rather than in control of your own faculties. I love Rigney’s definition: clarity of mind, steadiness of soul, readiness to act.

Being sober-minded means you see clearly; your vision is not clouded. It means you are firmly rooted; you are not blown about by your own feelings or the feelings of others. This sober-mindedness grows in part through experience and maturity. A battle-hardened general, a seasoned first responder, or an experienced ER doctor grows calmer under pressure. That is why Titus 2:2 especially calls older men to be sober-minded. But ultimately, biblical sober-mindedness needs an anchor deeper than experience. The clarity and steadiness it requires come from an unshakable hope and fear of God.

Remember Jesus’ parable. The man who builds his house on sand loses everything when the rains fall and the floods come. The man who builds on the rock stands firm. That is true of eternal faith: anything other than Christ will be swept away on the day of judgment. But it is also true on a smaller scale. Anchor your soul anywhere but in Christ and the storms of life will toss you. God wants us to grow up into maturity in Christ. Jesus is the great dragon-slayer, and he calls us to imitate him and persevere in the face of evil—including the kind of sabotage used against Nehemiah.

This sermon from Nehemiah 6 is about how to avoid sabotage. We will learn from Nehemiah’s example how to do so by fearing God and therefore being sober-minded. We will look at each of the three attacks and Nehemiah’s responses.

1. Dishonest diplomacy
2. Threat of slander
3. Attempt to discredit

Dishonest Diplomacy: “Come and let us meet together”

The Attack

First, we see their attempt at dishonest diplomacy in verses 1–4. Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem hear that the wall has been rebuilt with remarkable speed despite all their scheming. A direct military assault failed, so now they try sabotage. “Come, let us meet together at Hakkephirim in the plain of Ono,” they say (v. 2). Nehemiah immediately recognizes that they intend to do him harm. Their plan appears to be to lure him out and assassinate him.

Pay attention to the method. They are trying to exploit Nehemiah’s genuine desire to live at peace and be a reasonable leader who engages his neighbors. They pretend to be reasonable rulers seeking peaceful cooperation. They hide behind a false desire for peace in order to leverage Nehemiah’s true desire for peace against him. When he refuses the first time, they send the same invitation four more times, turning up the pressure. Each refusal requires Nehemiah to stay clear that these men are still his enemies, not victims of a misunderstanding. He must remain steady enough to keep the people’s support even though many of them would love to reach an agreement that would end the hostility.

The strategy is to use a “cooperative” crowbar to pry him away from the city long enough to harm him—weaponizing his virtuous desire for peace.

Nehemiah’s Response

This attack can only work against a good man. Nehemiah does not want to be a bad neighbor. Yet he is also sober-minded. He is not driven by the need to appear collaborative or to stay in the good graces of men who hate his mission. He knows the difference between friends and enemies. Time has not clouded his judgment about their goal. They are dead set against God’s work of restoring his people to the land.

Because he is not pretending everyone is on his side, Nehemiah can respond shrewdly: “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down” (v. 3). He says the same thing to four more messages. Notice that he does not apologize for the work. He does not soften the blow or pretend the wall is unimportant. He openly acknowledges the project and declares that it is too important to set aside. He does not try to smooth over their disagreement or act as though they share the same goals. He tells them plainly that he will not change course.

This is crucial if we are not to be sabotaged. We must know who our enemies are and refuse to act as though we trust them. We cannot pretend that everyone is ultimately on our side or that they would agree with us if only they understood. Had Nehemiah done the “nice” thing and cooperated, he would have ended up bleeding out in the plain of Ono. Instead, he is shrewd enough to know his enemies and strong enough to stand firm despite repeated pressure.

Two lessons emerge from Nehemiah’s response. First, do not lose track of who your enemies are. Do not let time convince you that their opposition was merely a misunderstanding. Second, do not fall prey to dishonest diplomacy. When you are committed to a non-negotiable work, it is not virtuous to “compromise” or “cooperate” with those who oppose that work.

In Your Life

How do we avoid dishonest diplomacy? First, we must see it for what it is. Constant calls for cooperation from those who do not actually want to cooperate are at best a distraction from the mission. If you are clear about what God has called you to do, do not let others pull you off task. Nehemiah’s basic response is to say, “I am doing too much important work to stop and chat.” That requires both clarity about your calling and the courage to say no.

False diplomacy usually comes repeatedly, especially if you agree to the first meeting. The tactic is to use your good desire to be reasonable, cooperative, and not standoffish against you—pulling you away from important work and using meetings to hinder you. So when you sense you are being pressured into meetings with people who do not share your goals, think twice before you take the meeting.

We need not limit this to mortal enemies. Sometimes family members, friends, or loved ones become momentary adversaries on a particular issue. The principle remains: refuse to cooperate with manipulation that would cause you to set down the important work God has given you. Remain sober-minded, not nervous or steered by their demands.

Consider a few examples. At work, a coworker who does not have your best interest at heart may use repeated meetings to insert himself into a project and later sabotage it. A direct report unhappy with a decision may request meeting after meeting, hoping to wear you down. Children often do the same with parents, weaponizing their parents’ desire to be reasonable and keep communication open. In extended family, relatives uncomfortable with your commitment to biblical discipline may repeatedly ask to “talk about it” so they can pressure you with their concerns.

What does it look like to follow Nehemiah’s example?

1. Be resolved not to set down your mission simply because it makes others uncomfortable. Their agitation should not dissuade you from the good work God has prepared for you.
2. Do not give in to dishonest diplomatic demands. Do not take the meeting.
3. Do not pretend there is no disagreement. Acknowledge the difference kindly but clearly, and make plain that you will not abandon your mission.
4. Expect repeated requests, and respond with consistency every time.

None of this requires special technique or secret knowledge—only sober-mindedness. Be clear about your mission. Be clear about whether the person asking for cooperation actually wants that mission to succeed. Be steady. Do not be steered by their disappointment. Keep on with the mission.

Threat of Slander: “You wish to become their king”

The Attack

When Nehemiah refuses their invitations, they escalate by threatening to slander him. In verse 5 they send an open letter that says,

It is reported among the nations, and Gashmu also says it, that you and the Jews intend to rebel. That is why you are building the wall. According to these reports, you wish to become their king, and you have also set up prophets to proclaim concerning you in Jerusalem, “There is a king in Judah.” And now the king will hear of these reports, so come and let us take counsel together. (6:6–7)

There are two elements to this attack. First, they threaten to inform the Persian king that Nehemiah is planning rebellion. That would be disastrous. Nehemiah cares about his reputation with the king, and they weaponize that legitimate concern to tempt him to abandon God’s mission in order to protect his name. Second, they send the letter openly rather than privately. Everyone in Jerusalem hears the threat. Their goal, as verse 9 makes clear, is to frighten the people so they will stop building. It creates a leadership crisis for Nehemiah at the very moment he most needs the people’s commitment. They are saying, in effect, “We are going to tell the king you want to be king. He will not like that. Come down so we can sort out this ‘misunderstanding.’” By frightening both Nehemiah and the people, they hope the work will be abandoned. The open letter also tries to take the decision out of Nehemiah’s hands, hoping the people will panic and quit regardless of his leadership. In all of it they are weaponizing his desire for a good reputation and for peace among his men.

Nehemiah’s Response

Nehemiah fights their lies like a true soldier of the King of kings—he fights with truth. He replies, “No such things as you say have been done, for you are inventing them out of your own mind” (v. 8). In other words, “We both know you are making this up, and I am not changing course because of your lies.” He remains crystal clear: he will not set down the good work God has given him for anything. He does not let them off the hook by asking who started the rumor or debating its details. He names the lie and refuses to adjust his life to accommodate it.

This requires sober-mindedness, especially as the leader of people who now know they may face royal consequences for continuing. The temptation would have been to pause the work until things cooled off, or to take a large armed escort and go negotiate. But Nehemiah stays clear-headed. He is not driven or steered by their threats. He holds his course.

In Your Life

He does not wring his hands in worry because someone is preparing to lie about him. Instead he trusts God and refuses to be cowed. The main goal of threatening slander is to get under your skin and make you anxious. If you let it, they win.

We must take Jesus at his word when he says we should rejoice when we are reviled. Many Christians crave a good reputation with the unbelieving world so intensely that they are willing to soften their convictions or change course, hoping to avoid being seen as intolerant. What they miss is that being “respectable” to your enemy usually means convincing him that you are not actually his enemy. That is a lie. Light has no fellowship with darkness. When darkness lies and slanders, we cannot live by its lies. Our Lord is the way, the truth, and the life. Following him means we cannot ignore truth simply to improve our reputation with those who hate the truth.

It is also a losing strategy. When keeping a good reputation with your enemies becomes non-negotiable, you are fighting to control something that is not in your control. We cannot dictate what others say or do. We must trust God with what we cannot control and live with righteousness and integrity before him. When darkness finds the light painful, we should not be surprised.

Your enemies will take your good desire to be thought well of and twist it against you. They will construe your actions in the worst possible light and purposely misunderstand you. This kind of slander appears in many forms. A feminized culture tells ambitious young men that their ambition is really pride or greed, twisting a good desire to take dominion. Someone may say to a wife, “It sounds like you’re just being a pushover,” misconstruing her desire to be thoughtful as incompatible with biblical submission. An extended family member might say in front of everyone, “It’s because you just don’t care about me,” weaponizing your desire for loving relationship. A coworker might claim you are a domineering boss. In each case, a good desire for a good name is twisted into motivation for compromise.

What does it look like to follow Nehemiah when threatened with slander?

1. Trust the God of truth. The worst outcome is that the truth comes out before God’s throne and you are vindicated there.
2. Do not live by lies. Do not change your behavior or decisions to accommodate slander.
3. Tell the person trying to manipulate you that you see what they are doing. Expose the lie.
4. Make sure everyone on your side understands the slander is false, encourage them to continue the mission, and pray that God would strengthen their hands.

Attempt to Discredit: “They are coming to kill you by night”

The Attack

One of the things I most admire about Nehemiah is that his enemies realize they cannot make him compromise his devotion to God, so they try to turn his fear of God against him. Be the kind of man or woman whose enemies, when they decide to take you down, try to weaponize your own faith against you.

Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem do this by bribing prophets—using money, power, influence, and perhaps threats of violence to control someone Nehemiah trusts. When they cannot get leverage directly, they go through someone close to him. It is the strategy every child knows: when Dad says no, go to Mom and make her feel so sorry for you that she convinces Dad to give in.

Their goal is to discredit Nehemiah. The false prophet urges him to run and hide in the temple, which would make him look like a coward and cause him to disobey God’s law about who may enter the temple. If Nehemiah had listened, he would have lost the respect of his men. Who wants to follow a leader who runs away? He would have lost moral authority as well. Who can lead God’s people while violating the rules of God’s house? Having already tried to undermine him with an open letter that frightened the people, they now seek to undermine his character. If they can show publicly that he is not the man he appears to be, the people will stop following him. This is the most dangerous attack; success would have crippled his leadership permanently.

Nehemiah’s Response

Yet Nehemiah sees through the trap again. The prophet’s message sounds initially plausible—“They are coming to kill you by night”—but his instructions are not those of a true prophet. He tells Nehemiah to run and hide in the temple, something forbidden. It appears he is urging Nehemiah to go all the way into the holy place and shut the door.

There is no clever technique that saves Nehemiah. It is his fear of God that delivers him. He would rather die than be a coward or disown God. He answers in verse 11, “Should such a man as I run away? And should such a man as I go into the temple and live? I will not go in.” He understands that his role as leader does not permit him to flee trouble, and that he must follow God even when it is costly. In verse 13 he sees the whole scheme: they want to make him afraid so he will sin and they can give him a bad name, taunt him, and undermine his leadership. But he will not be taunted. He refuses to act in a way that would give them legitimate grounds for accusation. Instead he prays, asking God to remember his enemies who tried to make him afraid and sin. He does not take vengeance himself; he trusts God to deal with them.

In Your Life

This attempt to discredit is often what is happening when others try to provoke you to sin. Especially when someone hierarchically “lower” provokes an authority figure, the goal is often to strip away moral authority. A child may provoke a father to anger, knowing the father cannot consistently discipline while he himself is out of control. A wife may try to provoke her husband to sin so he lacks the authority to address her own sin. An employee may try to trap a boss publicly so the boss is stuck with a decision he never intended.

As with the other attacks, there is no special technique required. Nehemiah emerges unscathed because he is a man of untainted character. He does not take the bait. Of course he did not want to die by assassination, but he feared being a coward or disowning God even more. The fear of God was his shield against compromise, and it can be ours as well.

When we fear God more than we fear the bad consequences men can bring, we become unsabotageable, unsteerable, and unmanipulatable. The fear of God says, “I will follow Jesus come what may. I will walk by the light of his commands. I will not turn from this straight and narrow path for anyone or anything.”

Every attempt at sabotage ultimately tries to disorder your heart. It takes some good desire—for a good name, for cooperation, for peace—and pits it against your fear of God, your obedience, and your allegiance to him. That is why the glorious, God-given antidote is the sober-mindedness that flows from fearing God.

Sober-Mindedness

Learn with me from Nehemiah’s example to be sober-minded in the midst of sabotage. Do not be fooled by dishonest diplomacy, threats of slander, or attempts to discredit you. Fear God and walk in his ways. Fear him so deeply that you would rather die than disown him. Then the fear of God will be your anchor, giving you steadiness of soul and true sober-mindedness.

Amen.

Heavenly Father, you are without parts or passions and therefore always perfectly sober-minded. You are never drawn aside by feelings or tricked by enemies. We praise you for it. Please help us to imitate you in this as far as is appropriate and possible for us as your finite creatures. Make us sober-minded. Amen.