This Sunday in Nehemiah 7 we will study how Nehemiah plans to maintain the improvements made through the people working together and the blessing of God. We must be diligent to guard the ground which we gain in our walk with the Lord. As we develop healthy spiritual habits we need to be constantly on guard not to slip back into old unhealthy ones. We must live daily empowered by the Holy Spirit of God and not our strength.

Paul describes how we can maintain this diligence in Ephesians 6:10–19:

¹⁰ Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. ¹³ 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. ¹⁴ Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; ¹⁶ above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. ¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; ¹⁸ praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.

I pray God would grant us the strength to walk in this type of diligence day by day as we continue to keep and gain ground for the Gospel in our lives, our families, our city, our nation, and to the uttermost parts of the earth!