The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion.--Proverbs 28:1

 

If the devil can’t discourage and defeat you by slander or false accusations, he’ll try to bring you down by tempting you to commit outright sin. And it takes incredible, God-given discernment to avoid Satan’s traps.

 

That’s the situation Nehemiah faced in verses 10-14 of chapter 6. The plot against him was very clever. A false prophet said to Nehemiah, “God told me that your enemies are coming to kill you. Quick! Run and hide in the temple.”

 

But Nehemiah was a discerning man. He knew God had not sent this so-called prophet. Nehemiah also knew if he listened to this man and hid in the inner recesses of the temple, that act would break the commandment of God and expose Nehemiah to all the people as a sinner.

 

So Nehemiah replied, “Should such a man as I run away?” (Nehemiah 6:11). It was a statement of holy boldness, not one of human braggadocio. Sometimes God’s people are gullible and respond to any so-called message from Him. But Nehemiah knew the Word of God, so he could spot a sin when he saw one. Consequently, he wasn’t fooled.

 

The same applies in your life today. Knowing God’s Word gives you incredible discernment. So don’t go to bed tonight without spending time in your Bible today!

 

knowing god’s word will help you avoid the traps of satan.