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. . . Eliashib the priest, who had been appointed as supervisor of the storerooms of the Temple of our God and who was also a relative of Tobiah, had converted a large storage room and placed it at Tobiah’s disposal. —Nehemiah 13:4-5
How quickly the enemy tries to sneak back into areas we have removed him from in the past! In the first chapters of Nehemiah, we see a man named Tobiah causing Nehemiah great problems. Nehemiah defeated him, yet sometime later we find Tobiah living in the temple where the tithes and offerings were kept! We should never lose our vigilance in fighting the devil. If we relax after a victory, he will try to sneak in the back door and continue his wickedness. Peter instructed us to be on guard against the devil because “he prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Any house left vacant gradually falls into ruin. When Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem, he found that the tithes had not been paid, and the duties of the priesthood had been neglected. In addition, the people had failed to keep the Sabbath and had even intermarried with the heathen (Nehemiah 13:9-25). Because Satan always returns to a house that is unoccupied even though cleansed (Matthew 12:44), we must guard our souls against his counterattacks. He is like a crocodile stalking its prey, probing for an opportunity to attack and waiting for the relaxation of vigilance. Let’s stand our ground and watch carefully, throwing him out at the slightest sign of reentry!
Suggested Reading:
Nehemiah 12:27-13:31
1 Corinthians 11:1-16
Psalm 35:1-16
Proverbs 21:17-18