Nehemiah 13:7
“And I came to Jerusalem, and understood of the evil that Eliashib did for Tobiah, in preparing him a chamber in the courts of the house of God.”
Nehemiah faced many obstacles in rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem, but one would never think that the greatest enemy he faced was his own people. After the wall was rebuilt, Nehemiah left Jerusalem to report to the king what all was completed. While he was gone, the people built Tobiah a chamber in which to live in the house of God.
Tobiah was one of the greatest enemies who did everything in his power to stop the rebuilding of the walls. This was totally ludicrous for him to even be allowed in the city, much less the house of God. Yet, when Nehemiah saw what was done, he cast him out of the house of God and rebuked the people.
Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Ghost. 1 Corinthians 6:19 says, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” If you are saved, you don’t have a right to do whatever you want with your body because it is the abode of the Holy Ghost. Yet, like the people in the verse above, many Christians have prepared chambers in their heart for the enemy. Let me show you some of the areas where we have prepared chambers for the enemy.
First, we prepare chambers for the enemy when we listen to criticism. Tobiah was a critic of LORD’s work. Do you listen to the critics of the LORD’s work? There are some things you should never listen to and one of those things is criticism. Criticism plants a seed of doubt and destroys the work of faith. You must completely avoid those things that would sow doubt in your faith through criticism. Critics always have great stories and excuses for their criticism, but don’t let their criticism build a chamber for the enemy.
Second, we prepare chambers for the enemy when we associate with questionable people. Tobiah was an enemy of the LORD, yet the people of God were associating themselves with him. Friend, if you don’t want to build chambers for the enemy, then you must avoid associations with those who would destroy your faith in God. I have watched many good people leave the faith because of their associations with wrong people. Always be careful with whom you associate. You will be affected by them, and one wrong association is all it takes to build a chamber for the enemy.
Third, we prepare chambers for the enemy when we question our separatist positions. The people apparently had questioned Nehemiah’s standard of separation when they allowed Tobiah to have a chamber in which to live in the house of God. There are many people who struggle with separation from the world and separation from those whose position in scripturally wrong. Separation is a guard to keep you from building chambers for the enemy. You may not always like the standards of separation God has commanded in the Scriptures, but they are there to protect you from allowing the enemy to influence you away from God.
Are you building chambers for the enemy? Have you allowed these three things in your life? Friend, always take heed to yourself that you don’t allow chambers for the enemy to be built in your heart. If you see a chamber of the enemy in your heart, then immediately remove it so that its influence will not lure your away from obedience to God.