1. Our God will fight for us! (15-20)

The enemies' plot was thwarted by God, and all the people returned to the work of rebuilding the city walls. But this time, they remained armed with a tool in one hand and a weapon in another, ready for an attack. They sized up their situation, knew they were spread thin, and came up with a system to alert everyone to rally together to fight. Most importantly, they relied on God to fight the battle for them. Making a vessel of prayer and having a fighting spirit changed them from a disorganized, defeated motley crew into a spiritual army prepared to do the work and to fight back at any moment. We need this same spirit to do the gospel work and to fight Satan's attacks.

2. Alert day and night (21-23)

They urgently rebuilt the city walls from the breaking of the dawn until the stars came out, meaning they worked a double shift. The men sacrificed their families to stay inside the city to serve as the national guard. Nehemiah and his men set the example by never taking a break. When the battle is on, there are no bystanders.