Avoiding Distractions, Handling Opposers & Staying Faithful to Your God-Given Assignment.
Every believer born of God has an assignment. Whether it looks big or small in the eyes of men, in the eyes of God it is a GREAT WORK because it carries eternal weight. Nehemiah was not a prophet, apostle, or king—he was simply a man carrying a burden from God. Yet when he said, “I am doing a great work, and I cannot come down,” heaven stamped that statement as truth.
Your assignment is great not because of its size but because of its source.
And just like Nehemiah, the moment you rise to build, forces will rise to distract, discourage, mock, entice, threaten, or manipulate you away from the work.
This blog shows you how to stay unmoved, how to discern satanic strategies, and how to handle those who want to pull you down—while keeping your hands on your divine task.
1. YOUR FIRST SHIELD: A CLEAR SENSE OF CALLING
Distraction becomes powerful only when calling becomes blurry.
Nehemiah knew EXACTLY why he was in Jerusalem:
He was not there to make friends. He was not there for politics. He was not there to prove anything. He was there to build.
Child of God, when your heart is FULL of what God told you, it becomes IMPOSSIBLE for men to drag you down.
Internal clarity neutralises external noise.
This is why satan attacks your conviction before he attacks your assignment.
2. RECOGNISE DISTRACTION FOR WHAT IT REALLY IS
Sanballat and Tobiah were not asking Nehemiah to come to the valley of Ono for a prayer meeting, a discussion, or a friendly chat.
Their goal was simple:
If we cannot stop the work, let us stop the man doing the work.
Many “invitations,” “questions,” “meetings,” and “opportunities” are nothing but strategic detours designed to drain your time, your passion, and your focus.
If satan can’t destroy you, he will distract you.
If he can’t pull you into sin, he will pull you into busyness.
If he can’t stop your hands, he will occupy your heart.
3. THE POWER OF A DESTINY RESPONSE
Nehemiah gave one of the greatest responses ever recorded in Scripture:
“I am doing a great work, and I cannot come down.” (Nehemiah 6:3)
Notice he didn’t beg.
He didn’t negotiate.
He didn’t explain himself.
He didn’t attend the meeting “to be polite.”
He didn’t consider how they will feel.
He simply DECLARED HIS PRIORITY.
You must learn the spiritual discipline of holy refusal.
Some conversations are traps.
Some relationships are drains.
Some invitations are ambushes.
Some “peace talks” are subtle attacks.
Your destiny will suffer if you don’t learn how to say NO with boldness and clarity.
4. DISCERN THE SPIRIT BEHIND THE PERSON
Not everyone who calls you “Brother,” “Sister,” or “Friend” is interested in your progress.
Some are threatened by your rising.
Some are intimidated by your speed.
Some feel irrelevant because of your obedience to God.
Some want you to slow down so their laziness will not be exposed.
Nehemiah discerned that the real enemy was not the people—it was the spirit PRERATING through them.
You must learn:
to see beyond faces, to hear beyond words, and to perceive beyond actions.
Spiritual intelligence is critical for destiny safety.
5. GUARD YOUR EMOTIONS — THEY ARE ENTRY POINTS FOR DISTRACTIONS
Sanballat and Tobiah tried multiple emotional tactics:
Mockery (“What are these feeble Jews doing?”) Fear (“They will come to attack you.”) False prophecy False accusations Repeated pressure
Emotional reactions are how satan pulls people off divine assignments:
Discouragement.
Offence.
Insecurity.
Anger.
Exhaustion.
People-pleasing.
Intimidation.
When your emotions are unsettled, your focus becomes scattered.
Nehemiah answered their emotional warfare with spiritual stability:
“I set a watch… and we prayed to our God.”
Keep your spirit strong.
Keep your emotions submitted.
Keep your heart quiet before God.
6. UNDERSTAND THAT DISTRACTION IS A STRATEGY TO DELAY COMPLETION
The devil doesn’t mind you starting.
What he fears is you finishing.
Many destinies die at:
40% progress 70% progress 90% progress
Why?
Because distraction increases as completion approaches.
The wall was almost finished when attacks intensified.
This is why you must become MORE watchful as you become MORE fruitful.
Birth is always hardest at the end of the pregnancy.
7. NEHEMIAH’S THREE WEAPONS FOR STAYING FOCUSED
Weapon 1: Prayer
“Nevertheless we made our prayer unto God…”
Prayer keeps your spirit sharp so you can detect satanic manipulation before it lands.
Weapon 2: Watchfulness
Nehemiah stationed men to guard the work even as others built.
Your assignment must be protected intentionally.
Weapon 3: Strategic Silence
Not every battle deserves public explanation.
Not every accusation needs an answer.
Not every critic deserves attention.
Some things are best ignored for the sake of focus.
8. HOW TO HANDLE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO BRING YOU DOWN
1. Don’t descend to their level
Your destiny is too high to fight low battles.
Nehemiah did not argue; he kept building.
2. Don’t defend yourself—let God defend you
Attempts to vindicate yourself will slow down your work.
Continue building; God will expose every Sanballat.
3. Don’t give them emotional access
You decide who has the right to influence your heart.
LIMIT ACCESS.
GUARD BOUNDARIES.
4. Don’t allow discouragement to settle
Speak to your own soul.
Encourage yourself in the Lord.
Refuse to allow opposition to become internal.
5. Don’t work alone — build a faithful team
Even Nehemiah had men standing with him.
Destiny is never a solo journey.
9. YOUR FOCUS IS YOUR FORTRESS
When your eyes are on the assignment:
your ears will ignore noise, your heart will ignore offence, your feet will stay on track, your hands will not drop, and your spirit will remain strong.
The devil doesn’t fear your prayers as much as your obedience.
He doesn’t fear your singing as much as your consistency.
He doesn’t fear your gifting as much as your perseverance.
Stay focused. Stay steadfast. Stay building.
CLOSING PRAYER
Father, in the name of Jesus, I receive fresh grace to stay focused on my assignment.
Deliver me from every distraction, every manipulator, every discourager, and every destiny trap.
Strengthen my hands for the work.
Establish my heart in your will.
And keep me building until the testimony is complete.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
The Message Bearer, Cornelius Bella
corneliusbella 