Nehemiah 4:17
They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon. They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon.
The verse belongs to the rebuilding of Jerusalem's wall amid opposition from nearby leaders, Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem, who tried to thwart the plans and hinder the work. The builders, the burden-bearers, and those carrying or loading materials each worked with one hand and held a weapon in the other, combining labor with readiness to defend themselves. They carried on in this way while working under threat, danger, and possible attack.
For builders of Christ's church and temple, working with one hand and holding a weapon with the other means building up true converts while tearing down false foundations and the enemy's strongholds through God's power. It is done while contending with bigotry, prejudice, violence, hindrance, and persecution. The verse illustrates how the apostles and other workers built the church amid the opposition, hatred, and persecution of its enemies, pressing on despite the threat of imprisonment, torture, and death.
Even when noble builders fall at their work by the hand of the enemy, as Stephen, James, Paul, Peter, and John did, stone after stone is still added. The church increases in the midst of terrible persecution, and new workers on the wall take the place of the fallen. Work for Christ's kingdom faces continual opposition and difficulty, so workers must keep building and defending the truth rather than give up when discouraged. God's workers must not give way to unbelief, for this difficult work of advancing Christ's kingdom involves sharing in Christ's sufferings.