If God’s presence in Esther is more palpable for His not being mentioned by name, so is Satan’s presence in Ezra and Nehemiah. We never see the overflowing ashtrays and half-drunk cups of coffee on his desk, as we did in his mischief with righteous Job (Job 1) and unrighteous Ahab (1 Kings 22).

After seventy years of exile in Persia (and, for all appearances, the death of the dream that was Israel), two Israelite leaders are spotted back in town to rebuild. It is the smallest of trickles, but as chilling a tiding for Satan as the sighting of Edmund in the land of Narnia for the White Witch.

Satan works by proxies. Israel has natural enemies in the Jerusalem area. With Satan, they see in Ezra and Nehemiah the writing on the wall of their ineluctable demise. They start with oily kindness (Ezra 4:1ff), spurious offers to help (Nehemiah 6:11), devious appeals for dialogue (Nehemiah 6:4). They shift tactics to discouragement, and undermining counselors, varying this with intimidation (5:3,4). They pen poisoned letters to King Artaxerses (4:11ff), and then King Darius (5:6). Bandits line the roads from Persia. Still the rebuilding goes on.

Vexed at the ineptness of Israel’s foes, Satan unsheathes a tried-and-true strategy — Jew against Jew. Resettled Israelites are committing usury against fellow Israelites (Nehemiah 5). Tobias the Ammonite, unable to destroy Israel by force, worms his way in by intermarriage and friendship (Nehemiah 13).

In all of this, Israel prevails, seeking hard after God, building the walls with trowel in one hand and sword in the other.

If you are pretty much sitting out the dance as a Christian, Satan may be leaving you alone with his polymorphous onslaughts. But if you are involved in God’s kingdom building, be expecting trouble. The taunts of your next door neighbor and the acting up of your arthritis may be more than meets the eye.