The first thing a country will do is assess the weakness of another. When God is honored in a society and has been historically, the disheartened enemy knows it does not have a chance against such strength.

Nehemiah 6:15-16

So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in fifty-two days.
And it happened, when all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations around us saw these things, that they were very disheartened in their own eyes; for they perceived that this work was done by our God.

Bible Gateway Link: Nehemiah 6:15-16 (NKJV)