Thriving Spiritually Through Spiritual Warfare (Part 1)
Thriving Spiritually in a World of Opposition • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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The year is 536 B.C. Two years have passed since Cyrus, king of Persia, issued his monumental decree allowing the Jews to return to their homeland.
It was a fulfillment of a prophecy spoken decades earlier by the prophet Jeremiah—a miracle of God’s sovereignty unfolding in real time.
Listen to the opening lines of that decree:
2 “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. 3 Whoever is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israel—he is the God who is in Jerusalem.
After seventy years in Babylon, hope was finally being restored. Sacred vessels were returned.
Supplies were provided. The call went out: “Go back. Rebuild. Worship.” It should have been the beginning of something glorious.
But things didn’t go as expected.
As we turn to Daniel 10, we step into the final and most intense vision of Daniel’s prophetic ministry (Daniel 10–12). These three chapters form a unified revelation:
Chapter 10: The supernatural setting and spiritual warfare behind the scenes.
Chapter 11: Detailed prophecy of coming world powers.
Chapter 12: The final hope and resurrection of God’s people.
As the Moody Bible Commentary says, this section was “designed to give the faithful remnant of Israel hope and confidence during the times of the Gentiles.”
But it also gives us something just as valuable:
A holy unveiling—a rare look behind the curtain of history to show us what’s really happening in the unseen spiritual world.
And it’s just as real today.
Main Idea: Spiritual _Warfare_ is Real, But So is _God_!
Daniel 10 isn’t just ancient history—it’s a window into our reality.
The conflicts, discouragements, and spiritual burdens Daniel felt—we feel too.
But what he saw was this: God has not left us to fight alone.
If God is in control, why does life still feel like a battle?
Let’s look at Daniel 10 and see three truths that can anchor us when life feels like spiritual war.
The first is this: The Reality of the Conflict.
If God is in control, why does life still feel like a battle?
1. The Reality of the _Conflict_ (vs. 1-3)
1 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a word was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar. And the word was true, and it was a great conflict. And he understood the word and had understanding of the vision.
The timing here is crucial.
It’s the third year of Cyrus, which places us in 536 B.C. Daniel receives a vision described as true—but within that truth is a great conflict.
This verse serves as an introduction to chapters 10 through 12, where Daniel receives his final and most detailed prophetic revelation.
But before the vision is unpacked, we find Daniel in deep grief.
Look at verses 2–3:
2 In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks. 3 I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, for the full three weeks.
Daniel was in prolonged mourning and fasting. Why?
Post-Exile Disappointment
Two years had passed since Cyrus’ decree (Ezra 1:1–4) allowing the Jews to return and rebuild the temple. But by now:
Only about 50,000 had returned (Ezra 2:64–65), a small fraction of what had become hundreds of thousands of Jews in exile.
The temple rebuilding had stalled due to intense opposition (Ezra 4:4–5).
The majority had chosen comfort in Babylon over obedience in Jerusalem.
The promised land was no longer something they desired.
Daniel, a faithful prophet and intercessor, was deeply grieved:
That so few returned.
That the temple lay in ruins.
That God’s promises for Israel included more suffering yet to come.
Spiritual Burden and Prophetic Insight
Daniel had just received the vision of the Seventy Weeks (Daniel 9:24–27):
That the Messiah would be “cut off.”
That full restoration wouldn’t come quickly.
That suffering and desolation would precede the final redemption.
Daniel felt the weight of it all—his people’s sin, the delay of hope, and the cost of obedience. And so he fasted, wept, and prayed.
Daniel was a man of empathy—not detached, but deeply invested.
He bore the spiritual burdens of his people.
He felt their pain, shared their grief, and prayed with tears.
And that heart is a reflection of Jesus Christ, the Greater Daniel:
He saw your need.
He left heaven to meet your need.
He gave His life to rescue you from the wrath of God.
5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Daniel looked at the spiritual and national conflict around him—and it moved him to mourn and pray.
What do you see when you look at the world today?
Division?
Deception?
Decline?
Do you grieve over it?
Or have you grown numb to it?
Picture a missionary who spent 50 years serving a remote village—teaching, translating Scripture, planting a church.
Eventually, age forces him to leave. He hears reports: most of the younger generation has drifted. The church he helped plant is struggling. The Bibles he helped print are collecting dust.
He can’t go back. But he can pray. And so he does—fervently, daily, with tears.
That’s Daniel. Exiled for decades. Too old to return. But still burdened. Still interceding. Still fighting on his knees.
Let me ask: How does the chaos of this world affect your spirit?
Does it push you toward despair?
Nudge you into apathy?
Stir up cynicism?
Or move you to repentance and intercession?
Daniel shows us that spiritual maturity isn’t indifferent—it’s deeply moved, prayerful, and engaged.
Review:
The battle is real. The grief is valid. But so is our God.
We’ve seen the reality of the conflict. But now—take heart—God has not left us to fight alone.
That brings us to the second truth:
2. The Power of the Unseen _Warriors_ (vs. 4-9)
Daniel Meets a Heavenly Messenger
We’ve all encountered some strange people in our lives—but probably no one like the man Daniel saw standing on the banks of the Tigris.
Let’s pick it up in verses 4–5:
4 On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river (that is, the Tigris) 5 I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, a man clothed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist.
The “first month” refers to Nisan, which corresponds to March–April on our calendar.
Daniel is physically present at the Tigris River—this is not symbolic. The vision begins while he’s standing there, when he suddenly sees a radiant figure dressed in linen and gold.
(Show Map of the Tigris River)
The vision had not started yet, but it was about to.
In fact, look again at verse 5.
5 I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, a man clothed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist.
Daniels vision begins with a man, a finely dressed man.
Linen.
Gold belt.
Uphaz (Ophir) is most likely an ancient region known for fine gold, used here to emphasize the radiant majesty of the heavenly being Daniel sees.
But the question is, who is this man?
Who Is This Man?
The next verse gives a vivid description:
6 His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude.
This description has led many scholars to wonder: Is this the pre-incarnate Christ?
A Christophany? After all, this figure resembles the one John saw in Revelation 1.
12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, 15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. 17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last,
But when we look ahead to verse 13, we’ll see this figure was delayed by the prince of Persia and needed help from Michael.
That could not be true of Christ.
So while this being is overwhelming in majesty and glory, he is likely a high-ranking angel, perhaps Gabriel, as mentioned earlier in Daniel.
A Personal, Frighting Vision
Who was this vision for? Daniel!
7 And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision, but a great trembling fell upon them, and they fled to hide themselves.
Though only Daniel saw the vision, those with him felt the weight of it.
They didn’t need to see it to know something supernatural was happening—they were terrified and fled.
And Daniel? Look at verses 8–9:
8 So I was left alone and saw this great vision, and no strength was left in me. My radiant appearance was fearfully changed, and I retained no strength. 9 Then I heard the sound of his words, and as I heard the sound of his words, I fell on my face in deep sleep with my face to the ground.
I hope you can understand from the text that this was a very big deal event.
And you can also understand why some people see this frightening figure is Christ, because of the his holy and fearful presence.
Daniel said his “radiant appearance was fearfully changed.”
Look at how the NLT translates this verse.
8 So I was left there all alone to see this amazing vision. My strength left me, my face grew deathly pale, and I felt very weak. 9 Then I heard the man speak, and when I heard the sound of his voice, I fainted and lay there with my face to the ground.
This is a man who has faced lions, emperors, and angelic visions—and yet, at nearly 84 years old, he collapses in fear.
The power and presence of the unseen world overwhelmed him.
Friends, there is an unseen world around us.
God has warriors at His disposal.
We are not alone, but we are surrounded by a cloud of spiritual beings that are servants of the Most High God.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.
This is in reference to the Messiah…
You can’t see them, but they are there.
15 When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” 16 He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
And one day, because of Christs redemption, you will rule over them.
3 Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life!
Angels are not cute babies with wings.
They are God’s agents, created to serve His purposes and minister to His people.
They fight battles we cannot see. They guard us, guide us, and sometimes protect us from dangers we’ll only understand in eternity.
God doesn’t need angels—but in His sovereignty, He has chosen to work through them for our good and His glory.
Randy Alcorn, in his amazing book, Heaven had this insight about Angels…
The fact that angels have served us on Earth will make meeting them in Heaven particularly fascinating. They may have served us in ways we’ll learn about only after our deaths...
What will it be like to walk and talk with them on the New Earth? What stories will they tell us—including what really happened that day at the lake thirty-five years ago when we almost drowned?
They’ve guarded us, gone to fierce battle for us, served as God’s agents in answer to prayers. How great it will be to get to know these brilliant ancient creatures who’ve lived with God from their creation...(Heaven, 275).
If we truly believed that unseen warriors are around us—ministering on God’s behalf—how would it change the way we live?
Would we be bolder in prayer?
More confident in trial?
More faithful in spiritual disciplines?
Would we live as if we’re part of something much bigger than what we can see?
Because we are.
Review:
We’ve seen the reality of the conflict—and now the power of the unseen warriors.
This is not myth. This is not fantasy. This is the world Daniel saw—and the world we live in.
But here’s the best part: not only is God fighting for us through His angels, but He has already secured the outcome.
3. The Guarantee of God’s _Victory_ (vs. 10-14)
An Angelic Word of Encouragement
After collapsing under the weight of the vision, Daniel is touched and strengthened:
10 And behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. 11 And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly loved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for now I have been sent to you.” And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling. 12 Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words.
What encouragement! God had heard Daniel’s prayers from day one—even though the answer was delayed.
Spiritual Warfare is Real
Why the delay? Verse 13 makes it clear:
13 The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia,
This confirms the radiant figure is not Christ, but an angel—likely Gabriel—delayed by spiritual opposition.
Why is the “prince of Persia” not a human?
Spiritual Conflict, Not Political
A human Persian prince could not physically withstand a glorious angelic messenger (likely Gabriel).
The angel says he was delayed for 21 days by this “prince”—that implies supernatural resistance requiring angelic reinforcements.
Michael is Clearly an Angelic Being
Michael is called “one of the chief princes” here and “your prince” in Daniel 10:21.
Jude 9 calls him the archangel Michael.
Revelation 12:7 shows him fighting in heavenly warfare.
7 Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back,
So this context is about angelic conflict, not political diplomacy.
Mentions Other Spiritual Princes
20 Then he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? But now I will return to fight against the prince of Persia; and when I go out, behold, the prince of Greece will come.
This shows a pattern: each major Gentile empire (Persia, then Greece) has a spiritual prince behind it.
These are not national leaders but territorial demonic powers influencing and resisting God’s purposes on earth.
The “prince of Persia” and “kings of Persia” in Daniel 10:13 refer to demonic beings, not earthly rulers.
These are spiritual forces of evil opposing God’s purposes, engaged in unseen warfare with God’s angelic messengers.
This passage gives a rare glimpse into the ongoing cosmic spiritual warfare happening behind the scenes of human history (cf. Ephesians 6:12).
God’s People Will Suffer
We started this passage off with Daniel in deep despair because not all went back to Jerusalem when offered the chance.
And the ones that did go back, they received much persecution as they were trying to rebuild the temple and clean up from the destruction.
Daniel was already grieving the situation in Jerusalem. But now he learns that greater trials still lie ahead:
14 and came to make you understand what is to happen to your people in the latter days. For the vision is for days yet to come.”
This vision spans from Daniel’s day to the end of the age, including:
Near-future conflict (Daniel 11:1–35)
Predicts conflicts between the kings of the North and South, detailing events leading up to Antiochus IV Epiphanes.
The rise of a final evil king—the Antichrist (Daniel 11:36–12:4)
Shifts to a yet-future king—many understand this to be the Antichrist.
Ends with a description of great tribulation, resurrection, and the sealing of the vision.
Ultimate deliverance and resurrection (Daniel 12:5–13)
Concludes the vision with timelines and encouragement to Daniel to rest until his appointed resurrection.
We are not just facing hard times—we are part of a war. A real, unseen, spiritual war. But here’s the comfort:
The war is already won.
The devil is already defeated.
Christ is already victorious.
God beat the Devil at the cross and therefore he has no ultimate sway in the life of the believer.
4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
Isn’t that amazing! We have a God who has overcome and because we are in Christ, we are no longer under the power of the Devil.
The one in you, the Holy Spirit, is greater than Satan and all the powers of Hell.
You have nothing to fear if you are in Christ.
The Evil one can oppress the believer, but He can NEVER possess the believer.
Listen to these amazing truth saturated words from the Apostle Paul!
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Singing on the Frontlines (2 Chronicles 20:21–22)
The army of Judah stood trembling on the battlefield. Their enemies—the Moabites and Ammonites—were marching toward them in massive numbers, swords gleaming in the sun. They were outmanned, outarmed, and outnumbered.
But King Jehoshaphat didn’t send the soldiers out first. He didn’t call for the archers or the chariots. Instead, he appointed worship leaders.
Men in holy attire stepped forward—no armor, no swords—just voices. And as they moved toward the enemy, they began to sing:
“Give thanks to the Lord, for His steadfast love endures forever!”
And as the first notes rose into the air, something miraculous happened. The Lord set an ambush. Confusion erupted in the enemy camp. Moab turned on Ammon. Ammon turned on Edom. They destroyed one another.
By the time Judah arrived at the battlefield, there was no battle left to fight—only victory to claim. God had already won.
This is what spiritual warfare looks like for God’s people. We often feel surrounded, but we don’t fight with worldly weapons. We lift our voices in worship. We trust in His power. And while we praise, God fights.
When the battle looks impossible, and the opposition feels overwhelming, remember: victory belongs to the Lord. And sometimes, the most powerful thing you can do… is worship.
So how do we live in light of God’s guaranteed victory?
Pray, even when you don’t see answers. God heard Daniel from the first day.
Stand firm in spiritual battle. You're not fighting for victory—you’re fighting from it.
Take courage in the chaos. The prince of darkness is on a leash, and the King is on the throne.
Guard your heart. The greatest danger isn't demons outside you—it’s discouragement within you.
Review:
We’ve seen:
The reality of the conflict
The power of unseen warriors
And now, the guarantee of God’s victory
Conclusion
You may not see the battle—but you’re in it. Don’t walk through life unaware or afraid.
Like Daniel, set your heart to understand and humble yourself before God.
Pray. Persevere. Trust the God who fights for you.
A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
by Martin Luther (1529)
Translated by Frederick H. Hedge (1853)
Verse 1:
A mighty fortress is our God,
A bulwark never failing;
Our helper He amid the flood
Of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our ancient foe
Doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great,
And armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.
Verse 3:
And though this world, with devils filled,
Should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed
His truth to triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim,
We tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure,
For lo! his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.
Church, we are not weak.
We are not alone.
We are surrounded by heaven’s armies, strengthened by God’s Spirit, and held by the One who crushed the serpent's head.
Don’t give up.
So don’t give in.
Fight on—because victory is guaranteed.
