Endure Spiritual Warfare

ME: Intro (Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain)

It was in 1939 when Dorothy realized she wasn’t in Kansas anymore

Upon that realization she followed a yellow brick road

With the hope of meeting the wonderful wizard of Oz

Who could help her to return home

So Dorothy and her dog Toto follow the yellow brick road and meet a scarecrow

Who sang, “if I only had a brain.”

And they figured, maybe the wizard could grant him a brain

Then they meet a tinman, who wants a heart

and a lion in need of courage

and they all journey together to meet the wonderful wizard of Oz

And when they meet him, he is a giant floating head with fire and smoke all around him

He gives them a task to retrieve the witches broomstick

Which they do

and upon their return

The wizard seems to be stalling from fulfilling the wishes

When Toto begins playing tug a war with a curtain off to the side

Only to discover an ordinary man controlling this machine and speaking into the microphone

Where he says the famous line,

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain

Later, when Dorothy finally returns home

Her family and friends are convinced that everything that happened was a dream

But Dorothy was certain it was real

She had seen behind the curtain

a struggle between good and evil

And she concluded that there is no place like home

In regard to what we have been studying in Daniel the past few weeks

And I am so thankful for Charles and his teaching on

What a hope-filled and encouraging message that was

So in regard to the past few weeks

and especially the last three chapters in Daniel

We are given a similar opportunity as Dorothy

We are given a chance to peek behind the curtain

And see the struggle between good and evil

Abraham Kuyper once wrote;

If once the curtain were pulled back, and the spiritual world behind it came to view, it would expose to our spiritual vision a struggle so intense, so convulsive, sweeping everything within its range, that the fiercest battle ever fought on earth would seem, by comparison, a mere game. Not here, but up there— that is where the real conflict is waged. Our earthly struggle drones in its backlash.”

In Dorothy’s tale, the wicked witch, the representative of evil

Was ultimately done in simply by water

In this spiritual battle between good and evil that gives us a peek behind the curtain of

Because of God’s Word

We know that the evil one, just like the wicked with, was ultimately done in by water

But not by water than can be drawn from a well

No, he has been done in by the living water Jesus offers

This leads us to reach the same conclusion as Dorothy

There is no place like home

But home is not Kansas, or Afton, or anywhere else on this planet

Home is being in the presence of God

There is no place like it

So as we continue our worship of God

With a time of studying His Word

I’d like to invite you to join me in prayer

Is no dream

Just as Dorothy was convinced her journey to the emerald city was real

Daniel’s vision is genuinely real

He is getting to see behind the curtain

But he is not being told to pay no attention

There is no place like home

WE: Spiritual Warfare Involves Mourning (vs. 1-3)

This morning we are only looking at

but chapters 10-12 are all linked together by one, ongoing continuous vision

Daniel’s final recorded vision

In fact, this chapter is almost a prelude to the vision itself

While chapter 12 is almost a conclusion of sorts

What Daniel shares with us in chapter 10 and the chapters that follow

Is no dream

Just as Dorothy was convinced her journey to the emerald city was real

Daniel’s vision is genuinely real

He is getting to see behind the curtain

But he is not being told to pay no attention

Just the opposite

He is told to pay close attention to the man he sees

Because this man, and the vision he shares with Daniel

Teaches us how to fear less and endure spiritual warfare

And this chapter is a convicting chapter

Especially with Daniel’s prayer from chapter 9 still fresh in our minds

This leads me to question why I don’t pray more

Or why do I not pray with more zeal

says;

Ephesians 6:12 ESV

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.

Prayer is the weapon

This chapter portrays our prayers almost like the ammunition the angels use in this spiritual battle

and when we cease to pray

we are taking the ammo right out of the angels weapons

This radically shifts my reaction to Paul’s exhortation to pray without ceasing

This chapter teaches us that our prayers matter

Prayer impacts the unseen but very real spiritual world

And Prayer is what will renew us to endure spiritual warfare

So to start our chapter this morning

Look with me at , where we see that Spiritual Warfare involves Mourning;

Daniel 10:1–3 ESV

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. In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks. I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, for the full three weeks.

This chapter is again categorized as apocalyptic literature

And our timeline is after the Babylonian captivity

remember told us;

Daniel 1:21 ESV

And Daniel was there until the first year of King Cyrus.

begins by saying it is the third year of King Cyrus

So the Jews are no longer exiled in Babylon, the Persians are still in power

Scholars state that Daniel remained in Babylon, however

The year is 537-6 BC, making Daniel around 84 years old when he sees this vision of great conflict in the future

Also two years after the vision from chapter 9 if we understand that Darius the Mede from chapter 9 and Cyrus the Persian from this chapter are the same person

That is not known with complete certainty but it is one of the most likely possibilities

If you recall back from a discussion we had in regard to possibilities of who Darius could be back in chapter 6

The timeline running parallel with , shows us it is 2 years after the declaration to rebuild the temple;

Ezra 1:1–4 ESV

In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing: “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. 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. And let each survivor, in whatever place he sojourns, be assisted by the men of his place with silver and gold, with goods and with beasts, besides freewill offerings for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.”

So after given the timeline, we are told, a word was revealed to Daniel

Ezra 3:8 ESV

Now in the second year after their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak made a beginning, together with the rest of their kinsmen, the priests and the Levites and all who had come to Jerusalem from the captivity. They appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to supervise the work of the house of the Lord.

Ezra 4:24 ESV

Then the work on the house of God that is in Jerusalem stopped, and it ceased until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

This word, came from God

Thus, the word was true

And the word was about great conflict

or as the NIV translates it, a great war

It is a vision of spiritual warfare in response to his prayer

Even just the toll it takes on Daniel to receive the vision is communicated

But we will see in the next two chapters of the vision

It reveals to Daniel severe suffering that awaits the people of God

It is a painful word Daniel receives

But it is necessary

Spiritual warfare involves God’s sovereignty and human responsibility

And that’s what we’re seeing in vs. 1

This spectrum of God’s sovereignty on one end and man’s responsibility on the other

On the end of God’s sovereignty, we already saw, He is the one who initiated giving Daniel the Word

Because on the end of God’s sovereignty, we already saw, He is the one who initiated giving Daniel the Word

But on the end of human responsibility, Daniel had to respond

He understood the message

and peeking ahead in the chapter a bit

vs. 12 tells us he gained understanding because he set his heart to understand

and he humbly prayed to God

So we do have responsibility

As says;

Jeremiah 29:13 ESV

You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

In regard to Daniel, Dr. Daniel Akin comments;

“Daniel had humbled himself before his God. He know God was in control. He also know he had nowhere else to turn. He know that God was sovereign, but he also know prayer makes a difference. He might not be able to explain the mysterious dance of divine sovereignty and human responsibility, but he knew it was real.”

So we see all that in vs. 1

But in vs. 2-3 is where we really see that spiritual warfare involves mourning

Vs. 2 tells us Daniel is in mourning for 3 weeks

And there are some different possibilities for his mourning

The state of Jerusalem as explained in is one possibility;

;

Nehemiah 1:4 ESV

As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.

Isaiah 61:3–4 ESV

to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified. They shall build up the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.

Isaiah 64:8–12 ESV

But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. Be not so terribly angry, O Lord, and remember not iniquity forever. Behold, please look, we are all your people. Your holy cities have become a wilderness; Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation. Our holy and beautiful house, where our fathers praised you, has been burned by fire, and all our pleasant places have become ruins. Will you restrain yourself at these things, O Lord? Will you keep silent, and afflict us so terribly?

Or just as captives were returning to Jerusalem, many could have been in poor condition or few in numbers

Or the opposition God’s people faced in their efforts to rebuild the temple

Isaiah 66:10 ESV

“Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice with her in joy, all you who mourn over her;

Ezra 4:5 ESV

and bribed counselors against them to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

Ezra 4:24 ESV

Then the work on the house of God that is in Jerusalem stopped, and it ceased until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

the reason is not known for certain

but we do know he was in mourning

We know he was a man of prayer

He prayed in chapter 2 before he went and interpreted the king’s dream

He had a reputation for praying 3 times a day in chapter 6 that he continued despite an edict forbidding it

We saw his prayer last week in chapter 9

and now we see here, he participates in a spiritual partner to prayer

and that is fasting similarly to his diet from chapter 1

A continued demonstration of human responsibility in spiritual warfare

Along these lines Dee Duke had said;

“Almost everyone believes that prayer is important. But there is a difference between believing that prayer is important and believing it is essential. ‘Essential’ means there are things that will not happen without prayer.”

Daniel has repeatedly demonstrated his belief that prayer is essential as Dee Duke said

Because he knew spiritual warfare involved human responsibility

GOD: Spiritual Warfare Can Be Overwhelming (vs. 4-17)

But Daniel also shows us Spiritual Warfare Can Be Overwhelming

Look at where we see that Spiritual Warfare Can Be Overwhelming;

Daniel 10:4–17 ESV

On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river (that is, the Tigris) 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. And behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. 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. 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. 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, 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.” When he had spoken to me according to these words, I turned my face toward the ground and was mute. And behold, one in the likeness of the children of man touched my lips. Then I opened my mouth and spoke. I said to him who stood before me, “O my lord, by reason of the vision pains have come upon me, and I retain no strength. How can my lord’s servant talk with my lord? For now no strength remains in me, and no breath is left in me.”

YOU: Spiritual Warfare Can Result in Refreshment (vs. 18-21)

WE: