The Spiritual War

HBI - Our God is in control and will win the day but in the mean time we fight a spiritual war not with physical battles but on our knees in prayer.

Intro

We are at the end of the book of Daniel, and what we have learned again and again that in spite of what is going on in the world, through persecution and hostility that we can have hope to remain faithful in the midst of it all. we do get a glimpse into what is going to happen at the end of time. We have been given proof through all the prophecy that the messiah did come to die for our sins, and we need to follow Him with our lives. But the problem is that Things are only going to get more and more difficult. but in the end the thing we see again and again that in spite of present appearances, God is in control and in the end He wins the day.

We have had lots of information given t ous throughout this, and we will get into it a little deeper when we go through the book of Revelation in the fall. But the main point is not so much what is going to happen, though that is important but the fact that tribulations are coming, evil will look like it is winning in all that is going on. But the main point is that in light of this a response from us is what is called for from all of us. To respond to the message of salvation from the coming Judgement. All this I would argue is to point us to the fact that we are in need of Jesus. The main point is that we fight a spiritual war. It is a war that we can not win on our Own. There are powers far beyond us that are fighting to control the world. We need to be prepared to fight this war, not with Physical blows or rioting but by getting on our knees in prayer.

We sometimes forget this though. How often do we think of prayer as something we do to get away from the action. We do not put our spiritual health in the light that it should be. My Grandma I remember was someone who saw this. She was not perfect by any means, but she saw the importance of fighting this spiritual war on her knees in prayer. I think one of the reasons she saw this is that she could not get around as much later in her life. She knew she couldn't do much but she could pray. Alas sometimes I think we realize this a little to late in life. I remember a few times her telling me that God would wake her up to pray for someone that would need prayer.

But we wrestle with a few questions as we go through this, do our prayers change things? How do we wrestle with the fact that God is in control and knows all but at the same time we have a responsibility as well? Where does God’s sovereignty and our responsibility work together. How should what is going to happen change our lives? What should we do with all the information that we have been given?

Chapter 10 - The Spiritual war

We start out with the main theme, this is what we do and then we see why we are to do it. we read about what is coming up. Kind of like battle plans. We are given the battle plans and we are told what we are to do in light of the upcoming battles. You see, we have to keep the main point the main point.

In the first verse we read that the visions and all that happened next come chronologically. Daniel 10:1 “1 In the third year of King Cyrus of Persia, a message was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar. The message was true and was about a great conflict. He understood the message and had understanding of the vision.” This is important to understand. Though they are not placed chronologically in the book of Daniel, They are in chronological order here. This is important later.

Daniel was in mourning we hear at first. For one month almost Daniel was doing a certain type of fast. Daniel 10:3 “3 I didn’t eat any rich food, no meat or wine entered my mouth, and I didn’t put any oil on my body until the three weeks were over.” this would not have been very comfortable, but fasting is never really meant to be comfortable. Putting no oil on your body might not seem like a big deal, but just remember where He is. He is in the desert, it is dry and dusty, oils where a must when someone skin got dry.

this is the setting we find Daniel in when he is met by an angel. This is probably one of the most descriptive passages on what an angel looks like in the Bible. verse 5-6 tell us that the angel looked like a man. notice the absence of a harp and wings. The angel was dressed in Linen, from which we hear from other accounts likely glowed. A glowing gold belt, his body glowed with a golden color (think mega tan), feet and arms glowed like bronze eyes like fire, face like lightening and a voice like rushing waters, or a multitude speaking at once. This glowing being would have been enough to scare anyone to death so it is no surprise that Daniel fainted.

The people that where with Daniel didn't see a thing it says in Verse 7 but they felt something and they ran away leaving Daniel alone.

But it is the message of the angel that I want to focus on. He was sent by God after hearing Daniels prayers, our prayers like Daniels are heard by God. Daniel 10:12 “12 “Don’t be afraid, Daniel,” he said to me, “for from the first day that you purposed to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your prayers were heard. I have come because of your prayers.” Daniel humbled himself before the Lord, not praying for things that he wanted but seeking the Lords will in all things. But there was a slight problem, Verse 13 tells us that the angel of God was held up on his way to answer Daniels prayers. But what is it that could possibly hold up an angel of God? it says a prince of the kingdom of Persia.

this is in reference to a satanic entity, an angel of Satan that tried to hold up the demon. You see we fight a spiritual war while on this earth. And we fight this war on our knees in prayer. As Daniel was strengthened by the angel he was told in Verse 20 That he had to go return to fight the demon.

constant vigilant prayer is what we need to focus on. We read in the book of Job and other places that Satan and his demons are given temporary limited control on earth. We must take seriously the power of satan and His forces. ANd while God wins the day in the end our prayers have effect. Daniel was fasting and praying for a long time before he got an answer to what was going on around him.

What we learn His prayers did as he humbled himself before God is have the angelic armies fight on God’s behalf against the evil in the area. we must never give up prayer that God would work through us, persistent humble prayers is what is called for.

Yes God is in control, yes God is all powerful, but God also works through us. We are told that God is in control yet he also works through our prayers. How God’s divinity and our own Human responsibility works is beyond our understanding but the fact remains we must fight a spiritual war in this life and we ifght it on our knees in prayer through the armor of God.

we must always pray and never give up. The late Peter Deyneka, missionary to the Slavic peoples, often reminded us, “Much prayer, much power; no prayer, no power!” Prayer is one of our most powerful spiritual weapons.

Chapter 11 - The evil kings

Whether you agree with me or not, this sets the stage for the rest of the book of Daniel. This is what we must keep in mind when we read what is going to happen in the future. Prayer and spiritual battle is what we must keep at the forefront as we read what is coming next, or we will fail. this we must keep in mind.

Chapter 11 and 12 are one long section in the original language. It is later that it got split into 3 like it is now. I wont get to much into chapter 11 as verse 3-35 deal with prophecy, but prophecy that has already been fulfilled through history.

but that does not make it amazing. WHat we see here through prophecy that has already been fulfilled is that the inspired word of God is true. We have a document that is thousands of years old, written by GOD through human hands depicting 100’s of years of history. Isnt that amazing!

It is no surprise that many people have tried to discount the writings of Daniel, after all how is it possible that someone could foretell such minute details of the course of history, it must be fake right? The first 35 verses follow the course of history from the Persians to the greeks, depicts wars and marriage alliances that leave us with no doubt that God is in control and is who he says he is. It ends with the prophecy that ws fulfilled in Antiochous IV and the Maccabean revolt. But the beauty of prophecy is it looks forward as well.

what it looks forward to is the time of the time of the end as well when the Antichrist is going to come. There will be great evil against the people of God. The process will be a refining we are told Daniel 11:35 “35 Some of those who have insight will fall so that they may be refined, purified, and cleansed until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time.” But God will always have his faithful remnant and will hold his covenant to the end. we must be on our knees in prayer that we will remain faithful, that God will work through us when this happens.

verses 36-45 describe the time of the end and the Antichrist. He will bean evil person that will exalt himself above all. He will show no regard for anyone but Himself. He will be successful until his appointed time is up There will be great wars and his fury will be poured out on many people. but we are promised that He will meet his end in Verse 45

Chapter 12 - God wins the day

the last bit, in chapter 12 points us to the time of the end. Daniel 12:1-3

Daniel 12:1–3 (CSB) 1 At that time Michael, the great prince who stands watch over your people, will rise up. There will be a time of distress such as never has occurred since nations came into being until that time. But at that time all your people who are found written in the book will escape. 2 Many who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to eternal life, and some to disgrace and eternal contempt. 3 Those who have insight will shine like the bright expanse of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.

There will be a time of great distress. , something the likes of which you have never seen before. This refers to the fortunes of God’s people during the time of the Antichrist. But there is a promise. The promise is that all the Christians, those whose names are written down in the book of life, will escape. But what will they escape? Is this in reference to the rapture? does this mean that the people of God will escape Judgement?

I do not believe that this is in reference to the people of God being raptured to be with Jesus before the great tribulation. If you read it within context it says that we will escape the judgement that is to come. Verse 2 speaks of the dead in Christ receiving glorified new bodies and live eternally with Jesus but some will will be in disgrace and eternal contempt. These latter will be deleted from the list of the redeemed.

so what it is saying then is that we are not told yet whether we will escape the end times, sorry you will have to hear my stance on that later. But rather we will escape the judgement that is set for those that have turned their lives away from God. But rather the people of God are going to, in this time reign with God and shine like the stars for eternity. This is our great hope.

the last verses tell us that we must remain faithful, tough the A of D is going to do many horrible things. We are even gievn the dates that it is going to last. But the point is not the number, but the main point in it is blessed are those who perseverw to the end. Daniel 12:13

Daniel 12:13 (CSB)13 But as for you, go on your way to the end; you will rest, and then you will stand to receive your allotted inheritance at the end of the days.”

so what?

Blessed is the one who perseveres till the end.

Wars and rumors of wars are getting worse again. we see many people fighting for our freedom or fighting for other people freedom. I was reading a fiction book about a society at war with a group of aliens. Technology was to the point where the commanders fought the war as if controlling a video game. The army was far away, light years away but they where controlled by people near earth on computers. Imagine a war that you where in but controlled by someone else.

Spiritual war

we fight a war, this is the main point of this passage, that we are reminded of as we close the book of Daniel. But we fight a spiritual war. There are forces beyond our control. We fight not with physical blows, realistically there is nothing we can do about it.

We arm ourselves for war through the word of God, we battle on our knees in persistent prayer. We must humble oursleves before the lord , seeking His will alone. But we fight this spiritual war through persistent prayer. This means that we do not treat prayer lightly, just as another thing we do as the children of God but our prayers do make a difference.

evil is here and is going to get worse, people are lost in sin, judgement is coming, spiritual war is happening. ANd we must get on our knees and start fighting this war through persistent prayer.

God’s sovereignty/Mans responsibility

How does our prayer affect anything though if God is really in control. are we not just puppets on a string to the Lord? How do our prayers affect anything if God is in control and knows all? In spite of present appearances our God is in control and wins the day, but we also have responsibilities.

man for centuries has struggled with this and the bible is just not clear as to how exactly this works. God is sovereign, and we are responsible for our actions. Our prayers make a difference and God is in control. We are not given answers as to how this works, we are not asked to comprehend but rather humbly come before God and trust that this is true.

New Life

The great hope that we have, the battle we fight for is the new life that is promised to all those who are followers of Jesus. Though the Lord had taught Daniel many things and revealed to him many mysteries, it was not for him to know everything before he died. As the end of his life drew near, it was enough to know that he had been faithful to the Lord and would one day rest from his labors He will one day be raised from the dead and receive the reward the Lord has allotted for him Psalm 17:15 “But I will see your face in righteousness; when I awake, I will be satisfied with your presence.”