We’re at War
July 3, 2016

Scripture: Daniel 10:1-11:1

I. You win the war through the power of God.

A. We see a word from God that Daniel is given in Daniel 10:1: “And the word was true, and it was a great conflict.” The word from God was this: “Daniel, you and your people are at war.” But this war was not a war between human soldiers. It was a spiritual battle being fought by heavenly beings. Daniel saw a heavenly being in vs. 5 and 6. This description of the heavenly being sounds very similar to the description of the cherubim, a type of angel, in Ezekiel 1. The cherubim are those angels that are closest to God Himself.

B. What was the effect on Daniel and his friends of being so close to an angel who had been so close to God? In vs. 7 we read that a great trembling fell on Daniel’s friends, and they fled to hide themselves. They were terrified. Then in vs. 8 we read that when Daniel saw this angel that no strength was left in him. Why were Daniel and his friends so overcome? Because they felt and saw something of the holiness and glory of God reflected in this angel. This is the God that is described as a consuming fire in Hebrews 12:29. God is that powerful.

II. You win the war through recognizing our enemy.

A. The angel begins talking with Daniel about our enemy in vs. 12. God had heard Daniel’s prayer, and from the first day Daniel was praying for those who returned to Jerusalem God sent this mighty angel in response. And yet this angel was delayed in reaching Daniel. Why? This angel who had come to talk to Daniel was not fighting with a human prince of Persia. He was fighting instead with one of Satan’s demons who was associated with the Persian empire. Sometimes, Satan’s hostility toward God is revealed through the political leaders in this world, and the experiences of God’s people doing battle on earth are paralleled by angels and demons doing battle in heaven.

B. Our real battle then is not so much with the human leaders who hate God. Our real battle is with the demons who are empowering those people who hate God. We see this truth in Ephesians 6:12: “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.”

III. You win the war through prayer.

A. Daniel was a man of prayer so it is not a surprise to see him praying for the Jews who had returned to Jerusalem in Daniel 10:12. What words of Daniel is the angel speaking about here? They are the words of Daniel’s prayer for the Jews in Jerusalem. What did God do in response to Daniel’s prayer? First, he gave him a vision of what was happening in spiritual battle. Second, by sending a mighty angel to Daniel God was showing Daniel that his prayers were powerful. Prayer is the final weapon mentioned in spiritual warfare in Ephesians 6:18: “Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.”

Application:
We are at war, but Jesus has won and will win the spiritual warfare through us.

Sources:
The prophecy of Daniel
Commentaries on Daniel by Iain Duguid and Tremper Longman III