Daniel 10 Part I

The War We Face

12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. —Ephesians 6:12

The battle lines are drawn! Whether we like it or not, we have been drawn into a war that has been going on since the beginning of our perceived time. Mighty spiritual forces stand in the way of an all-powerful God. It’s a war of power beyond what we can comprehend, with an enemy fixed on taking as many souls from God as possible, but the outcome that has already been foretold. Does that mean the struggle will not come? In Daniel chapter 10 we see a struggle between the Lord and a ‘prince’ of Persia who has the power to delay the word from reaching Daniel for 21 days. This cues us to several facts regarding spiritual warfare. First and foremost, our enemy the devil is more powerful than you could possibly imagine. We don’t have the power to defeat him, only the Lord of Heaven’s Armies can. As such, we are called to stand firm in our faith and in the power of the Lord. Meaning we are not called to attack. We should not arrogantly test God by taking on ( praying against or otherwise) demonic forces and expecting God to protect us. Finally, much of scripture shows that these spiritual forces of darkness have authority in this world, and influence world governments (See Dan 10:20, Psalm 82). In this dark influence over our world governments, we can be sure that times will not simply get better. We are beginning to enter into a time when these dark forces will no longer hide behind their masks. Yet, we can have confidence in this war because we are not alone. As we raise the Shield of faith, with our brothers and sisters in Christ, (rather than against) we stand firm in God’s armor. It’s His war, His victory, and His power alone. So, what is our part in it? As Paul writes in Ephesians 6:12 and in 1 Timothy 6:12, we have a part in this fight of faith. We wrestle against these dark forces, and not our fellow man. Our faith will always be a struggle, but the victory and glory are for Christ. How does understanding that help us ‘fight’ for God’s Glory in everyday life?

In Ephesians 6:12 Paul says we ‘wrestle’ (πάλη - palē: to sway; wrestling; fight, contest) against these spiritual forces. What comes to mind when you think of the term ‘Wrestle’?

Discussion Questions

Daniel prayed and fasted for 3 weeks for something that was already promised. Have you seen God answer prayer in your life? How long did you pray for it?

Why is context important in Bible study? How does it help inform us of the truth of God’s word?

God is in charge of and involved in all things. How does knowing this change the way you look at your life and the world?

As Daniel saw the Lord, shining in all His majesty, we are reminded of how glorious and mighty the Lord truly is, and that focusing on Him, high and lifted up, rather than minimizing Him to simply how He will solve our problems, can help us overcome anything. How do you remember to elevate God in the good times and the bad?

How do you recognize the enemy’s attacks in your life? How has the world tried to lull you into complacency?