“But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days; but lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me…” Daniel 10:13
To the physical ear there was no clash of swords heard, nor violent confrontations sensed, that Daniel discerned concerning the spiritual war in the heavens between Michael, an arch angel of God, and the prince of the kingdom of Persia. The fact that Daniel heard or saw nothing of this conflict did not diminish the reality and severity of it. Nor did his lack of knowledge of the conflict have a great bearing upon what he was seeking, clarification concerning the people of God in the last days. The great point is that there was a spiritual war raging, but it was one which the natural senses of men do not see or perceived. However, the effect of this conflict is seen in the physical world, as was the case with Daniel when the angel was hindered for three weeks before being able to reveal to Daniel what he sought. Why is this matter of understanding the existence of this spiritual conflict so very important for the believer? It is because the believer, this follower of Christ, is called to be a soldier during his time on earth, but a soldier who has understood that that which occurs in the invisible, spiritual world, with regard to the conflict between him and God’s enemy, Satan, must be accepted, so that the fight can be waged well, successfully, according to God’s ways, for the ultimate objective of glorifying God. It was Daniel’s desire and will to know the will of God, in order to work towards the realization of it, by obedient faith, principally by intercession. However, it would be the enemy’s desire that Daniel be hindered from understanding such knowledge, thus depriving him of the truth and that which he could use to war effectively. Hence, there is conflict, the enemy resisting, and the angels of God overcoming that resistance, so that Daniel could receive understanding. Practically speaking, what does this mean, and how is the believer to use this knowledge in his personal life, calling, and spiritual warfare?
If the believer is to fight aright, and well, and overcome in this spiritual battle where the powers of darkness seek to resist, hinder, obstruct, and turn aside the Christian soldier from knowing and doing the will of God, the believer must come to grips with, being fully persuaded with the fact of what the Apostle Paul declared: “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh.” (2 Cor. 10:3) To the Ephesian church Paul would write: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Eph. 6:12) The point is that this spiritual conflict is in place and active, the powers of the kingdom of darkness, and Satan, against the power of God, and that power revealed in and through His servants. It is a conflict and struggle that is by nature not physical, Paul making this clear when he speaks of the “weapons of our warfare,’ which are not carnal, or fleshly. On the contrary, they are “…mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.” (2 Cor. 10:4) The call of God to the believer, the follower of Christ, is to fight a good fight, wage war well, overcome again and again the enemy, resisting him, seeing him flee, so that the kingdom of God come in the hearts and lives of men, and God’s good and blessed will be done for His glory, and man’s highest blessing.
What then are the essentials to overcoming? The first thing is to lay hold of the total victory of Christ on Calvary over “…all the power of the enemy.” One must see that Christ has, “…spoiled principalities and powers, and made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” (Col. 2:15) The second thing is to lay hold upon Christ’s victory being our own.
Dear Father, Overcome through us today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.