The Spiritual Battle
Daniel 10:1-21
Message #15
Chapter 10 begins the final section and the final vision of Daniel, which will take us through the end of the book. In chapter 10, Daniel is given great insight into the spiritual battle over the nation of Israel. Today, the veil of the spiritual realm is pulled back for Daniel, and he's allowed to see as much as he can grasp of what the battle in the spiritual realm looks like.
This may be one of the best places in the Bible for us to get some insight (with Daniel) into the battle being fought in the spiritual realm and see how it impacts the earthly battles we face. I want us to understand what happens to Daniel in this chapter, but I really want us to get some insight into the spiritual battles in our own lives.
Daniel 10:1 (NLT)
1 In the third year of the reign of King Cyrus of Persia, Daniel (also known as Belteshazzar) had another vision. He understood that the vision concerned events certain to happen in the future - times of war and great hardship.
The explanation of this vision doesn't actually start until Chapter 11. Here in Chapter 10, God is just giving Daniel insight into the spiritual battle being fought over Israel.
Verse 1 says this vision occurred in the third year of the reign of King Cyrus of Persia. In the first year of King Cyrus' reign (just two years earlier), Cyrus issued the first decree allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem. But only a small group had chosen to return, and they were experiencing very difficult times back in the Promised Land. Even though the formal captivity was over, most of the Jews had chosen to stay in ungodly, pagan Babylon. The few who had followed God back to a devastated Jerusalem were facing extreme trials and repeated setbacks.
So, again, we find Daniel crying out to God on behalf of Israel, specifically for Israel's future. And as the end of verse 1 says. Daniel understood this (final) vision concerns events certain to happen in the future - times of war and great hardship - for the people of Israel.
Verses 2 and 3 give us Daniel's state of being (his condition) when this final vision came to him.
Daniel 10:2-3 (NLT)
2 When this vision came to me, I, Daniel had been in mourning for three whole weeks.
3 All that time I had eaten no rich food. No meat or wine crossed my lips, and I used no fragrant lotions until those three weeks had passed.
Daniel was (again) in deep intercession and mourning for the people of Israel. He'd been fasting and mourning for three weeks, and hadn't even used any deodorant (fragrant lotions.)
Please notice closely, Daniel's entrance into the realm of spiritual battle begins with intense fasting and prayer. This was no idle prayer thrown up to heaven - Daniel had been in sacrificial intercession for three weeks.
This is our first lesson today. If we want to enter the realm of victorious spiritual battle, the way onto the battlefield is thru intentional, sacrificial prayer. Sacrificial prayer, sometimes called supplication, can be defined in numerous ways. But it often involves some sort of fasting. A simple definition of fasting is; Sacrificing the NEEDS of our FLESH - in order to FEED the NEEDS of our SPIRIT.
Victorious spiritual warfare is launched through intentional, sacrificial prayer, often involving some sort of fasting, which is saying "no" to the flesh, so we can say "yes" to the spirit.
Daniel 10:4 (NLT)
4 On April 23, as I was standing on the bank of the great Tigris river...
This was the month of Nisan, which means it would have been Passover time. Passover commemorated God's deliverance of Israel from the bondage of slavery in Egypt. Yet, it's been two years since God delivered Israel from the bondage of Babylon, and most Jews had chosen to stay in the lap of ungodly, pagan centered, easy living. Recognizing this during Passover season would have certainly added to Daniel's intense intercession for God's people.
Then verse 4 says Daniel was on the bank of the great Tigris River. The Tigris River was about 30 miles away from Babylon. It is very possible that Daniel had "gotten away" from the daily grind in Babylon, to separate himself and intercede for God's people.
Note how Daniel had separated himself from the daily grind and had gone into an extended period of sacrificial intercession and fasting.
It's important that we see how Daniel enters this Spiritual battle. Because we often, mistakenly so, think we can enter this level of warfare while the T.V. is on and we're multitasking on Facebook and Instagram while eating our second double-double from In-N-Out. Truly entering the Spiritual Battle requires intention, sacrificial time with God in prayer.
So, as Daniel was on the bank of the Tigris river, in intense prayer and fasting for God's people, we read in:
Daniel 10:5-6 (NLT)
5 I looked up and saw a man dressed in linen clothing, with a belt of pure gold around his waist.
6 His body looked like a precious gem. His face flashed like lightning, and his eye flamed like torches. His arms and feet shone like polished bronze, and his voice roared like a vast multitude of people.
This description is a lot like the description in Revelation 1 when the Apostle John saw Jesus Christ on the Isle of Patmos. However - there are some details in the following verses that would seem to indicate this was NOT Jesus Christ. Scholars are divided because it is not exactly clear. But what we do know is this heavenly being was, at the very least, reflecting the glory of heaven and reflecting the glory of the Lord of Heaven.
Then in verse 7, we get our first insight into how the spiritual realm interacts with our physical realm today.
Daniel 10:7 (NLT)
7 Only I, Daniel, saw this vision. The men with me saw nothing, but they were suddenly terrified and ran away to hide.
The men who were with Daniel didn't see this heavenly being, but they definitely sensed something was going on, and they ran away terrified. Only Daniel saw clearly into the spiritual realm here.
We see the same type of thing happen today. The first time I ever preached on a Sunday morning, at the end of my first message behind a pulpit, the Lord pulled back the veil between the physical realm and the spiritual realm and allowed me to see some of the battle that was going on during my first ever alter call. It hit me so heavily I sat down hard on the stage and was almost too overwhelmed to talk. A number of people got saved that day, including a family member. She and I have often remembered the intensity of the spiritual battle that day.
Many of us have had similar experiences here in this church. Often just a few here get a glimpse of what is actually happening in the spiritual realm during a service. And it often shakes us to realize just how close the real spiritual battle is to us at all times. The spiritual battle in this church is extremely real, especially as we grow in our boldness of proclaiming the name of Jesus in a town that the enemy used to own much more of than he owns today. Amen!
As we are often shaken by this realization, Daniel was also left "shaking" at his view into the spiritual realm.
Daniel 10:8-9 (NLT)
8 So I was left there all alone to see this amazing vision. My strength left me, my face grew deathly pale, and I felt very weak.
9 Then I heard the man speak, and when I heard the sound of his voice, I fainted and lay there with my face to the ground.
This is very similar to how the Apostle John reacted when he saw Jesus Christ in Revelation 1.
Also similar to the Revelation 1 vision of Jesus Christ, we read in;
Daniel 10:10 (NLT)
10 Just then a hand touched me and lifted me, still trembling, to my hands and knees.
And this Angel also speaks words of encouragement and direction to Daniel, as Jesus did to John in Revelation 1;
Daniel 10:11 (NLT)
11 And the man said to me, "Daniel you are very precious to God, so listen carefully to what I have to say to you. Stand up, for I have been sent to you." When he said this to me I stood up, still trembling.
This is the second time Daniel has been encouraged with the words, "You are very precious to God." (The first time was in Daniel Chapter 9.) This is such strong encouragement. And it should be such strong encouragement to US when we find ourselves in the middle of our own spiritual battle. The FOUNDATIONAL TRUTH you and I must hold on to in our own spiritual battles is that we are very precious to God. This guaranteed confidence should give us a rock-solid foundation from which to wage our own spiritual warfare.
We also see in verse 11; Daniel is told by this awesome angelic being, "I have been sent to you." This means God has specifically and tangibly responded to your prayer and fasting and intercession.
When we enter the spiritual battle with these truths, we don't have to be afraid, which is exactly what this Angel says next to Daniel.
Daniel 10:12 (NLT)
12 Then he said, "Don't be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer."
Right at this point, you might be saying, "ALRIGHT!! All I have to do is start telling God how I want things to work out, and God will immediately send his answer! Right?"
Is THAT what it says, really?
If that is what you're thinking, there's a chance you might be leaving a little something out. What part of this verse might we be trying hard to not pay too much attention to?
Look at verse 12 and underline the part you think we might be trying to avoid.
Oh, man - it's those two defining statements:
1. since the first day you began to pray for understanding
2. since the first day you began to humble yourself before God
Is Daniel praying according to his own understanding or desire? Is Daniel trying to somehow force his own will upon God? The answer is a resounding, "NO!" Daniel is doing the opposite of what most Christians do when they pray.
Praying for understanding means praying you would receive GOD'S understanding, in place of your own understanding. Humbling yourself means to REMOVE ALL SELF from the equation.
From the first day, you began to seek GOD'S understanding, and from the first day, you began praying with "SELF" taken out... since THAT day - your request has been heard in heaven, and God has dispatched an answer!! That is how Daniel entered the battle.
Guys, it is far more important we see how Daniel prepared himself to enter the spiritual battle than it is to understand what follows from this point.
Daniel prepared himself in three ways:
1.) By separating himself for an intentional time of prayer and fasting
2.) By praying for God's understanding, not his own
3.) By humbling himself before God - taking all "SELF" out of the equation
When we are entering a time of increased spiritual battle, we must approach it like Daniel did. Because when we get to this point in our prayers, then we can be confident our prayers have been heard in heaven, and God will be dispatching an answer to us.
Alright, do we understand what it takes to enter the spiritual battle the right way? Then what I want to do with the rest of the chapter is review the insights that are here first, and then we will walk through the verses.
The first thing we have to remember is that Satan only mimics God - he has no original thoughts. He only takes God's plans and actions and perverts them into evil. So, we know, from this chapter and others, that God has spiritual warriors (angels) assigned to His people. Angelic beings are not omnipresent (and remember Satan is only an angelic being.) They can only be in one place at one time. They are assigned to geographies, to nations, to events, and to people. So then Satan, who is also not omnipresent, simply copies God's approach of assigning heavenly beings in the same way - to geographies - nations - events - and people. This creates a head to head battle in the spiritual realm, which is like a parallel reality intertwined with our reality. With that understanding, we can grasp the basics of the very real battle occurring in the spiritual realm around us.
God has a plan that will be ultimately victorious. But while God's plan is working out, Satan has assigned his demonic beings to thwart and pervert God's plan; however, they can. This battle will rage on until the day God finally says, "ENOUGH!"
Here in Daniel, we have been getting some insight into how this battle is fought. And so, with these insights, now let's go thru the remainder of the chapter.
In verse 12, this massive Angel says to Daniel, "When you first began praying and interceding (three weeks ago), I was sent to you."
Then we read in Daniel 10:13:
Daniel 10:13a (NLT)
13 But for twenty-one days the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way...
There are two points this brings up. First, this mighty angel, who has been sent on Daniel's behalf, might not be Jesus Christ, because NO spirit prince of anywhere is going to be able to BLOCK the way of Jesus Christ!! (unless, of course, Jesus ALLOWS it.) But what we really want to see is the second point. That is, there really IS a spirit prince that did real battle with the heavenly Angel and did temporarily block his way to Daniel.
This is really big for us to understand; that this type of battle - between heavenly and demonic forces - truly does occur, on our behalf, in the spiritual realm. The spirit prince of the Kingdom of Persia was a demonic being assigned to the nation of Persia. His job was to get in the way, to thwart, and, if possible, to pervert God's plan for Israel, who were presently under Persian rule. So, this spirit prince was doing his job by battling the heavenly messenger who had been sent to Daniel on God's behalf.
Let's look at another spiritual battle insight given to us in the remainder of verse 13:
Daniel 10:13b (NLT)
13 . . . Then Michael, one of the archangels, came to help me, and I left him there with the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia.
This is painting a pretty clear picture for us of at least some of what happens during the spiritual battle in our lives. Michael, the archangel of Israel, probably God's top warrior angel, was called in as back-up. He took over the battle with the demon angel assigned to Persia so Daniel's Angel could get to Daniel. Pretty cool, right?? And very real!
Then verse 14 returns to Daniel's particulars, as the archangel sent to him says:
Daniel 10:14 (NLT)
14 Now I am here to explain what will happen to your people in the future, for this vision concerns a time yet to come.
Again, this is the vision we will look at in chapters 11 and 12, that is focused on Israel's future.
But then again, Daniel gets overwhelmed by what's happening:
Daniel 10:15-19
15 While he was speaking to me, I looked down at the ground, unable to say a word.
16 Then the one who looked like a man touched my lips, and I opened my mouth and began to speak. I said to the one standing in front of me, "I am filled with anguish because of the vision I have seen, my lord, and I am very weak.
17 How can someone like me, your servant, talk to you my lord? My strength is gone and I can hardly breathe."
18 Then the one who looked like a man touched me again, and I felt my strength returning.
19 "Don't be afraid," he said, "for you are very precious to God. Peace! Be encouraged! Be strong!" As he spoke these words to me, I suddenly felt stronger and said to him, "Please speak to me, my lord, for you have strengthened me."
Now we go right back to the spiritual battle insights that we can apply to our own lives.
Daniel 10:20-21 (NLT)
20 He replied, "Do you know why I have come? Soon I must return to fight against the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia, and after that the spirit prince of the kingdom of Greece will come.
21 Meanwhile, I will tell you what is written in the Book of Truth (No one helps me against these spirit princes except Michael, your spirit prince.
Now, Daniel 11:1 goes with the final sentence of Daniel Chapter 10, so we continue:
Daniel 11:1 (NLT)
1 I have been standing beside Michael to support and strengthen him since the first year of the reign of Darius the Mede.)
Now there is some HUGE INSIGHT right here into how the spiritual battle is fought. This heavenly being, who was sent to help Daniel, explains that he must soon return to continue fighting against the spirit prince of Persia. AND, he knows that after he defeats the spirit prince of Persia, the spirit prince of Greece is going to come right behind him. So, he says, in the meantime, I'll tell you what is written in God's Record of Truth. In other words, I will tell you what God has already determined will come to pass (which we will get to in chapters 11 and 12.) Then, as a parenthesis, he explains to Daniel - There are no other angels assigned to help battle these spirit princes except MICHAEL - YOUR spirit prince (meaning the spirit prince of Israel.)
Think about it; Michael seems to be the top, most hard-core angelic warrior in Heaven, and HE is assigned to Israel . . . Maybe someone ought to let the world know.
Then finally, in Daniel 11:1 (a continuation of the Angel's parenthetical explanation), this heavenly warrior says to Daniel, I have been standing beside Michael to support and strengthen him (as Israel's spirit prince) since the first year of the reign of Darius the Mede. Daniel's Angel has been joining forces with and supporting and strengthening Michael in the battle since the first year of the Medo-Persian takeover. That is some really cool stuff, and really serious.
The angels and demons are literally duking it out in the spiritual realm over what is happening on earth. Each side has a battle plan, and the goal of both sides is to influence what happens on earth.
And here is what we really need to know; At some point, this spiritual battle involves YOU, personally. It's real - it's going on right now - even right here - as I'm trying to explain it to you. I would really like to dive into it more, and I am considering adding more to this message next week.
But for today, please hear this. The spiritual battle is REAL. It is happening all around you, and you have a role in it. Do you see that Daniel had a role in his spiritual battle today? Daniel had a role in his spiritual battle, and we have a role in our spiritual battles. And how we handle our role directly impacts the result of the battle. Our role is both in prayer and in action.
The bottom line for most of us today is; We must stop playing into the enemy's hands and start joining God in the spiritual battle.
This may be one of the best places in the Bible for us to get some insight (with Daniel) into the battle being fought in the spiritual realm and see how it impacts the earthly battles we face. I want us to understand what happens to Daniel in this chapter, but I really want us to get some insight into the spiritual battles in our own lives.
Daniel 10:1 (NLT)
1 In the third year of the reign of King Cyrus of Persia, Daniel (also known as Belteshazzar) had another vision. He understood that the vision concerned events certain to happen in the future - times of war and great hardship.
The explanation of this vision doesn't actually start until Chapter 11. Here in Chapter 10, God is just giving Daniel insight into the spiritual battle being fought over Israel.
Verse 1 says this vision occurred in the third year of the reign of King Cyrus of Persia. In the first year of King Cyrus' reign (just two years earlier), Cyrus issued the first decree allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem. But only a small group had chosen to return, and they were experiencing very difficult times back in the Promised Land. Even though the formal captivity was over, most of the Jews had chosen to stay in ungodly, pagan Babylon. The few who had followed God back to a devastated Jerusalem were facing extreme trials and repeated setbacks.
So, again, we find Daniel crying out to God on behalf of Israel, specifically for Israel's future. And as the end of verse 1 says. Daniel understood this (final) vision concerns events certain to happen in the future - times of war and great hardship - for the people of Israel.
Verses 2 and 3 give us Daniel's state of being (his condition) when this final vision came to him.
Daniel 10:2-3 (NLT)
2 When this vision came to me, I, Daniel had been in mourning for three whole weeks.
3 All that time I had eaten no rich food. No meat or wine crossed my lips, and I used no fragrant lotions until those three weeks had passed.
Daniel was (again) in deep intercession and mourning for the people of Israel. He'd been fasting and mourning for three weeks, and hadn't even used any deodorant (fragrant lotions.)
Please notice closely, Daniel's entrance into the realm of spiritual battle begins with intense fasting and prayer. This was no idle prayer thrown up to heaven - Daniel had been in sacrificial intercession for three weeks.
This is our first lesson today. If we want to enter the realm of victorious spiritual battle, the way onto the battlefield is thru intentional, sacrificial prayer. Sacrificial prayer, sometimes called supplication, can be defined in numerous ways. But it often involves some sort of fasting. A simple definition of fasting is; Sacrificing the NEEDS of our FLESH - in order to FEED the NEEDS of our SPIRIT.
Victorious spiritual warfare is launched through intentional, sacrificial prayer, often involving some sort of fasting, which is saying "no" to the flesh, so we can say "yes" to the spirit.
Daniel 10:4 (NLT)
4 On April 23, as I was standing on the bank of the great Tigris river...
This was the month of Nisan, which means it would have been Passover time. Passover commemorated God's deliverance of Israel from the bondage of slavery in Egypt. Yet, it's been two years since God delivered Israel from the bondage of Babylon, and most Jews had chosen to stay in the lap of ungodly, pagan centered, easy living. Recognizing this during Passover season would have certainly added to Daniel's intense intercession for God's people.
Then verse 4 says Daniel was on the bank of the great Tigris River. The Tigris River was about 30 miles away from Babylon. It is very possible that Daniel had "gotten away" from the daily grind in Babylon, to separate himself and intercede for God's people.
Note how Daniel had separated himself from the daily grind and had gone into an extended period of sacrificial intercession and fasting.
It's important that we see how Daniel enters this Spiritual battle. Because we often, mistakenly so, think we can enter this level of warfare while the T.V. is on and we're multitasking on Facebook and Instagram while eating our second double-double from In-N-Out. Truly entering the Spiritual Battle requires intention, sacrificial time with God in prayer.
So, as Daniel was on the bank of the Tigris river, in intense prayer and fasting for God's people, we read in:
Daniel 10:5-6 (NLT)
5 I looked up and saw a man dressed in linen clothing, with a belt of pure gold around his waist.
6 His body looked like a precious gem. His face flashed like lightning, and his eye flamed like torches. His arms and feet shone like polished bronze, and his voice roared like a vast multitude of people.
This description is a lot like the description in Revelation 1 when the Apostle John saw Jesus Christ on the Isle of Patmos. However - there are some details in the following verses that would seem to indicate this was NOT Jesus Christ. Scholars are divided because it is not exactly clear. But what we do know is this heavenly being was, at the very least, reflecting the glory of heaven and reflecting the glory of the Lord of Heaven.
Then in verse 7, we get our first insight into how the spiritual realm interacts with our physical realm today.
Daniel 10:7 (NLT)
7 Only I, Daniel, saw this vision. The men with me saw nothing, but they were suddenly terrified and ran away to hide.
The men who were with Daniel didn't see this heavenly being, but they definitely sensed something was going on, and they ran away terrified. Only Daniel saw clearly into the spiritual realm here.
We see the same type of thing happen today. The first time I ever preached on a Sunday morning, at the end of my first message behind a pulpit, the Lord pulled back the veil between the physical realm and the spiritual realm and allowed me to see some of the battle that was going on during my first ever alter call. It hit me so heavily I sat down hard on the stage and was almost too overwhelmed to talk. A number of people got saved that day, including a family member. She and I have often remembered the intensity of the spiritual battle that day.
Many of us have had similar experiences here in this church. Often just a few here get a glimpse of what is actually happening in the spiritual realm during a service. And it often shakes us to realize just how close the real spiritual battle is to us at all times. The spiritual battle in this church is extremely real, especially as we grow in our boldness of proclaiming the name of Jesus in a town that the enemy used to own much more of than he owns today. Amen!
As we are often shaken by this realization, Daniel was also left "shaking" at his view into the spiritual realm.
Daniel 10:8-9 (NLT)
8 So I was left there all alone to see this amazing vision. My strength left me, my face grew deathly pale, and I felt very weak.
9 Then I heard the man speak, and when I heard the sound of his voice, I fainted and lay there with my face to the ground.
This is very similar to how the Apostle John reacted when he saw Jesus Christ in Revelation 1.
Also similar to the Revelation 1 vision of Jesus Christ, we read in;
Daniel 10:10 (NLT)
10 Just then a hand touched me and lifted me, still trembling, to my hands and knees.
And this Angel also speaks words of encouragement and direction to Daniel, as Jesus did to John in Revelation 1;
Daniel 10:11 (NLT)
11 And the man said to me, "Daniel you are very precious to God, so listen carefully to what I have to say to you. Stand up, for I have been sent to you." When he said this to me I stood up, still trembling.
This is the second time Daniel has been encouraged with the words, "You are very precious to God." (The first time was in Daniel Chapter 9.) This is such strong encouragement. And it should be such strong encouragement to US when we find ourselves in the middle of our own spiritual battle. The FOUNDATIONAL TRUTH you and I must hold on to in our own spiritual battles is that we are very precious to God. This guaranteed confidence should give us a rock-solid foundation from which to wage our own spiritual warfare.
We also see in verse 11; Daniel is told by this awesome angelic being, "I have been sent to you." This means God has specifically and tangibly responded to your prayer and fasting and intercession.
When we enter the spiritual battle with these truths, we don't have to be afraid, which is exactly what this Angel says next to Daniel.
Daniel 10:12 (NLT)
12 Then he said, "Don't be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer."
Right at this point, you might be saying, "ALRIGHT!! All I have to do is start telling God how I want things to work out, and God will immediately send his answer! Right?"
Is THAT what it says, really?
If that is what you're thinking, there's a chance you might be leaving a little something out. What part of this verse might we be trying hard to not pay too much attention to?
Look at verse 12 and underline the part you think we might be trying to avoid.
Oh, man - it's those two defining statements:
1. since the first day you began to pray for understanding
2. since the first day you began to humble yourself before God
Is Daniel praying according to his own understanding or desire? Is Daniel trying to somehow force his own will upon God? The answer is a resounding, "NO!" Daniel is doing the opposite of what most Christians do when they pray.
Praying for understanding means praying you would receive GOD'S understanding, in place of your own understanding. Humbling yourself means to REMOVE ALL SELF from the equation.
From the first day, you began to seek GOD'S understanding, and from the first day, you began praying with "SELF" taken out... since THAT day - your request has been heard in heaven, and God has dispatched an answer!! That is how Daniel entered the battle.
Guys, it is far more important we see how Daniel prepared himself to enter the spiritual battle than it is to understand what follows from this point.
Daniel prepared himself in three ways:
1.) By separating himself for an intentional time of prayer and fasting
2.) By praying for God's understanding, not his own
3.) By humbling himself before God - taking all "SELF" out of the equation
When we are entering a time of increased spiritual battle, we must approach it like Daniel did. Because when we get to this point in our prayers, then we can be confident our prayers have been heard in heaven, and God will be dispatching an answer to us.
Alright, do we understand what it takes to enter the spiritual battle the right way? Then what I want to do with the rest of the chapter is review the insights that are here first, and then we will walk through the verses.
The first thing we have to remember is that Satan only mimics God - he has no original thoughts. He only takes God's plans and actions and perverts them into evil. So, we know, from this chapter and others, that God has spiritual warriors (angels) assigned to His people. Angelic beings are not omnipresent (and remember Satan is only an angelic being.) They can only be in one place at one time. They are assigned to geographies, to nations, to events, and to people. So then Satan, who is also not omnipresent, simply copies God's approach of assigning heavenly beings in the same way - to geographies - nations - events - and people. This creates a head to head battle in the spiritual realm, which is like a parallel reality intertwined with our reality. With that understanding, we can grasp the basics of the very real battle occurring in the spiritual realm around us.
God has a plan that will be ultimately victorious. But while God's plan is working out, Satan has assigned his demonic beings to thwart and pervert God's plan; however, they can. This battle will rage on until the day God finally says, "ENOUGH!"
Here in Daniel, we have been getting some insight into how this battle is fought. And so, with these insights, now let's go thru the remainder of the chapter.
In verse 12, this massive Angel says to Daniel, "When you first began praying and interceding (three weeks ago), I was sent to you."
Then we read in Daniel 10:13:
Daniel 10:13a (NLT)
13 But for twenty-one days the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way...
There are two points this brings up. First, this mighty angel, who has been sent on Daniel's behalf, might not be Jesus Christ, because NO spirit prince of anywhere is going to be able to BLOCK the way of Jesus Christ!! (unless, of course, Jesus ALLOWS it.) But what we really want to see is the second point. That is, there really IS a spirit prince that did real battle with the heavenly Angel and did temporarily block his way to Daniel.
This is really big for us to understand; that this type of battle - between heavenly and demonic forces - truly does occur, on our behalf, in the spiritual realm. The spirit prince of the Kingdom of Persia was a demonic being assigned to the nation of Persia. His job was to get in the way, to thwart, and, if possible, to pervert God's plan for Israel, who were presently under Persian rule. So, this spirit prince was doing his job by battling the heavenly messenger who had been sent to Daniel on God's behalf.
Let's look at another spiritual battle insight given to us in the remainder of verse 13:
Daniel 10:13b (NLT)
13 . . . Then Michael, one of the archangels, came to help me, and I left him there with the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia.
This is painting a pretty clear picture for us of at least some of what happens during the spiritual battle in our lives. Michael, the archangel of Israel, probably God's top warrior angel, was called in as back-up. He took over the battle with the demon angel assigned to Persia so Daniel's Angel could get to Daniel. Pretty cool, right?? And very real!
Then verse 14 returns to Daniel's particulars, as the archangel sent to him says:
Daniel 10:14 (NLT)
14 Now I am here to explain what will happen to your people in the future, for this vision concerns a time yet to come.
Again, this is the vision we will look at in chapters 11 and 12, that is focused on Israel's future.
But then again, Daniel gets overwhelmed by what's happening:
Daniel 10:15-19
15 While he was speaking to me, I looked down at the ground, unable to say a word.
16 Then the one who looked like a man touched my lips, and I opened my mouth and began to speak. I said to the one standing in front of me, "I am filled with anguish because of the vision I have seen, my lord, and I am very weak.
17 How can someone like me, your servant, talk to you my lord? My strength is gone and I can hardly breathe."
18 Then the one who looked like a man touched me again, and I felt my strength returning.
19 "Don't be afraid," he said, "for you are very precious to God. Peace! Be encouraged! Be strong!" As he spoke these words to me, I suddenly felt stronger and said to him, "Please speak to me, my lord, for you have strengthened me."
Now we go right back to the spiritual battle insights that we can apply to our own lives.
Daniel 10:20-21 (NLT)
20 He replied, "Do you know why I have come? Soon I must return to fight against the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia, and after that the spirit prince of the kingdom of Greece will come.
21 Meanwhile, I will tell you what is written in the Book of Truth (No one helps me against these spirit princes except Michael, your spirit prince.
Now, Daniel 11:1 goes with the final sentence of Daniel Chapter 10, so we continue:
Daniel 11:1 (NLT)
1 I have been standing beside Michael to support and strengthen him since the first year of the reign of Darius the Mede.)
Now there is some HUGE INSIGHT right here into how the spiritual battle is fought. This heavenly being, who was sent to help Daniel, explains that he must soon return to continue fighting against the spirit prince of Persia. AND, he knows that after he defeats the spirit prince of Persia, the spirit prince of Greece is going to come right behind him. So, he says, in the meantime, I'll tell you what is written in God's Record of Truth. In other words, I will tell you what God has already determined will come to pass (which we will get to in chapters 11 and 12.) Then, as a parenthesis, he explains to Daniel - There are no other angels assigned to help battle these spirit princes except MICHAEL - YOUR spirit prince (meaning the spirit prince of Israel.)
Think about it; Michael seems to be the top, most hard-core angelic warrior in Heaven, and HE is assigned to Israel . . . Maybe someone ought to let the world know.
Then finally, in Daniel 11:1 (a continuation of the Angel's parenthetical explanation), this heavenly warrior says to Daniel, I have been standing beside Michael to support and strengthen him (as Israel's spirit prince) since the first year of the reign of Darius the Mede. Daniel's Angel has been joining forces with and supporting and strengthening Michael in the battle since the first year of the Medo-Persian takeover. That is some really cool stuff, and really serious.
The angels and demons are literally duking it out in the spiritual realm over what is happening on earth. Each side has a battle plan, and the goal of both sides is to influence what happens on earth.
And here is what we really need to know; At some point, this spiritual battle involves YOU, personally. It's real - it's going on right now - even right here - as I'm trying to explain it to you. I would really like to dive into it more, and I am considering adding more to this message next week.
But for today, please hear this. The spiritual battle is REAL. It is happening all around you, and you have a role in it. Do you see that Daniel had a role in his spiritual battle today? Daniel had a role in his spiritual battle, and we have a role in our spiritual battles. And how we handle our role directly impacts the result of the battle. Our role is both in prayer and in action.
The bottom line for most of us today is; We must stop playing into the enemy's hands and start joining God in the spiritual battle.