BIBLE CHALLENGE
October 4, 2021
"Then, again someone who looked human touched me and revived me. He said, ‘You man, so greatly loved, don’t be afraid. Peace to you; and be strong..."
Daniel 10
“Then, again someone who looked human touched me and revived me. He said, ‘You man, so greatly loved, don’t be afraid. Peace to you; and be strong, yes, truly strong.’ His speaking to me strengthened me, and I said, ‘My lord keep speaking; because you’ve given me strength.’ Then he said, ‘Do you know why I came to you? Although now I must return to fight the prince of Persia and when I leave, the prince of Greece will come; nevertheless, I will tell you what is written in the Book of Truth. There is no one standing with me against them except Michael your prince.’” Daniel 10:18-21
In today’s passage, the angel Gabriel comes to deliver a message of comfort to Daniel. To better understand what is going on, it is essential to know a little background concerning the two angels mentioned: Gabriel and Michael. Based on Biblical understanding, Gabriel is a messenger of God, and Michael is the commander of the Lord’s army.
Also, important to acknowledge is that the mission field is a spiritual battlefield! When we seek the truth of God’s Word and share the Gospel, we are doing battle, and we must keep that truth at the forefront of our minds because, quite honestly, freaky stuff happens whenever people get serious about following the Lord!! Otherwise, why would the apostle exhort us to be prepared for such warfare?
“Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:11-12
When we experience persecution, for the sake of the Gospel, we must remember that the enemy is not necessarily the people who are persecuting us. Instead, the real “enemy” is the World, the Flesh, and the Devil, and their influence over a particular individual or group. That is why a radical Muslim may seek to kill you, but after his/her conversion to Jesus, they love you and call you brother/sister. Paul, perhaps, understood this idea best because he sought to kill followers of Jesus. But after he was radically saved from the evil influence, Paul became the most fervent evangelist (and ardent Christian brother) in the early community of believers.
But we should not fear evil’s attempts to destroy us. As with Daniel, God is on our side!
“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the World. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Messiah Jesus has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the World.” 1 John 4:1-4