And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling. Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. Daniel 10:11-12
Our prayers are heard and God sends forth His angels to respond immediately. Sometimes because of all the spiritual warfare around us, it may feel to us that the prayers are delayed. But we can be certain, they are being heard and answered immediately! It may take time for the preparation of everything else; but, the answer is already on the way. This was the case in Daniel 10. The messenger angel tells Daniel that he had been delayed while battling demoniac spirits which had been assigned to regions of the world. In the case described to prevent God’s message from arriving to Daniel. Prior to Jesus sending the Holy Spirit to indwell each and every person who accepts Christ as Savior, it was necessary for God to send messengers to His people. Now we have the Holy Spirit indwelling us. Yet, we are called to recognize that there remains a spiritual warfare of which we are a part every day.
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 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. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Ephesians 6:11-13
Whenever you are joyous, praising God, and begin your day with great hope. Suddenly, someone says something or your boss speaks down to you with utter disrespect or you suddenly have a thought of fear enter your mind. Anger, fear, feelings of inadequacy, and sadness begins to overtake your thoughts until you can no longer feel trust. Indeed, that is an example of Satanic Spirits which we must fight each and every day. They come whispering to us the lies that “god really is not good, nor does he want good for us, or god does not love us.” There are also evil spirits of corruption, lies, and pride that override governments, news media, and nations.
Daniel had become overwhelmed by despair to the point that he did not bathe, eat, nor drink anything. This great hero of faith had fallen into a deep depression as he realized that wars, violence, terrors, tragedies, and sin would continue to ravage the world for many years to come. He had lost sight of the truth that God would send a Savior to redeem all who would believe. He had lost sight that God would win the victory. It is so easy to lose sight of the goodness of God when we are in the heat of the battle.
Paul in Ephesians tells us that we must put on our armor each day so that we may fight this battle against evil. We must understand that the battle we are fighting can only be won when we fight it on a spiritual level. He reminds us in Ephesians 6:13-20
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
Paul truly understood how difficult this spiritual battle could be. He had been beaten, stoned, and imprisoned because he boldly preached the gospel. Yet, here he asks for the believers in Ephesus to pray for him. He was being held prisoner. He knew that there would most likely come a day that he would lose his life because he preached the gospel of Jesus Christ. Yet, he understood that the war was not against the people he was trying to lead to Christ. His real war was against the evil spirits which wanted to silence his voice. He asked that the Ephesians pray that he might continue to open his mouth boldly to make known the gospel.
WHAT ABOUT US?
In this spiritual warfare that we find ourselves, we must begin with protecting ourselves by covering ourselves with the armor of God. We must stand in truth as only can be found as we study the word of God. We need to put on the breastplate of righteousness by confessing our own sins and allowing the righteousness of God to shine forth through us. We must remember the truth that He has won the victory over sin for us and remind ourselves that His righteousness now indwells us. We must prepare our feet to go forth boldly, peacefully where ever God sends us to spread the gospel message. Our shield is faith.
Remember faith is knowing that God IS and God rewards those who diligently seek Him. God is all knowing, all powerful, all joy, perfect righteousness, the great I AM. God loves, rewards, provides for, and has the best plan for those who seek Him. Not those who always get it right; but, those who seek Him. The helmet that protects our mind is our Salvation which we were given freely because we believe in Jesus Christ.
Finally, our only weapons are the Sword of the Spirit, which is the word and prayer. We fight this battle by using the words of God against the evil thoughts. The Holy Spirit helps us in this battle. When thoughts tell me I am worthless, I reply, “I am the Beloved, Blessed, Redeemed Child of God.” When fear grips my heart, I reply; “Fear not, says God, for I am with you.” When sorrow fills my heart, I reply: “The Lord my God within me is mighty; he will save me, he will rejoice over me with His joy; he will rest in his love toward me, he will sing over me with His joy.” We are to pray diligently. Just as the prayer of Daniel mobilized the angels, our prayers are heard and are answered.
[bctt tweet=”Do not believe the lies Satan whispers to you! Remember you are God’s Beloved Child.” username=”effiedarlene”]
[bctt tweet=”Do not let the demonic spirits of fear fill your heart Remember God Has already Won the victory for you” username=”effiedarlene”]
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©Effie Darlene Barba, 2016
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.