2008-01-06 - Daniel ~ Chapter 10 Conclusion

Chapter 10: Part 5, Installment 82

This is the most difficult part of the warfare for us. We have grown up in a pragmatic and materialistic world. The thought of angels battling in the heavenlies, as we see in this passage, is unreal to us. And the thought of the spiritual realm becoming more real is unsettling. Nevertheless, what we see is real, and we must depend on the Holy Spirit to help us understand and fight the real battle. But our confidence is in the Lord, and the victory has been won. Satan has been defeated, and we can depend on the that victory. We have no reason to fear the outcome, and so we must stand firmly before in the midst of battle, depending on the Lord and that with which He has provided us.

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 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 rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions, with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert, and always keep on praying for all the saints" (Ephesians 6:10-18).

And so while we are engaged in a great battle, we are on the side that has already won. We fight it, as Paul shows us, by living as maturing believers. As we depend on the Lord, we stand on a sure foundation, and victory is assured. In fact, "... in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:37-39).

Let us fight the battle by being a praying body. Let us pray for each other, the individuals the Lord puts us in touch with outside the body. Let us pray the Lord will provide us the resources we need to serve Him. Most of all let us rejoice for we can always go to the Lord in prayer.

Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer,
That calls me from a world of care,
And bids me at my Father's throne
Make all my wants and wishes known:

In seasons of distress and grief
My soul has often found relief
And oft escaped the tempter's snare
By thy return, sweet hour of prayer.

Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer,
Thy wings shall my petition bear
To Him whose truth and faithfulness
Engage the waiting soul to bless:

And since He bids me seek His face,
Believe His Word, and trust His grace,
I'll cast on Him my ev'ry care,
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer.

- William Walford

Personal Application: Let us fight the battle by being a praying body. Let us pray for each other, the individuals the Lord puts us in touch with outside the body. Let us pray that the Lord will provide us the resources we need to serve Him. Most of all, let us rejoice, for we can always go to the Lord in prayer.

Prayer for the Week: Lord, Thank You that we have access to Your throne. Let us never take it for granted. In Jesus' name, amen.

Comments or Questions?
Geoff

GKragen@aol.com
http://www.cfdevotionals.org

Additional studies by Geoff
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