We are looking at the prayers that sent Daniel to the lions den.

  1. He was praying for the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the return of the people to their homeland
  2. Daniel prayed for 70 years until he was able to say, “God, you always keep your covenant”

1. The Two Angels

Daniel 10: 12 – 14 Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. 13 But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. 14 Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come.”

The answer to Daniels prayer came instantly, but there was a demonic force that stopped the answer from reaching Daniel for 21 days. Michael the Arc angel came and helped the answer get through.

How do you know if there are angels if you can’t see them? In the air right now are a number of radio, television, and shortwave frequencies. We can’t see them but with the right receptor, we can pick them up. Just because we can’t see something doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist

2. Who are Angels?

Mentioned 108 times int he Old Testament and 165 times in the New Testament

Created Beings Colossians 1: 16 – 17 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

We don’t become angels when we die. Hebrews 12: 22, 23 when we get to heavenly Jerusalem we will be met by myriads of angels and the spirits of righteous men made perfect TWO SEPARATE GROUPS

What do angels look like?

  • They are spirits so they can only be seen when they reveal themselves EXAMPLE: Balaam and the donkey who saw the angel before he did)
  • Sometimes appear as a man and always as an adult.
  • Only one reference to them having wings (Isaiah 6: 2 and they have six wings) otherwise they don’t have them.

3. What do Angels Do?

4. Evil Angels

There are evil angels out there too

To Create a New Culture, we have to know how to deal with the spiritual realm

5. Warfare

Ephesians 6: 10 – 12 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 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. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 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.

We are not fighting against other people, we are fighting against spiritual forces that are working behind them.

Vs 11 put on = sink into

Luke 24: 49 endued with power from on high

Ephesians 4: 24 put on your new nature created to be like God truly righteous and holy.

Don’t have time to talk about the armor and what it all is. We will start a series on Ephesians in the fall and will come back to it. Will give you this. Don’t have to put on each piece each day. Put on righteousness, Belt of truth tell the truth. It is God’s armor, we need to sink into Him

Colossians 3: 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator

renewed means refreshed in the knowledge of the creator.

We put on the armor by growing in our knowledge of God and being refreshed in that knowledge.

2 Corinthians 10: 3 – 6 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 6 And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.

  1. wage warfare = lead an army against the devil and his agents (Not flesh and blood)
  2. Weapons for a campaign rather than a battle
  3. Divine power as seen through God’s eyes
  4. Strongholds anything someone else is relying on. 2 Timothy 2: they will come to their senses and escape the devil’s trap for he has taken them captive by him to do whatever he wants.
  5. Imaginations thoughts that they are living right when they are not. (Romans 2: 15)
  6. Paul is going to war against the audacity of thinking that people put in the place of God. EXAMPLE: fear instead of faith, pluralism instead of right and wrong
  7. Real freedom is being obedient to Christ.
  8. Readiness being held. Something is ready to pour out when disobedience disappears EXAMPLE: Romans 12: 14 Bless those who persecute you, don’t curse pray that God will bless them. Blessings in readiness to be poured out on them.)

Sum up warfare

  1. Realizing warfare is against spiritual beings
  2. I am sinking into Jesus
  3. this warfare is a campaign
  4. I pray that people will start to have God thoughts
  5. I come against any thoughts that are contrary to those God thoughts.
  6. Because you are ready to pour yourself out upon them.