THE THIRD PART: 24 CRUCIAL LINES IN THE BIBLE
Spiritual Warfare
Message Three—The Need of Spiritual Warfare to Bring In the Kingdom of God
Scripture Reading: Dan. 7:1-27; 10:10—11:1; Rev. 12:10a; 11:15
I. According to the record in Daniel 7, Daniel saw a vision of God and His universal dominion and of the coming of the Son of Man to receive a kingdom:
A. “I watched / Until thrones were set, / And the Ancient of Days sat down. / His clothing was like white snow, / And the hair of His head was like pure wool; / His throne was flames of fire, / Its wheels, burning fire. / A stream of fire issued forth / And came out from before Him. / Thousands of thousands ministered to Him, / And ten thousands often thousands stood before Him. / The court of judgment sat, / And the books were opened”—vv. 9-10:
1. This is a vision of God and His universal dominion, with the fire signifying that God is absolutely righteous and altogether holy—Heb. 12:29.
2. A special court, with God’s throne as the center, has been set up in the universe to judge the four human empires—Dan. 7:2-10, 26.
3. While the struggles are taking place between the human governments, God is behind the scene, managing the world situation—Rev. 4:1-3, 10-11.
B. “There with the clouds of heaven / One like a Son of Man was coming; / And He came to the Ancient of Days, / And they brought Him near before Him. / And to Him was given dominion, glory, and a kingdom, / That all the peoples, nations, and languages might serve Him. / His dominion is an eternal dominion, which will not pass away; / And His kingdom is one that will not be destroyed”—Dan. 7:13-14:
1. Concerning His judgment, God has given all power and authority to Jesus Christ as the Son of Man; hence, Daniel 7:13 and 14 describe the coming of Christ as the Son of Man—John 5:22, 27.
2. The coming here is Christ’s ascension after He accomplished the work of redemption—Acts 1:9; cf. Rev. 5:6-7.
3. In His ascension Christ as the Son of Man is before the throne of God to receive dominion and a kingdom—Dan. 7:13-14:
a. After Christ as the Son of Man receives the kingdom from God, He will come back to rule over the entire world—Luke 19:12, 15.
b. Christ’s coming will terminate the entire human government on earth, and it will bring in the eternal kingdom of God—Dan. 2:34-35, 44; Rev. 12:10a; 11:15.
II. Because a war is taking place in the spiritual world behind the physical world, there is the necessity of spiritual warfare, of fighting, to bring in the kingdom of God—Dan. 10:10—11:1; Eph. 6:10-18; Rev. 12:10a; 11:15:
A. “Your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me for twenty-one days; but now Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me”—Dan. 10:12b-13a:
1. For us to know God’s economy, we need to see the spiritual things behind the physical things, the spiritual world behind the physical world—vv. 20-21.
2. It is crucial for us to see that behind the physical scene a spiritual struggle, a struggle not seen with human eyes, is taking place—vv. 12-13, 20-21:
a. Behind the physical scene, a spiritual struggle, an invisible spiritual war, is taking place—Eph. 6:10-20.
b. The spiritual scene in Daniel 10 includes both good and evil spirits that are engaged in an invisible spiritual war—vv. 12-13, 20-21.
c. While Daniel was praying for twenty-one days, a spiritual struggle was taking place in the air between two spirits, one belonging to Satan and the other belonging to God—9:3; 10:2-3, 12:
(1) The angelic messenger had been fighting against the prince of the kingdom of Persia, probably an evil spirit, a rebellious angel, who followed Satan in his rebellion against God—v. 20a; Rev. 12:4a.
(2) Michael, a prince fighting for Israel, fought together with the angelic messenger against the evil spirits—Dan. 10:13, 21.
d. Isaiah 14:12-14 unveils Satan’s kingdom of darkness and his oneness with the rulers of the nations.
e. The vision in Revelation 12 unveils the true situation in the universe—the warfare between God and His enemy.
f. In our spiritual fighting, we deal not with things that appear on the surface but with the power of darkness behind these things—Eph. 2:6; 6:12.
B. The church must engage in spiritual warfare, fighting to bring in the kingdom of God—Matt. 12:28; Eph. 6:10-18; Rev. 12:10a; 11:15:
1. “Your kingdom come; Your will be done, as in heaven, so also on earth”—Matt. 6:10:
a. The coming of the kingdom is not automatic; if there is no prayer, the kingdom cannot come.
b. Genuine prayer is a joint labor with God to bring His kingdom to the earth and to carry out His will on earth; hence, prayer is a spiritual battle—2 Cor. 10:4; Eph. 6:12.
2. “Now has come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ”—Rev. 12:10:
a. Along with our praying for the coming of the kingdom of God, we need to fight for it—Matt. 6:10; Eph. 6:10-18:
(1) In order for the kingdom of the heavens to be established, there is the need of spiritual fighting—Matt. 12:22-29.
(2) The responsibility of the church is to continue the warfare that Christ fought on earth; the church must continue the victorious work that Christ has carried out against Satan—Heb. 2:14; 1 John 3:8b; Col. 2:15; Psa. 149:5-9.
b. The overcoming believers fight against Satan to usher in God’s kingdom—Rev. 12:10-11.
3. “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever”—11:15:
a. Spiritual warfare is the warfare between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan—Matt. 12:26, 28.
b. The purpose of spiritual warfare is to bring in the kingdom of God—Rev. 12:10.
c. The kingdom of God is the exercise of the divine will and the overthrowing of the power of Satan by the power of God—Matt. 6:10.
d. Wherever the devil has been cast out and wherever the work of the enemy has been displaced by God’s power, the kingdom of God is there—12:28; Rev. 12:7-10.
4. “The kingdom and dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; His kingdom is an eternal kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him”—Dan. 7:27; cf. v. 18.
Ministry Excerpts:
What we see outwardly is the physical world, but behind the physical world is the spiritual. In the spiritual world Christ is the preeminent One. Therefore, in chapter ten He is mentioned first (vv. 4-9). He is described as wearing a linen robe, being girded with a golden girdle, and having a body like beryl (vv. 5-6).After this vision of Christ, an angelic messenger came to tell Daniel about the things behind the physical world. He told Daniel that he himself was fighting against the prince of the kingdom of Persia, a rebellious evil spirit. Then Daniel was told that there was another evil spirit, the prince of Greece (Javan). There was also the archangel Michael, who was a prince fighting for Israel. At least four spirits are covered here.
THE MAIN SUBJECT OF THE VISION
The main subject of the vision concerning the destiny of Israel is the great distress. The Hebrew word translated distress in 10:1b denotes trial, distress, conflict, warfare, or an army. Here it refers to a great distress suffered by God’s people. That distress came upon Israel from a war between the king of the south and the king of the north, referring to Egypt and Syria respectively. When Syria and Egypt fought each other, they waged war on Israel’s land because it was used as a thoroughfare for the two kings to invade each other. These wars were a distress, a trial, to the children of Israel. This was especially true of the war that was waged by a descendant of one of the four successors of Alexander the Great who was at that time the king of Syria. This descendant, Antiochus Epiphanes, a full type of Antichrist, was a real trial sent by God to His chosen people, because they had become corrupt after their return from captivity.
THE SCENE IN THE UNIVERSE
BEFORE THE RELEASE OF THIS VISION
Daniel 10:2—11:1 shows us the scene in the universe—the spiritual world behind the physical—before the release of this vision.
DANIEL SETTING HIS HEART TO UNDERSTAND
THE FUTURE OF ISRAEL
Daniel, a man on the earth, set his heart to understand the future, the destiny, of Israel (vv. 2-3, 12). This he did for twenty-one days.
THE EXCELLENT CHRIST APPEARING TO DANIEL
After those twenty-one days, Daniel saw a particular vision in 10:4-9. The excellent Christ, the centrality and universality of God’s move on the earth, appeared to Daniel for his appreciation, consolation, encouragement, expectation, and stabilization. In our eyes the incarnation took place at a definite point in time, whereas in God’s view there is only the fact but no time element. In the universe there is the fact that the Triune God became a man. This is revealed in Matthew and Luke. This excellent Christ appeared to Daniel for his appreciation, consolation, encouragement, expectation, and stabilization.
IN HIS STRONG SPEAKING
Finally, Christ appeared to Daniel in His strong speaking for judging people. His strong speaking is signified by the sound of His words being like the sound of a multitude (v. 6e).The Christ whom Daniel saw was such a One. He is precious, valuable, complete, and perfect. As a man He is the very centrality and universality of God’s move to carry out His economy. He is so precious, bright, shining, enlightening, and testing. As the Priest He is taking care of us, and as the King He is ruling over us. How wonderful He is!
It was not with his physical eyes that Daniel saw this vision of Christ. Verse 7 says, “I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision.” Because the vision of Christ was spiritual, not physical, it was seen only by Daniel and not by those who relied on their physical sight. Concerning seeing the vision of Christ, the physical view avails nothing. For this reason, in the eyes of the worldly people, Jesus is merely a human being. But under God’s mercy and with a spiritual view, we may see how dear and precious Christ is. We all need to see the Christ Daniel saw. May we all see the vision of the excellent Christ in chapter ten of Daniel.
THE EVIL PRINCE OF THE KINGDOM OF PERSIA
WITHSTANDING THE SENT ANGELIC MESSENGER
Following the vision concerning Christ as the precious One in God’s move, we see something regarding the spiritual struggle in the air. According to verses 10 through 17, the evil prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood the sent angelic messenger, probably one of the chief princes, for twenty-one days. Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help the sent angelic messenger, and the sent messenger remained there with the kings of Persia. The evil prince of the kingdom of Persia must have been an evil spirit, a rebellious angel, who followed Satan in his rebellion against God and who was commissioned by Satan to help Persia. This evil spirit struggled against the sent angelic messenger for twenty-one days. This means that while Daniel was praying for all those days, a spiritual struggle was taking place in the air between two spirits, one belonging to Satan and the other belonging to God. They were fighting because the sent angelic messenger (he might have been Gabriel) had been sent by God in answer to Daniel’s prayer.
THE ANGELIC MESSENGER RETURNING
TO FIGHT WITH THE EVIL PRINCE OF PERSIA
In verses 18 through 21 we see more of the spiritual struggle behind the scene. The angelic messenger would return to fight with the evil prince of Persia. The evil prince of Greece was then about to come. No one would hold with the angelic messenger against these two evil princes except Michael, the prince of Israel. The name Michael means “Who is like God?”
THE ANGELIC MESSENGER STANDING UP
TO SUPPORT AND STRENGTHEN DARIUS
In the first year of Darius the Mede, the angelic messenger stood up to support and strengthen Darius (11:1). Darius was strengthened in this way in order to receive the kingdom. Before the vision concerning the destiny of Israel was unveiled to Daniel, he was given a vision of the spiritual scene that is behind the physical scene. In this spiritual scene Christ is preeminent. This scene also includes both good and evil spirits, spirits that are engaged in an invisible spiritual war. (Life-Study of Daniel, msg. 15)
BEING EMPOWERED IN THE LORD
The fact that we need to be empowered in the Lord indicates that we cannot fight the spiritual warfare in ourselves; we can fight only in the Lord and in the might of His strength. In 6:10 Paul refers to power, might, and strength. Firstly, we are empowered by the power that raised Christ from among the dead and made Him to be the Head over all things. Then we know God’s might and strength.
PUTTING ON THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD
Verse 11 opens with the words, “Put on the whole armor of God.” To fight the spiritual warfare, we need not only the power of the Lord, but also the armor of God. Our weapons do not avail, but God’s armor, even the whole armor of God, does.
The whole armor of God is for the entire Body, not for any individual member of the Body. The church is a corporate warrior, and the believers together make up this unique warrior. Only the corporate warrior can wear the whole armor of God; no individual believer can. We must fight the spiritual warfare in the Body, not individually.
ABLE TO STAND AGAINST THE STRATAGEMS OF THE DEVIL
By putting on the whole armor of God, we are able to stand against the stratagems of the Devil. These stratagems are the Devil’s evil plans. Not only does the Devil have an evil will, but he also has subtle stratagems to work out his will. Even now Satan is busily working and plotting to carry out his evil, subtle stratagems. (Life-Study of Ephesians, msg. 63)
THE GIRDLE OF TRUTH
Suppose, however, that your daily living is far below the standard of the truth as it is in Jesus. Instead of being able to stand and to withstand in the evil day, you will flee. Because in your daily walk there is no testimony and no expression of God, you do not have the strength to stand against the stratagems of the Devil. If our daily living is loose, we are not able to stand against the powers of darkness. In order for us to stand, our daily living must be according to the principle of the truth and up to the standard of the truth. As we have pointed out, this truth is God Himself expressed as the principle of our daily walk, as the standard of our daily living, and as the pattern of our life.
Those who have such a living certainly have their loins girded with truth. These are the ones who are able to face attack and opposition. Because they are girded with truth, they can stand before the opposers. But if God is not expressed in our daily life and walk, we shall not have a girdle about our loins, and we shall have no strength to stand against the enemy. We shall not have the power to face opposition or controversy.
THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
If in anything we are not righteous, our conscience will be a conscience with offense. But if we are to engage in spiritual warfare, we must have a conscience void of offense, a conscience without holes. When our conscience has holes in it, our faith will leak out through the holes. If accusations and offenses remain on our conscience, faith will disappear. Therefore, we need to deal with our conscience in order to have a good conscience, a conscience void of offense. In addition, we need to put on the breastplate of righteousness to cover our conscience.
Whenever we are about to fight the spiritual warfare, Satan, the accuser, attacks our conscience. He does not trouble us so much in this way at other times, Satan knows when there are offenses on our conscience. When he accuses us with respect to these offenses, we are immediately weakened.
THE FIRM FOUNDATION OF THE GOSPLE OF PEACE
We also must preach this peace as the gospel. The gospel of peace spoken of in 6:15 is the peace accomplished by Christ on the cross for us to be one with God and for the Gentile believers to be one with the Jewish believers. This peace is our gospel. With this peace there is preparation, readiness. The Greek word actually means a firm foundation. This firm foundation is a secure footing for our standing. Therefore, the peace accomplished by Christ on the cross is a firm footing, a firm foundation. As we fight against the evil powers, the peace Christ has accomplished is a firm foundation for our feet. To take part in the spiritual warfare, our feet must be shod with this firm foundation. (Life-Study of Ephesians, msg. 64)
THE SHIELD OF FAITH
The Devil’s flaming darts come as thoughts injected into our mind. These thoughts may seem to be our own thoughts, but they are actually Satan’s. I used to believe that such thoughts were my own. Later I began to realize that they came from Satan. I discovered this after such thoughts persisted in coming after I had decided not to entertain them. I saw that these thoughts were not mine, but Satan’s. Prior to that time, my practice was to confess all these thoughts to the Lord. Now I refuse to confess them. However, some may think that even though these thoughts come from Satan, they are injected into us because we are evil. Do not believe this. Rather, you should say, “Lord, I am fallen, but I am under Your cleansing. Satan, this thought is yours, and you must bear the responsibility for it. I will not share this responsibility.” Nevertheless, due to an overly sensitive conscience some continually confess things that are caused by Satan. Never confess thoughts injected into you by Satan in his subtlety.
THE HELMET OF SALVATION
Satan’s darts come to us through our mind. Therefore, just as our conscience needs the breastplate of righteousness and our will needs the shield of faith, so our mind needs the helmet of salvation. We need truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and then salvation. Righteousness issues in peace, and peace gives us the ground to have faith. Then faith brings in salvation. Do not separate the helmet of salvation from the shield of faith. The shield protects the front of our being, but the helmet protects our head. The shield and the helmet work together.
THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT
In our Christian experience, the Word and the Spirit must always be one. It is an utter falsehood to say that we take the Spirit without taking the Word. Without taking the Word, we cannot have the Spirit. In my experience, I receive the Spirit mostly through the Word. As I contact the Word in a living way, it becomes the Spirit to me.
As we engage in spiritual warfare against the enemy, we do not use gimmicks, skills, or politics. Our only weapon is the Spirit-Word, which is the sword. We do not employ cunning craftiness—we wield the sword of the Spirit. Our loins are girded with truth, and our conscience is covered by Christ as our righteousness. Then we have peace as our firm foundation. We can boast to the whole universe that we have no problems with God or man, for we are standing on the peace accomplished by Christ on the cross. Furthermore, we are protected by the shield of faith and guarded by the helmet of salvation. Therefore, when we pray-read the Word, every word becomes the rhema, the sword that cuts the enemy. In this way the victory is ours. We not only subdue the enemy and defeat him, but slay him and even cut him into pieces. This is what it means to fight the spiritual warfare with the whole armor of God. The church must be such an equipped, fighting, and victorious church to slay God’s enemy. (Life-Study of Ephesians, msg. 65)