When I was in high school and college I went out for wrestling. I know, it’s hard to believe now, but there was a time I enjoyed grappling. I didn’t know until years later that wrestling is also an activity of angels, though I doubt they have the same kind of rules and referees I experienced.
Whatever side of the political spectrum you identify with, you have to admit that our nation is in the throes of change. You might approve of the changes or you might disapprove. I’m not here to give my opinion, but to alert us to the fact that it is not just a contest of ideas. The book of Daniel reveals to us that there is a SPIRITUAL element to the unrest and conflicts that nations encounter.
The Apostle Paul spoke of this battle when he stated that “we do not WRESTLE against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12)
In Daniel’s case, God had given him a vision of the future. Because he didn’t understand the meaning, he asked God for insight and comprehension. For three weeks the prophet heard no reply. Then, suddenly an angel appeared to Daniel and told him an incredible story. “Then he [the angel] 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. 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. 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.’” (Daniel 10:12–14)
The angel informed Daniel that when he left, he would “return to fight against the prince of Persia, and when I go, the prince of Greece will come.” (Daniel 10:20) Daniel finally understood his vision. The Persian Empire, with its angelic warlord, was dominant in the world at the time. But, later, it would be conquered by Greece (history validates that’s what Alexander the Great did).
There is an unseen world that is just as real as the one in which we live. The Eternal God and the created angels inhabit this unseen world. Most angels have remained loyal to God, but Satan convinced a third of them to join him in an attempted coup against God. These fallen angels are called demons in the Bible. Satan is not stupid, but he’s the biggest FOOL that has ever lived, trying to overthrow God.
However, like a vindictive bully who has been beaten, Satan continues to organize the demons in his attempt to hinder God and convince people that either God doesn’t exist or that He doesn’t care about them. The “Prince of Persia” and the “Prince of Greece” were two of Satan’s high-ranking demons.
It is my belief that there is an organized demonic hierarchy assigned to every nation, including America, and that’s why we see so much ungodliness and injustice. But, those of us who are Christ-followers have nothing to fear. God has not abdicated His throne. He still loves us and is preparing an eternal home for all those who love Jesus. Our fight isn’t against the people whose ideas are different than ours; it is against these unseen “spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12)
Our attire for this wrestling match is the Gospel, the message of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. “I am not ashamed of the GOSPEL, because it is the POWER OF GOD for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.” (Romans 1:16)
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