Daniel and the Demons - Part 2

What you doing tonight if you're a Christian, you will know that accustomed to praying for God's blessing for the poor and for the needs of others, but you also pray against Satan and his info Turning Point of the beverage or Marx's book on Cypriot reports. Stay strong, unprotected in the midst of spiritual bliss and message Daniel yesterday we began our study of the 10th chapter of the book of Daniel. Today we will finish it up and I were to talk some more about the war that goes on outside of our our vision of that's going to spill over into Monday and Tuesday of next week and the 11th chapter of the book of Daniel. These are important times to be talking about spiritual warfare.

That's kind of our our topic for these days.

Okay so let's get started with this last lesson for this week, Daniel and the demons part two Daniel chapter 10 verses 1 to 21 as we open our Bibles together will hear from our God. I think the greatest Satan is in control of this world is found in this fact that one day in the presence of Jesus. He claimed that the world was his and Jesus did not correct him.

You might want to turn to this in your Bibles to the book of Luke chapter 4 verses five through seven. This is in that temptation.

In the wilderness. I want you to notice carefully the devil taking them up into a high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and the devil sent him to the Lord all this power I will give the glory of them for that is delivered unto me and to whomsoever I will give it, if thou wilt worship me, all shall be thine. Now notice Jesus didn't say Satan who you try to get this is your world. This is my world when he answered his.

He never rebuked him at all for claiming that the world was his what he did was in verse eight Jesus said get behind me Satan, for it is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Jesus rebuked Satan for Satan's attempt to get Jesus to worship him.

But he never corrected Satan. When Satan said this world is mine, and I'm running it. Many women it will help us to understand a lot of what goes on in this world today will come to grips with the fact is this world belongs to Satan. And he's running it, but that doesn't solve some major theological questions that are swimming around in my mind, one of which is this Satan runs the world.

How does he do it. Satan is not the present. That means he can't be everywhere at once.

Some of you always talking about Satan tempting you, you know, I've got news for you. I would imagine there's probably no one in his current patient ever had a temptation directly from Satan. I want you to feel bad I put myself in that category. But Satan done mess around with the small fries we probably don't know Satan on a one-to-one basis, but we know his ambassadors, his demon and they come at every opportunity to attempt to draw us away from the things of God.

In fact that's what it means in Ephesians 612.

When it says 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 in the Weymouth translation of that verse is it this way for hours is not a conflict with mere flesh and blood. That's not where the battle is, but with despotisms and empires and forces that control and govern this dark world. The spiritual host of evil that are arrayed against us in the heavenly warfare. There is no such thing.

Men and women is abstract evil.

I think we need to get that down sometimes we think evil sort of working out there somewhere. Sort of like a cloud, but if I understand the nature of evil. Evil does not exist in the abstract evil always has an intelligent self-conscious source. There is no evil that does not originate in the personality. There is the evil that is within us and there's the evil that is personally involved with Satan and his emissaries, but I want to tell you. Satan is organized and he's got his troops out there, everywhere. In other words, the Satan runs the world he assigns the control of the kingdoms of the earth to his own angels in this passage we learn about demon that was assigned to Persia. The Prince of Persia is an assignment from Satan wants to do everything he could to keep God's plan infers you from going forward. I want to tell you that there's a demon. Certainly many of them assigned to the United States and other words Satan runs his world. Dr. Merrill Unger written a classic book on demonology said some very interesting things and I will read all of this, but just want to share with you. Couple of things that he brought out about the control of Satan in the kingdoms of the world. He writes about the demonology that's rampant in our world and he said three since the fall of man has been an unbroken attestation to the ominous fact of powers in human realm.

Whether it be a Pharaoh of Egypt oppressing the people of God or Nebuchadnezzar leading them into captivity or Emilio brutally torturing and massacring them. However, perhaps the most solemn demonstration of the utter barbarity and horrible cruelty and wickedness of man energized by demon power seemed to be reserved for the boasted civilization and enlightenment of the 20th century, Hitler the demon energized and demon directed scourge of Europe has come and gone, but he is left behind him a trail of agonizing suffering a state of chaos upon which atheistic communism is determined to perpetrate even greater. The system proclaims more blatant doctrines of demons and slaves more people and murders even greater numbers of innocent victim is talking about, is you remember earlier when we were studying what happened to the Jews that I told you that history reports that when Hitler was getting ready to go on a major campaign. He often spent the majority of the night before that campaign.

According to those around him communing with the spirit world. He was in touch with his prints.

Certainly with evil Angel it was assigned to direct the affairs of that wicked tyrant know what we're seeing here is an amazing thing.

There is a great conflict on earth, often in our hearts, and there is always a conflict on earth between the forces of evil and the forces of God and that conflict is also going on up in heaven between the angels of Satan and the angels of God. But as I mentioned our theological questions are easily solved because some of you are sitting back there. Same with Jeremiah. I thought you preach that Satan was judged at the cross. I mean that's what it says in the Bible John 1611 says that the ruler of the world was judged at the cross and Hebrews chapter 2 in verse 14 says that Christ through death destroyed him that had the power of death, that is. That's right. Satan was judged at the cross, but if he was judged house, he seems to be winning coming for a dead person. He sure seems quite alive.

We look at our world today, we see the rapid deterioration of the home. We see the rapid demise of the visible organized church we see the calamity of nations of states and cities. Satan seems to gain control of philosophy and religion and politics. Satan is judged I want to know who is doing his work. I think maybe more than anything else. I say this is the thing that helps me more understand what's going on in our world.

The Bible is very clear that Satan has been judged at the cross of Calvary's victory was a victory that destroyed all the claims that Satan has upon us. But the enforcement of that victory is a different matter.

See, that's really the question legally. Calvary was Satan's complete undoing.

Legally, the cross completely destroyed. Satan legally.

All claims were canceled when the Lord died on the cross.

But like any other legal victory. It's got to be enforced Sunday it will be enforced forever.

When Satan is thrown into the pit of hell in there forever with his angels is consigned to lawful torment, but he is loose today.

Even though the sentence has been passed in the judgment has been rendered that sentence, which was legally taken care of at the cross is not enforced, it will not be of any value to us. Now let me see if I explain what I mean in our government we have three branches. We have the legislative government which makes the laws we have the judiciary branch which supposedly interprets the laws. Sometimes they try to make a few to then we have the executive branch of the government and we know that the purpose of the executive branch of government is to enforce the law. No back some years ago. Some of you remember there was an amendment that was fought over called the 18th amendment and the 18th amendment was passed legally in the Congress. It became an official law.

There wasn't anyone who could dispute that the 18th amendment was legal it was legal on every book. Everybody knew it was legal was anything you could do to dispute its legality, but unfortunately the enforcement of the 18th amendment was put into the hands of the then secretary-treasurer man by the name of Melanie who happened to be the owner of the largest Rotary syndicate in the world. And guess what, he didn't enforce the amendment.

So all of the legality of the amendment have nothing whatsoever to do with what was going on in the world because the one charged to enforce it wasn't enforcing it at all, and in my estimation, that's what's going on in our world today.

Satan has been judged at the cross. The Bible says that he is been defeated that he has wonderfully and legislatively been rendered inoperative in the world one day. That sentence will be carried out and forever you will be banished from our presence. But in this present world. The church of Jesus Christ, which is the body of Christ has been put in charge of enforcing that sentence we don't enforce Satan runs rampant. You say how do we enforce the sentence. Well, we enforce the sentence. Men and women through prayer. You want things that so often we get locked into the idea that prayer is to someone in the Bible teaches us that prayer is also against someone turn in your Bibles now to a key passage that will teach us that truth in second Corinthians chapter 10 verses four and five.

In this passage of Scripture we are told how to fight the battle, how we enforce the judgment that is been passed against Satan.

It says in verse four, second grade beam stand for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, that means not we do humanly not fleshly but they are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to be obedience of Christ. You turn over your Bibles to the book of Ephesians you will see it again. Ephesians chapter 6 we read this earlier, but I want you to notice beginning in verse 11 it says put on the whole armor of God, that you might 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.

Therefore take you the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, having done all, to stand stand having your loins girded about with truth having on the breastplate of righteousness your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith you will be able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. Now notice praying always with all prayer there only to offensive weapons in this list.

Once the word of God and the others prayer.

We often don't even include prayer in the list of weaponry and it's the most important weapon in the list. The Bible says that this battle that wages out there that affects what goes on down here is ultimately won by what we do and praying. Why is it that the angel finally prevailed and got to earth. In my estimation, it was because Daniel never quit praying. Daniel kept on praying and importune prayer and over and over again he prayed, and ultimately the victory that release that Angel from the charge in heaven, accompanied by the strength of Michael was that Daniel continued to pray. In other words, the tool that enforces Satan's defeat is the tool of prayer. So in essence, the praying people in the church of the body politic of the church, you know, we think we solve all the problems by what we do with voting and what we do in our elections and all that but if I understand this correctly. We do a lot more by what we do on our knees than we really understand the praying people really settle the issues that are important. Now if we really believe that and I know we give lip service to it. But if we really believe that you know what praying would be the main business of the church. It really would be, but here's where Satan has defeated us. He is so slick. Satan has defeated us because he keeps us all busy reading the latest bestsellers of the Christian bookstores organizing all kinds of evangelistic strategy studying successful methods of church growth administrating counseling, putting out the fires of opposition and we don't have the time to pray and so were running around try to get all this work done and the one thing that's really going to make the difference doesn't get done.

And so were frustrated and tired and were fatigue and were always just one step ahead of the latest fire that's being fanned in our lives and we wonder why we don't have the victory and I want to say to you that what God is been teaching me and I surely haven't learned it at the ultimate but what God is teaching me is there is any way that you ever going to have victory in a ministry in a life in the church unless you come to grips with the power that God is put within our hands in prayer. We are too busy to pray.

Someone said the modern American is a person who drives his bank finance car over a bond financed highway on credit card finance gas to open a charge account at the department store so I can fill his savings-and-loan financed home with installment purchase furniture. I got this figured out you know that means were always running around try to figure out how we can get a little more this a little more that we keep up with them and those were filled with anxiety and pressure, and we've lost sight of the simple life and we don't have any time to get alone with God. We don't have any time to deal with him as we ought to be dealing with him and so were losing the battle at the most crucial part of the opportunity God has given us the part I would dare say that if I could be honest that most of us do not have a very high view. We think it's important we know are supposed to do it. We give it a look and a promise as often as we can. We pray once in a while before we go to bed we pray sometimes before we eat once in a while we get a real tough shape. We know we do a little thing on God asked him to get us out of trouble.

But I'm talking about the serious kind of fervent praying that makes a difference in what goes on in our lives and in the life of this earth message what God is telling us is that the church will not pray that God will not act I did understand that for a long time would you see God has determined that he will only operate in this world through prayer. God doesn't need our prayers to get his work done, but he is using prayer to teach us what it means to live the life of sovereignty that one day we will live in the kingdom and I like to think of prayer like this. I have a safety deposit box at the bank. I don't know what in the world for what we people are little papers and things in their when you go down to that safety deposit box, you go and you know what it's like you have a key. When you go and you have to go to the place where they keep that in the secretary that works in that area.

She has a key and you go into the vault and you put your key in the lock and she puts her key in the lock and you turn it ended safety deposit boxes.

Release my estimation, that's what prayer is all about. There was a day in the matter of Satan. When God put his key in the box and he defeated Satan, and he has determined that that defeat will be implemented in our lives when we put the key prayer in and we turn it and then that victory is released to us. We have not because we asked not.

We are not in victory, because we don't take what God has given us and we don't play against Satan. We don't play against a strategy in our schools and in our homes and in our country. I daresay that most of us don't even really comprehend, and I know it's been a new thing in my life understand what it means to pray against what praying to praying for praying against you know I believe God delights to back us in the corners that are so tight we can wiggle thing we can do is look up look at the word is look. My child is teaching your weapons are carnal. It's not what you can figure out what to do, make any difference you can't win that battle. But there is a weaponry that's available to you and that weaponry is the spiritual weapons, one of which is prayer. There's a story in the Old Testament that illustrates what I'm trying to say in the great battle that goes on between heaven and earth defeating the satanic influence in our life. If you get a chance sometime you might want to read it.

But let me just tell it to you because most of you already know what story is recorded in the 17th chapter the book of Exodus. The story is that the water that the Jewish people needed so badly been provided to the flinty rock, but the Amalekites were standing in the way and they weren't going to let them have and so a great battle broke out. What were they going to do while they did two things. First of all, Joshua and his soldiers went down into the valley and begin the fight with the Amalekites and they begin the war with them, but that was only the first thing the second thing that happened was really strange.

The Scripture says that a man of God went up into the mountain between heaven and earth. And we know that was Moses and God gave them a lot. And God said Moses as long as you hold his lot up my soldiers down in the valley are going to prevail, but if you ever let this rot down in the Amalekites are going to start winning so you know, Moses wanted to get a shapely hell that thing up for a while but he said he got pretty heavy and when he let it down the Amalekites begin to prevail against the Jew. And so the Scripture says that Aaron and went up and one of them put Moses up on a rock in the other stood on the other side, one on each side and when Moses arms got tired.

They held the rod up so that victory would always be experienced in the valley down below what was going on up there determine what was going on down here so often the only thing we see when we look at the warfare in this world is what's going on down there and we think mine isn't that a wonderful church.

They seem to be doing everything well and isn't that a spiritual people. I can promise you that if there's anything good that's going on in this ministry, because unknown to us on seem to us.

There are some people up there holding the rod up there making it possible for us to experience the victory that we know down here and I want to say to you that the measure of our victory in the measure of God's blessing upon us and the ability that God would give to us to meet the needs of this ministry and to see it be what God wants it to be is directly proportionate not only to our praying for to our praying against because I tell you what.

If you're free to Satan.

The worst place. You should be is where there's a whole bunch of God's people because Satan worry about the folks out there. He's Artie got them when he gets his sights on a whole collection of future leaders potential servants potential ministers and pastors and missionaries he sees them all gather together in one place and how we help and we concentrate all in one place. You have to send a whole lot of folks down here to do his job.

He just… It's a daily battle daily confrontation and there's no ultimate victory. And there's no place where you can relax and there's no one place we can say well I can stop praying for men and women. If we are going to survive for the grace of God and for the glory of God. We have got to start praying.

I'm not talking about surface kind of praying I'm talking about the kind of intensity we see in this passage of Scripture romance burden could meet. Praying will consist of the end of the 10th chapter brings us to be end of this week and thank you for being with us every day. I hope that the teaching of the Scripture has been an encouragement and strengthening resource in your life and want to remind you that for many churches kind of challenging thing, though I don't know what's going on in your church over this weekend, but whatever it is, however, it's working.

Whatever God is doing in your assembly be a part of it.

Be an active part of it.

More than ever before. We need each other. We need to bind together with one another and and realize that God gave us each other for times like this for times for us to be encouraging one another and those around us and certainly to be an encouragement to your pastor who if he is like me gets up every morning during these days, and wonders what is today going to bring forth. Make sure you know him make sure he knows you and that you're on his team and ready to help them any way possible. So have a great weekend.

Look for us on television. Your community will be there and then will be back on Monday. Sort of continue the steam Monday the subject is the message that the demons fought over. Don't miss Monday here on Turning Point of the Jeremiah message today from Sugar Mountain community church with Dr. David Jeremiah serves as senior pastor does not have Turning Point is touching your life. Please write to us a Turning Point in San Diego, CA 92163 visit our website Jeremiah.all/writing copy of their test bodies captivating. The last and Israeli inside and looked in time was for a gift of any amount purchased the Jeremiah study Bible standard vision and new international version as well is lunch print and you can join your choice of attractive Jeremiah total/writing the data. I'm very join us Monday as we continue the handwriting on the Turning Point for taking time to listen to the friend he's in question will