Monday, March 8th, ‘10

Monday, March 8^th, ‘10

WARRING FOR THE WORD

“…the message was true and one of great warfare…” (Daniel 10:1 NASB margin)

This is a tricky text. The KJV says that the vision Daniel recorded “was true, but the time appointed was long…” That differs widely from other translations that define the Hebrew wording as having to do with “war” or “conflict”. For instance NIV says, “Its message was true and it concerned a great war”. NLT furthers, “the vision concerned events certain to happen in the future—times of war and great hardship”. Robert Young’s literal translation from 1898 reads, “…the thing is true, and the warfare is great”. The best I can understand here is that the vision or “word” Daniel was to declare was not necessarily about a future war but was a word that was being “warred against”. The word causes war. Satan does not want the word to go forth. It is a struggle for us preachers to get the word, a great struggle to proclaim the word then an even greater struggle to act it out once heard. In every facet of word-ministry, from receiving revelation to delivery and doing, the enemy contests, and that is why intercessory prayer is so vital.

We know about warring “with” the word. The word of God is the sword of the Spirit. Jesus fought the Tempter with the word. But there is also warring “for” the word. If the word of God is the answer for very predicament then obviously all hell will seek to hinder it, weaken it, cause men to misconstrue it or be deaf to it. “The god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not…” (2 Cor 4:4) When the seed of truth is broadcast “Satan comes immediately, and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts” (Mark 4:15). It is a message of great warfare. The reception of the message can mean life or death for an individual so every weapon in hell’s arsenal is used to silence the message. The devil sends distractions, petty things to lure attention away. He tries to confuse the preacher’s thinking, torment him with fear that the message won’t be received or that it is too dogmatic or that he didn’t really hear from God, it was simply all made up.

Daniel knew what it was to be under attack. Any divine mouthpiece has felt the same. Gospel preaching is as hostile a mission as an invasion behind enemy lines, because it is an invasion. The word will liberate captive souls. Demonic strongholds are threatened when confronted with truth. Either hell hunkers down or marshals an all-out counteroffensive. If those anointed to pray don’t man their stations and go to war in prayer, no matter how good the message may be, it will fall flat. Daniel had visions strategic to the advance of the kingdom of God both for his day and fast-forwarding clear to our day. The enemy wanted the message stopped. He sent out his thugs but intercession won out. After Daniel fasted for twenty-one days Michael the archangel came and drove a territorial spirit out of the heavenlies. Read the whole chapter sometime. The word will work miracles, but it must be prayed through. I can’t stress how important this subject is. Learn to war for the word.