Faith not only ignites a rich and intimate relationship with God, but also provides us our main line of defense against our enemies. Now, I want to make it clear that people are not our enemies. As Christians, we are called to love God and love people. As stated in Ephesians 6:12,
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
That being said, the devil can and does influence and manipulate people to a) keep them in bondage, and b) destroy the people of God. A prime example is found in the book of Daniel in the sixth chapter.
Although the Israelites were under the rule of the Babylonian kingdom, Daniel found favor with the king and rose to the top utilizing God-given wisdom and supernatural understanding. In an attempt to destroy Daniel, the government officials working beneath him devised a plot to have him killed. Because they could not find any ground of accusation against Daniel regarding government affairs, they knew the only way to bring him down was to find charges against him concerning his worship of God. Therefore, they enacted an unjust law—that anyone who makes a petition to any god or man aside from the king for thirty days, should be cast into the lions’ den. Notice Daniel’s response:
“Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed, he entered his house (now in his roof chamber he had windows open toward Jerusalem); and he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks before his God, [h]as he had been doing previously.”
Look at this man of great faith! Notice Daniel went straight to God in prayer, giving thanks to the Lord. He did not grumble or complain about the unjust law, but rather he appealed to the supreme Sovereign, the Most High God who reigns from Heaven above.
Also, Daniel was not ashamed or afraid to pray openly. He did not close his windows or change his posture of prostration. We simply must not allow the schemes of the enemy to interrupt our daily rhythm of prayer and petition to God. If Daniel would have stopped praying, he would have been disconnected from the power of God to deliver him from that situation. People who remain firm in their faith will not waver or even hesitate in their obedience and relationship with God because they know the nature of God. God will never leave us nor forsake us; He makes a way where there is no way. He is worthy of our trust and complete reliance.
Let’s see how this incredible story unfolds:
The conspirators came and found him praying, asking God for help. They went straight to the king and reminded him of the royal decree that he had signed. "Did you not," they said, "sign a decree forbidding anyone to pray to any god or man except you for the next thirty days? And anyone caught doing it would be thrown into the lions' den?"
"Absolutely," said the king. "Written in stone, like all the laws of the Medes and Persians."
Then they said, "Daniel, one of the Jewish exiles, ignores you, O king, and defies your decree. Three times a day he prays."
At this, the king was very upset and tried his best to get Daniel out of the fix he'd put him in. He worked at it the whole day long.
But then the conspirators were back: "Remember, O king, it's the law of the Medes and Persians that the king's decree can never be changed."
The king caved in and ordered Daniel brought and thrown into the lions' den. But he said to Daniel, "Your God, to whom you are so loyal, is going to get you out of this."
A stone slab was placed over the opening of the den. The king sealed the cover with his signet ring and the signet rings of all his nobles, fixing Daniel's fate.
The king then went back to his palace. He refused supper. He couldn't sleep. He spent the night fasting.
You see, even though the king wanted to save Daniel, in the end, there was nothing he could do. Thank God we do not place our faith in man, but rather we place our faith in God and God alone. God will never fail us or disappoint us:
At daybreak the king got up and hurried to the lions' den. As he approached the den, he called out anxiously, "Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve so loyally, saved you from the lions?"
"O king, live forever!" said Daniel. "My God sent his angel, who closed the mouths of the lions so that they would not hurt me. I've been found innocent before God and also before you, O king. I've done nothing to harm you."
Sometimes we read the bible without realizing the impact of the statements being made. Let’s take a closer look. Firstly, the very fact that the king would even call out to Daniel asking if he’s alive displays enormous faith. In those times, they would often starve the lions before tossing someone in, and the victim would be dead before he even hit the ground. Secondly, look at Daniel’s response to the king: “O king, live forever!” Isn’t that astounding? When we put our faith in God to deliver us, all we can do to the people who have let us down is just stand and bless them. There weren’t any grudges, any hard feelings, not one exchange of harsh words. Daniel simply praised God and blessed the king!
When the king heard these words, he was happy. He ordered Daniel taken up out of the den. When he was hauled up, there wasn't a scratch on him. He had trusted his God.
Then the king commanded that the conspirators who had informed on Daniel be thrown into the lions' den, along with their wives and children. Before they hit the floor, the lions had them in their jaws, tearing them to pieces.
King Darius published this proclamation to every race, color, and creed on earth:
Peace to you! Abundant peace! I decree that Daniel's God shall be worshiped and feared in all parts of my kingdom. He is the living God, world without end. His kingdom never falls. His rule continues eternally. He is a savior and rescuer. He performs astonishing miracles in heaven and on earth. He saved Daniel from the power of the lions.
From then on, Daniel was treated well during the reign of Darius, and also in the following reign of Cyrus the Persian.
Don’t you just love that!? Because Daniel did not compromise in his worship and relationship with God, God preserved his life; his enemies were completely eradicated; the king recognized and gave glory to the one true God; and Daniel was well taken care of the rest of his days.
You absolutely cannot lose when you put your faith and complete trust in God. Faith will not only give Almighty God pure pleasure, but it will also make a spectacle of our enemies and influence the hearts of kings in the process. What an awesome God we serve!
