The Invisible War
Book of Daniel Series
CCCAG 6-1-2025
Text: Daniel 10 (CSB)
Introduction-
Today, we’re digging into Daniel 10.
With all of the chaos catching our attention in our world today, we often forget is this physical world we live in is only one of two realities. In addition to the physical plane we live in each day, there is also a spiritual plane. That spiritual plane can be sensed with our spirit, we can touch it through prayer and worship, but most of the time, we are ignorant to what is actually going on there.
It’s useful to remind ourselves that humanity was created first spiritually. Remember, God said, “Let us make humanity in our image, in our likeness”. God is a spirit being, and we are created in that likeness first.
The body was meant to house the spirit so it could interact with the creation God has made.
It's important to review that because it helps us understand the spiritual realm a little better. I believe at creation and before they sinned, Adam and Eve could interact fully with both realms. At the fall, their access to the spiritual and the Holy Spirit was cut off- revealing to them the nakedness of their condition.
Today we can only sense and experience the spiritual realm through prayer, worship, interacting with the Holy Spirit, but actually seeing into that realm is largely denied to us at this time.
We only see the effects of the spiritual realm when it crashes into the physical realm.
Our existence is like wading in the ocean and suddenly being struck by a huge wave. We can’t see or understand what caused that wave, we can only see and feel it’s effect on us and those around us.
The spiritual realm works in the same way.
Some of those waves from the invisible war around us are obvious.
Maybe it’s the sting of unfair treatment.
Maybe it’s a relationship issue, or a work problem.
Maybe it’s watching the news, looking at social media, or experiencing people who have given themselves over to the darker side of the spiritual realm trying to share it’s evil and destructiveness into our physical world.
Like me, you might be wondering why things have gone so south so fast- the answer is the spiritual battle is spilling over into our existence.
The more you read and study the bible, especially the prophetic books like Daniel and Revelation, the more you will appreciate what is happening. These books pull back the curtain for us to remind us that our Eph 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.
This is the value of studying books like Daniel and Revelation as they pull back the curtain to see into that realm.
Daniel 10 is a fascinating chapter that unveils the invisible war raging around us—spiritual battles that shape our lives.
Let’s set the stage.
Daniel feels that something not right in his spirit, leading him to mourn and fast and pray for three weeks. God pulls back the curtain on the spiritual realm for him, and he gets a view of the invisible war.
We will start with reading about what Daniel saw-
Dan 10:4-7 On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river, the Tigris, (5) I looked up, and there was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of gold from Uphaz around his waist. (6) His body was like beryl, his face like the brilliance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and feet like the gleam of polished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude. (7) Only I, Daniel, saw the vision. The men who were with me did not see it, but a great terror fell on them, and they ran and hid.
Prayer
Today, we’ll unpack five truths from Daniel 10.
(1) Jesus is with us in the battle,
(2) We are highly favored by God,
(3) Prayer is answered,
(4) Seeing the answer often requires spiritual warfare, and
(5) We must remember who we are before God.
Let’s start with the first point-
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Point 1: Jesus Is There with Us in the Battle (Daniel 10:5-6)
Daniel is in third year under Persian rule after the Medo-Persians conquered Babylon. Daniel’s prophetic gift allows him a heightened spiritual sensitivity that there is something not right. He feels God’s call to go into a time of fasting and mourning for his exiled people.
God hears this prayer, and pulls back that spiritual curtain to give Daniel a glimpse of the answer.
Daniel sees this figure—radiant, majestic, almost terrifying. The linen and gold suggest priestly purity and kingship; the lightning face and torch-like eyes scream divine power. I agree with most scholars and the commentaries that this is what is called a Christophany—a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ.
Why? The description echoes Revelation 1:13-15, where Jesus is depicted with eyes like fire, feet like bronze, and a voice like rushing waters. This isn’t just an angel; it’s a glimpse of Israel’s Messiah and our savior.
It’s very telling that this is the first thing that Daniel sees. He didn’t see angels surrounding him. God didn’t show him a view of His sovereignty over the universe.
God shows Daniel HIS Son- our ever present help in times of trouble and spiritual battles.
Through this vision, Daniel realizes that he is in a battle—
it’s spiritual,
it’s emotional,
it’s cultural.
Daniel also realizes that this is not a mountain top experience. This is not just a spiritual high. He’s in the trenches while fighting is going on all around him.
Yet Jesus appears, showing He steps into our struggles.
Whether it’s Daniel’s exile or our 2025 challenges, Jesus is present and shows us that His power is undeniable.
Application: My friends, what this shows us is that no matter what you are going through, Jesus is with you in your battles.
Jesus doesn’t watch from afar; He’s in the fight with you. His eyes like blazing torches to provide light to your situation, and; His voice like a multitude to drown out the enemies lies.
Illustration: it reminds me of a brand new soldier, fresh from basic training experiencing battle for the first time. He’s terrified, frozen in place, and doesn’t know what to do.
Suddenly his commander appears, strong and sure, barking orders and guiding him to safety.
That’s Jesus in your battle—not distant, but near, leading you through. When you feel overwhelmed, trust He’s there, as real as He was for Daniel.
That brings us powerfully to our next point-
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Point 2: We Are Highly Favored by God (Daniel 10:11)
Text: “He said to me, ‘Daniel, you are a man treasured by God. Get up and stand on your feet, for I have now been sent to you.’ After he said this to me, I stood trembling” (Dan. 10:11, CSB).
You need to see this- Jesus calls Daniel “treasured by God”, a phrase repeated in Daniel 9:23 and 10:19.
This isn’t just a casual notation. It’s a testimony of God’s deep, personal favor and love for us.
This favor isn’t earned; it’s God’s choice, rooted in His love.
This favor is given because of who Jesus is, not because of who we are or what we have done.
What this means for you and I this morning is-
You are treasured by God even when the world says you’re not enough.
You may have some serious failures in your life. God still loves you. His favor is still with you.
You may have some serious faults- God still loves you, and His favor is still with you.
You may have doubts- God still loves you, and his favor is still there for you.
You may be like Peter- ready to downplay faith in Jesus to your friends or coworkers, but God still loves you- his favor will still be there for you.
God’s love and favor are there for you because of what Jesus has done- that is why the bible says that our acts of righteousness are like filthy rags because compared to what Jesus has done- nothing we can do will ever come close.
If you are a follower of Jesus, God’s favor is there for you because through Christ HE has adopted you into his family, and the kids always have first access to the heart of the father.
Illustration: Think of a time when someone important to you affirmed you in a way that blessed your heart. Maybe a parent praised you, or a boss publicly recognized your hard work.
That is a permanent state of being with God.
Yes, you have and will fail.
You will disappoint
You will not always live up to the name you have inherited
It doesn’t make you any less of a child of God. Jesus did it all
So whenever the waves from the spiritual realm hit you in such a way that makes you feel you are less than in the Kingdom, remember this-
You’re treasured by God. Write it down: “I am treasured by God.” Let it sink in. It will be a lifeline when those negative waves hit.
That’s important to understand and have firm in your spirit, because it gives power to your prayers.
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Point 3: Prayer Is Answered (Daniel 10:12)
Text: “Don’t be afraid, Daniel,’ he said to me, ‘for from the first day that you purposed to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your prayers were heard. I have come because of your prayers’” (Dan. 10:12, CSB).
Daniel’s been praying and fasting for three weeks. He has been seeking God because of this spiritual weight that has descended upon him.
In addition, Daniel is interceding on what this might mean for his fellow Israelites who are now under Persian (Iran) control after they conquered Babylon (Iraq).
Note here- Jesus shares with us a critical truth about our prayers-Jesus says that God heard him “from the first day.”
It is really easy for us on this side of the spiritual curtain to think our prayers just go up and evaporate into the air, never seen, never heard, and it’s a waste of time.
Jesus is showing us the exact opposite AND giving some context as to how God processes the answer.
The most important thing- All prayers are heard.
Every single prayer. Even those prayed in frustration, even those prayed with anger, even though prayed selfishly- they are all heard.
God answers one of three ways- “Yes, No, or Wait”
Let’s address the yes and the no first
The central bible references that points us to this is
Matthew 7:9-11 (CSB):
(Jesus says) “Who among you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him?”
God processes our requests through a lens of what is good for us and increase our spiritual maturity, and because of that, further HIS Kingdom,
So if you ask God for something that will strengthen your spirit and your witness and effectiveness for HIS kingdom- He will move heaven and earth to help you with that.
However, when we ask for things that will do the opposite- wealth, possessions, privilege, fame, ect.
We might hear a no because all of those things can and will cause our human pride to increase, and where human pride exists, the Holy Spirit loses his place in our hearts and lives. Left unchecked, we will walk away from Jesus and forsake our salvation.
As Jesus said, “For what will it benefit someone if he gains the whole world yet loses his life? Or what will anyone give in exchange for his life?”
The life Jesus is referencing is not just our human existence- it’s the eternal life HE gives us.
You see God knows what is bread, and what is a stone. Your father knows what is a fish, and what is a snake.
That’s why it’s important to trust your FATHER with those decisions.
Now lets look at the “wait”
For Daniel’s prayer, the delay wasn’t God ignoring him. Daniel’s prayer moved heaven’s armies into action against a spiritual opposition that had to be dealt with before the answer came.
That’s what we are covering next in point 4.
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Point 4: The enemy will rise in opposition to your request- causing spiritual warfare. (Daniel 10:13)
Text: “But the prince of the kingdom of Persia opposed me for twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia” (Dan. 10:13, CSB).
Here’s the heart of the invisible war. The messenger was delayed three weeks by the “prince of Persia,” likely a demonic force, until the archangel Michael stepped in. It shows the cosmic battle launched through Daniel’s intercession.
Application: What this shows us is that when we pray, especially when we pray big prayers, we will often meet resistance.
If we are going to storm a castle, and the soldiers inside that castle see you coming, don’t you think they are going to man their stations and prepare to fight?
Same thing in the spiritual realm.
That’s why the enemy sends waves of temptation or discouragement your way. He needs to keep you distracted and doubting the power of your prayers.
But note- God reacts to the enemy’s attack, and HE doesn’t just send couple of angels- God pulls out the big guns and sends HIS mightiest angel to help- Michael the archangel.
God doesn’t mess around. If an ant sized demon is attacking, God send the elephant to step on it.
I’ve used the quote in the past, but it is very powerful here. It comes from Oswald Chambers who wrote “My Utmost for His Highest”, which is one of the most read Christian devotionals in history-
“When obedience is in the ascendant, God will tax the remotest star and the last grain of sand to assist you with all His Almighty power.”
Paraphrasing what he was saying here in relationship to our lesson
When you show the faith, the trust, and the tenacity to buckle down and fight this fight on your knees with prayer- God will destroy whole galaxies if that is what is needed for you to win this fight.
That’s the power available to you from your Father when you trust HIM and wait for the answer.
Finally, it helps us to remember Daniel’s posture at the end of this vision-
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Point 5: Remember Who We Are Before God (Daniel 10:15-19)
Text: “While he was saying these words to me, I turned my face toward the ground and was speechless. Suddenly one with the likeness of a man touched my lips… Then he said, ‘Don’t be afraid, man treasured by God. Peace to you; be very strong.’ When he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, ‘Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me’” (Dan. 10:15-19, CSB)
Imagine for a moment seeing the other side of the spiritual curtain.
Mind melt?
That’s what is happening to Daniel. He is overwhelmed—speechless, trembling, weak.
Daniel humbles himself before God, and look at what Jesus immediately reminds Daniel
He again reminds him- that he’s “treasured by God.”
This is more than comfort; it’s a call to remember his identity: loved, chosen, empowered. The command to “be very strong” echoes Joshua 1:9 (CSB), rooting Daniel in God’s purpose despite the war.
Our identity before God defines us, not the world’s chaos.
If you remember nothing else from this morning, remember that you’re worth isn’t what the world says, or what you think in the deepest corners of your minds.
Quite often, as humans we tend to gravitate toward the easy lie more than the hard truth.
But remember- Truth is reality as seen by the eyes of God. Your worth has been defined declared by HIM in the spiritual realm.
You are His child.
You are treasured,
You share in His strength,
You exist within HIS calling on your life. (we all have one!)
God is reminding us this morning says, “Be very strong—you’re mine.”
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All rise/Conclusion
This morning, we have pulled back the curtain a little on the spiritual realm. Daniel 10 shows us the other reality we sense, but can’t always peer into. It shows us the reality of the spiritual battles behind our struggles.
You are going to have some battles this week. When it happens-
Remember to stand with Jesus- He is right there with you.
Know that you are treasured by God despite what others might say.
Realize as you pray- God hears your prayers instantly, will send all of heaven’s resources to help you.
Ending Worship- “Battle Belongs”
