Winning The War Of Weariness Series

Think about that for a second, and I think you will agree with me that it makes pretty good sense. Those weapons that Satan will use in the end time battles, are probably not just sitting on the shelf, unused. They are probably already being put into action. Being honed for the great final war. They are probably already impacting our lives, here in 2007.

If that is true. . .if my contention is somewhere close to accurate. . .then what we have revealed for us here is top secret information. I mean, the military loves to get a hold of battle plans, weaponry, and insider information regarding the enemy’s behavior. And Daniel gives us some here.

Look at verse 25 again (read).

Did you see them? Did you see two of the ways that we know Satan is going to work against the saints, and I believe is working against the saints today, to wear us down? Through “changing the times, and the law.” Or as another version puts it, through “alterations in times and law.”

And the express purpose of these changes, alterations, manipulations of time and law are to wear out the saints. But I want us to focus in on the first one of these today. Changes in the time.

Step back with me a little bit. A few thousand years at least. Who is the original definer of night and day? (God) Who is the authority that set in place for the people of Israel the seasons and festivals, and sacred times of reflection and worship? (God) Within whose power do we even find the ability to stop the sun, or as we know now astrologically, stop the earth’s orbit around the sun? (God)

That’s right. God is the creator, definer, and authority of time. But who is the prince of this world? (Satan) It is Satan. In fact, three different times in the gospel of John alone Jesus refers to Satan as the ruler, the prince of this world.

And we also know from God’s word that as time goes on, Satan’s authority is growing and expanding here on earth up until the day of the ultimate battle with Christ.

And as that authority expands, we see here in Daniel that he is even going to be able to begin altering, changing, manipulating time, whether it is religious festivals, calendar times, timing of events, and laws.

And he is going to do this why? To wear out the saints.

You know, fifty-eight times in the Bible, the phrase “how long” is cried out by those who are wearing out. Growing wearing. Satan loves to drag-on the battle with delays. He loves to push back our victory. To hamper our freedom. And if we allow him, he will persist until we wear out. Give up. Quit.

Daniel had to experience this first hand. Turn to Daniel 10. Look at this passage with me. Daniel 10 (read through verse 14).

Poor Daniel. He is praying and fasting, and praying and fasting, and praying and fasting. One week passes. Two weeks pass. A third week passes. Why? Was it because God didn’t hear his prayer? Was it because God was ignoring his prayer?

No, the minute his prayer went up, it was heard, and God sent His angels in motion. But there is a lot of stuff going on up there. And the spirits being sent to minister to Daniel are hampered by Satan’s forces, and time is altered. Delays take place. Daniel finds himself having to. . .wait.