BREAKING THE SATANIC INFLUENCES FOR SPEEDY ANSWERS
BREAKING THE SATANIC INFLUENCES FOR SPEEDY ANSWER
Dan 10:12-13 KJV 12 Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. 13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.
Dan 10:20 KJV Then said he, Knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee? and now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come.
Daniel prayed in Dan 9 and his prayer was answered at the same hour on the same day.
Dan 9:23 KJV At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.
He prayed again with fasting and prayer, so you expected a speedy answer, but the angel did not come until 21days. The prayer was answered the same hour and same day as the first, but the angel bringing the answer was delayed from coming for 21days (about 3 weeks).
According to the angel, the prince of Persia withstood him.
The Hebrew word is “amad’ and it means to stand still, stop (moving or doing), cease
to tarry, delay, remain, continue, abide,
In Greek, withstood is “anthistemi”. It means to set one’s self against, to withstand, resist, oppose, to set against
What were they doing for 21 days (about 3 weeks)? Another angel, Michael, was deployed to help out. What were all of them doing? How was the war fought and with what weapon?
There is always a battle between forces of good and evil over every mankind. This battle takes place somewhere. Where?
2Co 10:4-5 KJV 4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
Imaginations and thoughts occur in the mind.
Strongholds are imaginations, learnings, information, and traditions that have been instilled in the minds of the people for a very long time and have formed a pattern of reasoning and accessing life.
Strongholds according to Paul are arguments, ideologies, or false perceptions that oppose the knowledge of God.
We equally wrestled with the demonic forces
Eph 6:12 KJV 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.
Paul also said we should take the whole armour of God to engage in this warfare. There are two reasons why he said every Christian should take the weapons:
1. Against the wiles of the devil
Eph 6:11 KJV Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
2. Against the evil day
Eph 6:13 KJV Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
The word “Wile” in Greek is “”methodeia” It means cunning arts, deceit, craft, trickery and lies.
All these activities take place in the mind of an individual.
The mind is the place of decision making. It is the headquarters of the soul.
So, let us go back to Daniel 10. When angel Gabriel said the prince of Persia withstood him, what was he talking about and what were they doing together for 21 days?
The Prince of Persia has jurisdiction over the region called Persia, and it is so in many other places. Satan is not omnipresent, but he has principalities, powers, dominion assigned to towns, villages, countries and nations.
Job 1:7 KJV And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
At this time, the children of Israel were in captivity in Babylon who lost to Media-Persia. So, Persia was in charge of Children of Israel who have spent close to 70 years in captivity. Daniel made his prayers so they could be released according to the prophecy earlier given by Jeremiah which was read by Daniel, and he prayed based on them.
Dan 9:2 KJV In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.
Jer 29:10 KJV For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.
Cyrus alone was the prince of Persia, and God had destined him to be the deliverer of his people; but there were some matters, of which we are not informed, that caused him to hesitate for some time.
Isa 45:13 KJV I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward, saith the LORD of hosts.
The angel had been sent forth to make arrangements to secure the answer to Daniel’s prayer when he began to pray but had been delayed during all that time by the opposition which he had met with in Persia.
That is, it required all that time to overcome the obstacles existing there to the accomplishment of these purposes, and to make those arrangements which were necessary to secure the result.
That the counsels against the Jews to prevent their return to their own land, and to embarrass them, were such as we should anticipate on the supposition that an evil angel – an enemy of God and his people – had influenced the Persian rulers; and that the changes wrought in those counsels in favor of the Jews, facilitating their return to their own land, were such as we should expect to find on the supposition that those counsels and plans were overruled and changed by the interposition say of Gabriel and Michael.
by the help of Michael, who came to his aid, he was enabled so far to influence the Persian counsels against the purposes of him who is called the “prince of Persia,” as to secure the favors for the Hebrew people which Daniel sought by prayer; and having done this, he came at once to him. The only delay in the case was what was caused by the purposes of the Persian court, and by the difficulty of securing such arrangements there as to favor the Hebrew people, and to facilitate their return to their own country. Having done this, he came at once to Daniel
There are many influences on nations and individuals; many things that occur that can be most easily accounted for on the supposition that there is such an agency from some invisible quarter. If we admit the reality of such influence, and such interpositions, the things which occur are more easily explained than if we deny it
Answers to prayer are often delayed, not by any indisposition on the part of God to answer it, and not by any purpose not to answer it, and not by the mere intention of trying our faith, but “by the necessary arrangements to bring it about.” It is of such nature that it cannot be answered at once. It requires time to make important changes; to influence the minds of men; to remove obstacles; to raise up friends; to put in operation agencies that shall secure the thing desired. There are some obstacles to overcome. There are some plans of evil to be checked and stayed. There is some agency to be used which is not now in existence, and which is to be created.
The opposition of the “prince of Persia” could not be overcome at once, and it was necessary to bring in the agency of a higher power – that of Michael – to effect the change.
This could not be done in a moment, a day, or a week, and hence, the long delay of three “full weeks” before Daniel had an assurance that his prayers would be answered
Even within a believer, there is a contention between the flesh and the spirit
Gal 5:17 KJV For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
Rom 7:22-23 KJV 22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
The will of a man is non violable. That is what made us not like robots but free moral agents.
And outside the believer and every person there is contention between the forces of good and evil. While the forces are trying to do good, the forces of evil resist it. But as you pray, you create an enabling environment for the forces of good to prevail. As you pray and confess the word of God, you are empowering the good angel and with time they will overcome the forces of evil by stronger influence on whosoever.
Let’s us see a case studies in the Bible:
1. By opposing men
Act 13:6-8 KJV 6 And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus: 7 Which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith.
He was resisting the influence of the truth on the mind of the deputy because he knew he would lose his gains. It is a clash of influence.
2. By making their mind evil
Act 14:1-3 KJV 1 And it came to pass in Iconium, that they went both together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake, that a great multitude both of the Jews and also of the Greeks believed. 2 But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and made their minds evil affected against the brethren. 3 Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of his grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands.
Act 14:2 ISV But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.
Acts 14:2 MSG But the unbelieving Jews worked up a whispering campaign against Paul and Barnabas, sowing mistrust and suspicion in the minds of the people in the street.
Act 14:19 KJV And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead.
They were embittered, irritated, exasperated.i
3. By wrong soliciting and persuasion
Mat 27:19-20 KJV 19 When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him. 20 But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.
Mar 15:11 KJV But the chief priests moved the people, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them.
The word “persuade” is “pieto”. It means to induce words to believe.
When you pray and God has answered your prayer. God will speak directly to the person’s mind, or an angel will do the job to influence his mind to carry out that desire because God flows through people.
When someone has promised to do something for you like give you money for business, help or assistance, propose business or marriage.
Phi 2:13 KJV For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
2Co 8:16 KJV But thanks be to God, which put the same earnest care into the heart of Titus for you.
God put that desire into the heart of the man by influencing him.
But Satan comes with his wiles, deceit and evil and makes his mind evil affected towards you. You begin to wonder what happened? What did I do to the man? Why did he change his mind?
The devil is influencing him. What do you do?
Many of us will quarrel with them; we will say they don’t want to help us. We will create enmity thereby compounding our situations. Many of us will go back to God to start the prayer again or even accuse God for not answering our prayers and fasting. No Sir, it is not God. There are influences going on in the minds of those benefactors. And God has to work out new arrangements to clear out obstacles, create agency, move people in order to bring answers.
Now here is a dilemma; God does not violate our wills. God will not force them to do those things that He Himself has put into their minds. That is the only thing He doesn’t take away from us. The power to choose and take decisions.
It will take tremendous grace to influence, persuade, convince and argue minds to do good. The mind of men gravitates towards evil.
It is the same way we preach the Gospel:
2Co 5:11 KJV Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.
Act 18:4 KJV And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.
Act 18:13 KJV Saying, This fellow persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the law.
Act 17:17 KJV Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.
WHAT WE SHOULD DO
1. Refuse to backtrack or give up: Daniel was on his knees for 21 days Dan 10
The Apostles abode in the place for a long period Act 14:3
2. We should begin to pray and invoke the word of God, we will create an atmosphere that is too strong to resist. Angels will be dispatched on our behalf, and they will take strong actions to carry out our declaration. We will empower, activate, and enable our angels. They will remove obstacles and make arrangements.
Psa 103:20 KJV Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.
The word will be used by the angels as tools to overcome contrary counsels in the mind of people we are dealing with.
They can trouble the person, he may have sleepless nights, etc. These are few ways they interpose on our behalf Est 6:1
Break that satanic influence and he will come back to the good intention.
Testimony of a man that wanted to sell his car according to the instruction from God. He placed an advert on the car and one couple drove by, saw the advert and came for inspection. But at home the wife opposed the man. Meanwhile, the owner of the car was languishing in need. One day he went to pray. The Bible says the fervent prayer of the righteous availeth much. Making tremendous power available. The man broke the satanic influences and things changed in a hurry.
The devil could not withstand such fire. At the home of the mechanic, the wife just suddenly came to the sitting room and gave him the money, you can go and get the car.