When You’re Under Attack

Is there anything happening this week? I’m trying to recall, especially for those of you in the U.S., is there something going on? I can’t quite remember. (audience laughs) How many of you are thankful there is a God in heaven? (crowd cheers) Yes, indeed.

How many of you are grateful that there is a God in heaven? Scripture reminds us that we have a God who is in control. I saw an Instagram post that said, “If you follow God, everything will fall into place.” If only that were true! Many people believe that following God means everything will be easy, but that’s not the reality. Giving your life to God doesn’t eliminate struggles. In fact, dedicating your life to Him often makes you a target. When you live boldly for God, your spiritual enemy takes notice.

If you ever feel like you’re under attack, that’s because you might be. When life gets tough, some might think it’s a sign they’re not in God’s will. However, challenges can be a sign that you’re in the will of God, because your spiritual enemy doesn’t want you fulfilling God’s purpose and will. He’s coming after you.

Remember, a spiritual attack is not necessarily a sign you’re doing something wrong. It often means you’re doing something right. We’ll see this truth in Daniel 6. We’re continuing our sermon series, “Unshakeable.”

Today, we’ll dive into a famous story from Daniel 6—Daniel in the lion’s den. How many of you are familiar with that story? Raise your hands, or if you’re online, type “I know the story.” It’s a powerful story from the Old Testament. If you grew up in Sunday school, you probably heard this story. For those who don’t know, Sunday school is like church for kids. It might even remind you of the felt boards used back in the day. Raise your hand if you remember those. (audience laughs) Here’s a modern version on the screen.

Let’s get started with Daniel and the lions. [laughs] These lions look cute, but in Daniel’s story, they were much fiercer. If you didn’t have the felt board, you might have used finger puppets. (audience laughs) There’s Daniel, and the lions are a bit cuter than they should be. But, let’s talk about the real story. How does it end? Does Daniel survive or does he perish? God saves him.

Now, when we think of Daniel, we often picture a young man with unwavering faith, but that’s not accurate. Daniel was likely in his 80s when this happened. Realizing this makes the story even more powerful. Imagine—he had the wisdom of age, and he had served under four kings and three different nations since his exile to Babylon.

He served under Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon who conquered Jerusalem and took God’s people into captivity. Then, he served under King Belshazzar, Nebuchadnezzar’s grandson.