HE Shall Have The Day!

June 5

“Therefore I was left alone when I saw this great vision, and no strength remained in me; for my vigor was turned to frailty in me, and I retained no strength. Yet I heard the sound of his words; and while I heard the sound of his words I was in a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground. Suddenly, a hand touched me, which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my hands. And he said to me, "O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you." While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling. Then he said to me, "Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia,” Daniel 10:8-13.


This awesome being of power, who was so great that men—ordinarily strong, valiant men—were so frightened that they ran, yet something withstood this great being to his face and kept him from getting to Daniel for three full weeks. We cannot even begin to imagine the titanic struggle that went on between, say, Gabriel and this other being. There must have been such an awesome wrestling match as men have never been witness to.

Whatever it was that withheld Gabriel from getting to Daniel must have been awfully powerful. Notice too that this great struggle was going on without Daniel even being aware of it. Somehow a malignant demon tried to thwart Daniel's prayer from being answered.

But it was answered because, in verse 13, "Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia." It was not until two of them ganged up on this other being—two great, mighty archangels to subdue the other. The logical conclusion would almost have to be that the king of Persia mentioned here was none other than Satan.

This section in Daniel 10 really contains a great deal of encouragement. We can understand why the apostle Paul and the psalmist wrote that the angels are ministering spirits. They are ministering to the heirs of salvation. They are protecting us! They are standing between us and possible annihilation! We do not know how many times an angel has intervened to save our lives, to deflect the power of these malignant beings from us. It has happened repeatedly in some cases, not just in dramatic interventions, but where an intervention took place of which we were not even aware. — John W. Ritenbaugh


Our brother Ritenbaugh has eloquently stated the keeping power of the Army of the Lord who has stationed His lieutenants round about His people. Even if satan himself should assail the child of the Living God, his mischief cannot penetrate the shield of safety the Archangels form around them.

If the likes of Gabriel and Michael are doing warfare in the behalf of the people of Christ, should we not be at peace? Should we not in fact have “the peace of God that passes all understanding to keep our hearts and our minds through Christ Jesus,” as Paul tells us in Philippians 4:7!

May we ever be mindful of the indefatigable Army of Heaven that encamps around the people of the Lord at the point of their need. May we pray that our eyes will be opened, even as Elisha prayed for his servant in II Kings 6:16, 17, “Lord, open his eyes that he may see that they that are with us are far greater than they that are with them.”

As with Elisha, even if a demonic host is encamped around us, the mighty army of the Lord is there to guard and protect us—and HE SHALL HAVE THE DAY!