“Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem,
he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.” Daniel 6:10
The warning signs are all around us. The umbrella of protection God has provided believers in America is fast folding. The laws of the land are losing their Judeo-Christian foundation. There is no fear of God as lawlessness increases. Isolated incidents of persecution against Christians are occurring at a fast enough rate that they are becoming a trend.
Suffering, something American Christians have escaped on a
national level for generations, is fast becoming a reality. It is reported
that 915 acts of hostility against churches in 2023 included 315 acts of vandalism, 75 arsons, 20 bomb threats, 10 gun-related incidents, 12 instances of satanic graffiti. 59 churches faced repeated acts of hostility. One author writes “These acts of ‘religious intimidation’ send the message that churches are not wanted in the community or respected in general.” What is growing in America is nothing compared to the Satanic assaults against the church in other parts of the world. For example, 8,222 Nigerian Christians were killed in 2023, according to a report published by the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law. Since 2009 roughly 100,000 Christians have been reported killed. In America we will have to decide how to respond to these satanic attacks. We live in a free country (for now) and have the privilege of using the laws of the land to combat these attacks. (Paul did this when he claimed his Romain citizenship right to appeal to Caesar.) Daniel did not have that privilege in Medio-Persia. The law there was absolute without appeal. Daniel did not even try to appeal the king’s
ruling of no prayer – the law of the land did not allow it and therefore he made no attempt to protest the king’s action. What can we learn from Daniel about how to respond to pending persecution? First, Daniel did not stop obeying God when the law was changed making his actions unlawful. Daniel had a conviction, he was going to serve and obey his God no matter what the cost. If he stopped obeying God he would show he believed in obeying God only when it was safe, when he was not in danger of suffering for it.
Daniel continue to obey God as he always had knowing that he was being spied on and would be reported to the authorities. He would not hide his obedience to God – he was not ashamed of his God. Second, Daniel did not attack the king or the ones who talked the king into approving the new law. He says nothing about their character or motives or even hypocrisy. Daniel knew the truth of the verse “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12) He knew God is in control and he trusted Him. Third, Daniel did not hide his obedience to God. This can be one of the biggest temptations – to think we can obey God in private, not let the world see our actions. Many try to obey God and placate the world at the same time. Daniel boldly stands for God without reservation.
Fourth, to behave as he did Daniel had one major assurance. His God, who he could not see, is greater than all the power of the mightiest
government on earth. Whatever their threats, Daniel knew they could not be carried out if God did not allow it.
Fifth, Daniel did not back down when death was imminent. Even if God did not choose to remove the threat (like the fiery furnace).
God could protect his followers through it. That meant Daniel would be threatened with punishment. This did not deter Daniel.
He knew with all his heart that God was able to deliver him through the lion’s den just as easily as he could deliver him out of it.
When it was required he stepped willingly into the den fully trusting God.
Remember Daniel’s example. Persecution, or the threat of it, should never make us quit trusting Almighty God.