Battles in the Spiritual Realm Between the Angelic Forces of Good and Evil: An Exposition of Daniel 10

There has been a great interest in a recent series of articles that this ministry has published on the Visions of the Prophets. These articles focused on the visions of Zechariah, Ezekiel, and the Apostle John with his visions which are revealed in the book of Revelation. The popularity of these articles concerns the mysteries behind the spiritual realm that exists in and around our physical reality. These prophets were granted access to peer into this spiritual reality and see the images of this strange world which baffled their minds as they struggled to comprehend what they had just witnessed. They obviously found it difficult to interpret the heavenly realm through the filter of their physical minds. This is seen in Ezekiel’s vision of the Four Living Beings that surround Gods throne, which may be why the Visions of Ezekiel has become the most popular post. The prophet Daniel was given visions and revelation very much like the other prophets. One of these visions which included a dialogue with the angel Gabriel is quite fascinating and it is the subject of this article. This account reveals an aspect of spiritual warfare that occurs in the heavenly realm but has consequences in our physical reality.

Due to the recent disclosure of documents which exposed a group of elite members of society who engaged in the worst forms of wickedness and depravity, many in society are now starting to seriously consider the idea that there is in fact a spiritual dimension to evil–above and beyond our physical dimension. This along with the rise of anarchy and lawlessness is inspiring people to seek answers in the Bible. The message given to Daniel by the angel Gabriel presents biblical insight concerning spiritual warfare and the conflicts that occur between God’s holy angels and the dark demonic spirits in the spiritual domain. These spiritual battles show that God is dispatching His angelic creatures to thwart some of the evil schemes of the dark forces in the heavenly realm before they reach our physical world. Daniel’s vision provides another glance behind the barrier that separates the physical world from the spiritual world.

The Spiritual Battle Between the Forces of Good and Evil

Scripture clearly teaches the concept of a conflict between the forces of good and evil. Jesus taught extensively on this issue and He Himself confronted demonic forces in exorcisms and in the temptations of Satan when He retreated to the wilderness for 40 days. The doctrine of spiritual warfare was clearly taught by the Church throughout its history, but it has been ignored, neglected, and watered down for the past few generations. The idea of actual angels and demons existing and influencing the affairs of mankind has been mocked and placed in the category of mere superstition. However, this doctrine is clearly taught in Scripture, both Old Testament and New Testament. Whether modern society accepts or rejects these teachings, spiritual warfare and spiritual forces exist and they influence the affairs of all humans. When the demonic spiritual forces send forth their human agents in the world, only God’s faithful people can effectively oppose them. The revelations of Daniel chapter 10 present the reality of this warfare and how it even involves angelic beings who strive with us in the battle against evil. Believers need to understand these teachings because spiritual warfare is part of the Christian life and it has a direct effect on the spiritual life of every Christian. To ignore this doctrine is to surrender all defenses against the powers of darkness, “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour,” (1Pet. 5:8).

Note on Physical and Spiritual Realities

The spiritual realm represents a dimension of reality fundamentally distinct from the physical world we directly perceive. Beyond the physical realm with which we are familiar exists a spiritual realm, and the spiritual realm is understood to be distinct from the physical realm but not spatially or temporally, so it co-exists with us in a way we cannot fully perceive while living in these physical bodies.

Biblical texts describe this dimension using various terminology. The book of Ephesians refers to this realm as epouranios, which is often translated as “heavenly realms”—though this translation can mislead modern readers into imagining either the sky or an afterlife destination. In Ephesians 1:20, heavenly places, or the spiritual realm, is the place where God is, and Christ is seated at his right hand.

The spiritual and physical realms operate in dynamic relationship. What goes on in the spiritual realm affects what happens in the physical realm. Biblical narratives illustrate this principle: when Satan conversed with the LORD in the spiritual realm and reported roaming throughout the earth, he subsequently went out and caused harm to Job in the physical realm. Similarly, when the prophet Micaiah reported seeing a deceiving spirit speaking to the Lord, that spirit then went out to become a deceiving spirit in the mouths of Ahab’s prophets.

The spiritual realm consists of both good—God and the holy angels—and evil—the devil and his demons. In Ephesians 3:10 and 6:12, rulers and authorities exist in the spiritual realm, and spiritual forces of evil in the spiritual realm impact us. Understanding this invisible dimension proves essential for comprehending how divine purposes and demonic opposition shape earthly events.

Spiritual Warfare and the Believer

The study of Daniel 10 is centered on the concept or doctrine of Spiritual Warfare. The circumstances of the conflict between the angels Michael and Gabriel and the princes of darkness will be examined in the next section. While the details of this encounter are fascinating, they will be even more so with a deeper understanding of the underlying factors concerning the spiritual war between the forces of good and evil. Spiritual warfare is much more than a conflict between angelic beings; it also includes the inner personal conflict with sin between the desires of the flesh and the desires of the Spirit. This conflict is aggravated by the schemes of the evil powers who tempt people toward sin. This is the internal aspect of spiritual warfare that is present in every person.

“The struggle with sin is difficult because sin has great power to influence us. Sin has the power of temptation which is manipulated by the demonic forces who oppose the Kingdom of God. They stoke the fires of temptation according to our weaknesses. Paul gives us insight into the power of sin when he declares, “there is none that are righteous,” (Rom. 3:10), and “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Rom. 3:23). He also reveals his own struggle with sin as he describes it as a war that is being waged within himself where he engages in sin because of the sinful temptations that reside in him even though he desires to do good.”

For a greater understanding of the internal battle with sin use this link; https://teachhosea46.com/sin-hamartiology/putting-sin-to-death/.

Presented below is a brief but practical definition of spiritual warfare to help place this study in the proper context.

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Definition of Spiritual Warfare

Spiritual warfare is the struggle against the forces of evil, which is a constant feature of the life of faith. Scripture locates the origins of spiritual warfare in the rebellion of Satan and his angels against God and affirms the hope of God’s final victory over such forces through Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection.

Spiritual warfare refers to the ongoing conflict in which believers contend against spiritual forces of evil (Ephesians 6:12). The term encompasses both the invisible realm of demonic opposition and the believer’s reliance on the Holy Spirit, prayer, Scripture, and the authority of Christ. It highlights the reality that life includes not only physical and psychological elements but also unseen dynamics involving angels and demons, where the kingdom of God confronts the kingdom of darkness.

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The Kingdoms in Conflict

The basic element of spiritual warfare is that it is the conflict between two kingdoms, the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Satan (Darkness). Every aspect and teaching concerning spiritual warfare is rooted in this concept. The battle between the angelic forces in the heavenly realm is a battle of the kingdoms. The battle in a believer’s spirit between the desire to be righteous or to yield to sin is also a battle of the kingdoms because there are unseen spiritual forces influencing the decision–the Spirit of God vs. the demonic spirits of wickedness. All persons are subject to this conflict because all persons are in one of these kingdoms. Believers are subjects of God’s Holy Kingdom, while everyone else is a subject in the Kingdom of Darkness by default. This is not a thing to show proud in because everyone, all of humanity, was once in the Kingdom of Darkness because of unrepentant sin. Upon accepting Christ as savior through faith a person enters into the Kingdom of God, therefore nonbelievers can likewise enter into God’s Kingdom through faith.

And this is the cause of the conflict, Christians are commissioned by Christ to go out in the world and create disciples of all nations, which is the Great Commission, (Matt. 28:19-20). This means that Christians are to seek those who are lost in the Kingdom of Darkness and rescue them by presenting them with the Gospel of Christ, which has the divine power to save. The forces of darkness oppose God’s human agents in this task because their desire is to keep nonbelievers in darkness and oppressed by the bondage to sin. In other words, Christians carry the light of God’s kingdom to those lost in darkness and lead them to the Kingdom of Light. The dark forces have mobilized into various ranks known as principalities, dominions, and powers just like a military organization. (According to the information from Daniel 10, these ranks include territorial spirits who command certain areas of the world. More on this in the next section). They then develop and implement what Paul calls “the scheme of the devils,” which are every philosophy, belief, and world view that opposes the word and will of God. This is clearly seen in the world as it plays out through conflicts of every sort involving things such as race, gender, sexual identity, morality, and religious views. The origin of these conflicts are the demonic forces who operate through their human agents from their dark kingdom. The consequences of this conflict for the believer, and nonbeliever, is that they are targets of the dark spiritual powers. We are all in this war of the kingdoms whether we acknowledge it or are even aware of it. The Apostle Peter gives some understanding to this reality.

“Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world,” (1Pet. 5:8-9).

Daniel 10

“Then he said, “Do you understand why I came to you? But I shall now return to fight against the prince of Persia; so I am going forth, and behold, the prince of Greece is about to come. “However, I will tell you what is inscribed in the writing of truth. Yet there is no one who stands firmly with me against these forces except Michael your prince.”

Daniel 10:20-21

The verse above and the opening verse, (Dan. 10:12-13), present the reality of the spiritual war in the heavenly realm and the existence of territorial spirits. The explanation of spiritual warfare and the background of the battle between good and evil help to place these verses in context and to understand what this all means for all of the generations of mankind who have suffered and will suffer the consequences of this war until this world comes to its end through its destruction. To summarize this account, the story begins with Daniel praying for the welfare of his people and confessing for their sins. In response, God dispatches the angel Gabriel to console Daniel and give him a prophecy concerning the rebuilding of Jerusalem and also a message of doom concerning the end times. After this prophecy, Daniel continues praying and mourning for the future of his people when he is again visited by the angel Gabriel. Gabriel tells Daniel that because he is highly favored by God and has humbled himself that his words to God have been heard and he has been sent to give Daniel the following message, “Now I have come to give you an understanding of what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision pertains to the days yet future,” (Dan. 10:14). Gabriel then reveals that he was sent immediately after his prayer, but he was detained by the Prince of Persia for twenty-one days. He then adds that he was freed by the intervention of Michael, one of the chief princes, because he had been left there with the kings of Persia.

The words of Gabriel require some interpretation. He identifies Michael, the archangel, as his angelic ally who has come to assist him in the battle with the demonic spiritual forces. Gabriel identifies the primary demonic spirit as the Prince of Persia, and he also identifies other lesser spirits as the kings of Persia. It is possible then that the Prince of Persia was a higher-ranking spirit such as a commander and the kings of Persia were his captains. Some commentaries describe these kings of Persia as human officials, but it does not follow that a great angel like Gabriel was detained by humans. A more likely scenario is that Gabriel was detained by a high-ranking demon with the assistance of other subordinate demonic spirits. After this encounter Gabriel completes his journey to give his message to Daniel, and he tells Daniel that he is going to return to the fight against the Prince of Persia and that the prince of Greece is also joining in. This means that this battle continued so the issue involved may have been a larger aspect of the warfare between the kingdoms. Another interesting aspect is what Gabriel says concerning the battle, “Yet there is no one who stands firmly with me against these forces except Michael your prince.” The first thing that comes to mind is to question the strategy of the angelic forces who number in the multitudes. Why only two angels in the fight when others are available? Maybe these two angels are all that are necessary. Scripture is not clear in these matters, and we can only leave the issue as a mystery of the heavenly realm.

Details Concerning Angels

There are certain conclusions that can be made concerning angels in relation to spiritual warfare and the involvement of angelic beings, both holy and evil.

• Angels are real.
• There are good and evil angels.
• Angels can influence the affairs of humans on earth.
• There is spiritual warfare that is being waged in the spiritual dimension that is completely unknown by humans.
• God’s angels fight on behalf of those in God’s Kingdom.
• The dark angels oppose God’s rule and reign, and they target believers who carry out God’s will.

Spiritual Warfare Wisdom

Angelic spirits are real and they are powerful. Demonic spirits are also powerful as the sons of Sceva in the above image discovered. Dark spirits are fallen angels that still possess supernatural powers, but they are restrained by the power of God. To engage with these dark powers in one’s own abilities is to bring disaster on oneself. Confrontation with the powers of darkness is only to be done in the power and name of Christ; and only by those who are spiritually mature, have much training, and have prepared with prayer and repentance of indwelling sin. Even the archangel Michael did not confront Satan in his own power, “Yet when Michael the archangel was disputing with the devil in an argument about Moses’s body, he did not dare utter a slanderous condemnation against him but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” (Jude 9). A human’s knowledge of the spiritual realm is very limited. We know only what Scripture reveals, and we are not told to confront dark forces directly. The battles in the spiritual realm between God’s angels and the evil territorial spirits are out of our control, God directs and provides for their defense. Our assistance is limited to prayer for the advancement of the Kingdom of God. Do not be like the sons of Sceva by trying to engage with demonic powers apart from the power of God and without proper discernment of spiritual warfare.

Spiritual warfare in our earthly realm is a different matter as we are involved in this warfare. We are all either warriors, (believers), or casualties, (nonbelievers), in the war. There are bits and pieces throughout the scriptures regarding spiritual warfare such as the following from James, the brother of Jesus, “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you,” (James 4:7). The Apostle Peter gives instructions in regard to the devil seeking out a victim for destruction, “Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” Peter’s response, “But resist him, firm in your faith,” (1Pet. 5:8-9). James and Peter give the same instruction, which is to resist the devil. James adds a supporting instruction to resisting the demonic power, he says to submit to God. There is one other teaching that we can add to these other two as a fundamental tool of spiritual warfare when confronted by the enemy. During the Last Supper with His disciples, Jesus anticipated His betrayal by Simon Peter when he denied knowing Him three times following His arrest. Jesus tells him that Satan has asked permission to sift him like wheat, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers,” (Luke 22:31-32). Satan had asked God for permission to sift Peter like wheat, which means that Satan wanted to shake Peter violently through a severe testing of his faith. Jesus’ response to this was that He prayed for Peter’s faith not to fail. In this confrontation of spiritual warfare, we see that the weapon employed by Jesus was prayer and not the use of divine powers. God often turns something intended for evil into something that is good. In this instance, we know that Peter’s faith was weak during the testing and he denied knowing Jesus. But as we zoom out and observe the greater outcome, we discover that Peter’s failure weighed heavily on him and he later become bold by proclaiming Christ in the face of persecution and eventually death. To sum up these instructions on defending against spiritual attacks, we are to submit to God and resist the devil. These two commands are connected because resistance is conducted through submission. The devil’s intention is to tempt people to commit sin and resist God’s will. The way to resist the enemy’s assault is to submit oneself to God’s will by choosing righteousness over wickedness. We must then follow the instructions of Christ by employing the weapon of prayer for protection and for the strengthening of our faith.

The Apostle Paul’s instructions on spiritual warfare reflects these same teachings. He presents a tactical class on spiritual warfare in chapter six of his book of Ephesians. He gives military type instructions on preparing for battle by putting on protective equipment known as the full armor of God. His tactic is to be protected by God’s armor in order to withstand the attacks of the dark forces. This armor is designed for defensive purposes only with just one offensive weapon, which is the sword of the Spirit. The sword is to be used only when an opportunity presents itself against a temptation or provocation by the enemy which be countered by the word of God. Presented below is a brief description of the armor of God.

• The Belt of Truth– knowledge of God’s truth counters Satan’s deceit.
• The Breastplate of Righteousness– Assurance that a believer is clothed in the righteousness of Christ protects against the devil’s scheme of making sin seem attractive and common.
• The Shoes of the Gospel of Peace– God’s message of peace keeps the believers’ feet firmly planted against the chaos of wickedness.
• The Shield of Faith– Jesus prayed for Peter’s faith to withstand Satan’s attack. Strong faith is a shield of protection against the weapons of demonic forces.
• The Helmet of Salvation– God’s promise of salvation provides confidence in thought and protects the mind from the flaming arrows of the sinful desires of the evil one.
• The Sword of the Spirit– This is the word of God in the power of the Holy Spirit which is used to strike back at the enemy and overcome his attack.

Paul concludes his teaching with the final instructions to pray in the power of the Spirit, request God’s assistance, and always be vigilant against the powers of darkness. Paul’s instructions, in addition to the other instructions on spiritual warfare are presented in a military type of language because there is an active war being waged between the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Satan. We should view spiritual warfare in this sense so that we can adequately equip and protect ourselves. The power of the enemy should not be underestimated, but we should also properly discern the greater power of God in whom we must place our trust and faith. May this teaching provide a framework for a proper understanding of the nature of spiritual warfare and the seriousness of the conflict between the kingdoms. Building on this framework results by advancing in your spiritual growth. Spiritual maturity comes through knowledge and wisdom–Becoming Christlike being the goal of sanctification!