Daniel 10:1
In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a word was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar. And the word was true, and it was a great conflict.
When God reveals a word, there is one thing that is always absolutely guaranteed: it will create “great conflict.” God’s word is, in our fallen world, essentially combative, for the powers, principalities and spiritual forces of evil in heavenly places occupy this world like usurping princes fending off the approach of the True King. Any word from the King is always going to be dismissed as Enemy Propaganda, or twisted into a sound bite supportive of the existing regime, or muted, downplayed, and otherwise treated as a threat. And threat it is. For the word of God aims to liberate the prisoners of the prince of this world, to raise a rebellion of love against hate, of peace against war, of humility against pride, of hope against despair, of health against sickness, of virtue against sin, of life against death. Jesus wasn’t kidding when He said He came to bring, not peace, but a sword. But His sword is not the worldly weapon of steel. It is the spiritual weapon of the gospel against which no sword and no conflict can ultimately stand. Today, cause a great conflict with the prince of this world by forgiving somebody, praising God, speaking the truth, or loving an enemy.
