Satanic Strategy
And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king’s meat,
and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years,
that at the end thereof they might stand before the king.
Daniel 1:5
Read Daniel 1:1-8
The king of Babylon gave an order that the brightest young men from the
nation of Israel would be given special training. He would invest in them
for Babylon’s benefit. To fulfill his purpose, he had them instructed in the
language and wisdom of the Babylonians. He sought to brainwash them so
they would no longer have a Jewish mindset, but a Babylonian one.
Even their food was to be altered. They were expected to eat Babylonian
cuisine. This tactic was designed to free these young men from God’s law,
which had certain dietary requirements. They were supposed to forget
about their Jewish religious roots.
Their names were changed as well since their Jewish names would remind
them of the God of Israel. They were given names that resembled the names
of the Babylonian gods. These developments were tactics of the devil. He
uses them today as well to make church going young people think and live
like the world. Satan wants you to think in a way contrary to what is written
in the Bible. He wants you to use the language the world uses. Take special
notice of the worldly food the devil places before your palate. He offers so
many tantalizing stimuli to make you forget that you bear the name of the
Lord. That’s how the devil influences you to love the world. But, in the
meanwhile, he purposely neglects to tell you that you will also perish with
the world.
Thought: Can you give examples of how the devil tries to entice you?
Psalter 31: 3,4 (based on Psalm 17)
O Thou that ever saves those Whose trust on Thee is stayed,
Preserving them from all their foes By Thy almighty aid,
Let me Thy loving-kindness see, Thy wondrous mercy, full and free.
O guard me well as one doth guard The apple of the eye,
While deadly foes are pressing hard, To Thee, to Thee I cry.
Do Thou my rest and refuge be, O let Thy wings overshadow me.
