Lessons from Daniel (part 2)

In my last post I talked about the first way that the enemy tried to destroy Daniel. He tried to remove Daniel from the grasp and favor of God, but he soon realized that nothing can separate a child of God from His love.

The second thing the enemy tried to do after he took Daniel from the Promised Land was to change his name. He tried to steal Daniel’s godly identity, and his righteous heritage. In other words, when he realized that Daniel would not leave the presence of God, he tried to take God away from Daniel. However, what the devil meant to destroy Daniel, God used to strengthen him.

The name, Daniel, means “God is my judge”. Up to the time of the Babylonian captivity Daniel was reminded of this fact every time he told someone his name. I even imagine that he would think twice before giving into temptation because he knew that God was judging him. But as he was led away in to Babylon, he was given a new name, Belteshazzar. The name change was given to the young Hebrew men to try to remove any trace of their former Jewish life. The enemy wanted the God of Israel to be completely removed from the situation.

“Belteshazzar” means “God of the straitened’s treasure”. To be straitened means to be in some kind of a hardship, especially a financial hardship. When Daniel was given this new name it was given as an insult to Daniel and his God. You see if you are faced with a financial hardship then you have no physical treasure. The enemy was trying to tell Daniel that he had nothing, and his God was the god of nothing. But the enemy once again underestimated the strength and resolve of Daniel.

Paul gives us a great illustration of the strength of Daniel in 2 Corinthians 4:7-8.

“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;”

Verse 7 says, “we have this treasure in earthen vessels”. That means we carry a treasure around inside of us—the power and the glory of God. It lives and abides in the children of God. If the enemy had known this then he would also have known that nothing can take God away from the place that He chooses to dwell.

Verse 8 goes on to say, “we are hard pressed…yet not crushed; we are perplexed; but not in despair.” In other words, we are straitened physically (we are facing hardships), but that will not affect our spiritual state. We will not be straitened spiritually no matter how hard our physical situation might become.

Even though Daniel found himself in a foreign land with foreign Gods and evil rulers, he resolved that he would stand for God no matter the cost. And God will never forsake the one who has resolved to live for Him. So even though the enemy tried to remove Daniel’s Godly identity, Daniel turned it around and used his new identity to stand for his God even stronger than ever.

How has the enemy tried to remove God from your life? Have you found yourself in an identity crisis? Do the call and the promises of God for your life seem like a distant memory? Just remember that no matter what physical state you might find yourself in, nothing can take God away from the child of God. And the same spirit that raised Christ from the dead can dwell and abide in you.