Surviving in Babylon — or Overcoming in a Secular World

Michael Vogelsang

The King of Babylon took four young men (Daniel and his friends) into captivity. Today, young Christians are under the influence of the king of Babylon in a secular world. He typifies Satan who appears in Scripture under different pictures:

• The roaring lion — open persecution: ‘Be vigilant, watch. Your adversary the devil as a roaring lion walks about seeking whom he may devour’ (1 Pet. 5:8).
• The dragon — fierceness, brutality: ‘The great dragon … the ancient serpent, he who is called Devil and Satan’ (Rev. 12:9).
• The serpent — wiles: ‘The serpent was more crafty than any animal of the field’ (Gen. 3:1). ‘Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil’ (Eph. 6:11).
• An angel of light — deception: ‘And it is not wonderful, for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light’ (2 Cor. 11:14).

Satan’s strategies

This very clever and dangerous enemy uses various strategies to deceive young Christians.

A change of place

‘He carried them into the land of Shinar’ (Dan. 1:2). 

Beginning with a typical application, our ‘land’ is Canaan (heavenly places). Christians are a heavenly people and Satan wants to take that away from us and have us focused on the earth. If we are earthly-minded, he is very happy because that will cause us to become involved in all kinds of earthly issues and desires and lose the real benefits of our Christian position.

There may also be a practical lesson for many young people. When young Christians have to leave home to go to another place for study or work, they lose their Christian ‘home’ — their Christian family, Christian friends and Christian assembly. At the new place, things may be more difficult, and Satan will use the uncertainty this causes to offer dubious alternatives. How good it is if young Christians in this situation have a strong basis for their faith that is grounded in Scripture, and are in a close relationship with their Lord.

A change of purpose for living

‘such as had ability in them to stand in the king’s palace’ (1:4).

Satan and the world want to use Christians for their own purposes. It is tempting to put all our time and energy into making a career in this world. But as Christians, we should first consider what God’s purpose is for our lives. An Old Testament verse helps us to understand what this is: ‘the people whom I formed for myself that they might declare my praise’ (Isa. 43:21 ESV). God has formed us for Himself that we may glorify and praise Him. If that is foremost in our thoughts, it will help us to find a way in our earthly career or other responsibilities that will honour our Lord and Saviour.

A change of language

‘and whom they might teach the learning and the language of the Chaldeans’ (1:4).

The world will try to influence the way we talk. Is there a difference to be noted in the way we talk? We have the example of our Lord: ‘And all bore witness to him, and wondered at the words of grace which were coming out of his mouth’ (Luke 4:22). And the exhortations of Paul are clear: ‘Let no corrupt word go out of your mouth’ (Eph. 4:29); ‘Let your word be always with grace, seasoned with salt, so as to know how ye ought to answer each one’ (Col. 4:6). Grace opens the heart; salt reaches the conscience.

Language also conveys a world view! If the people of this world use phrases like ‘I live with my partner’ or ‘same-sex attraction’, they convey a certain moral value system with this. There is danger for the Christian not only in using such language but also, as a result, in slowly conforming to the value system behind it. May our values be based on God’s Word and not on the things we hear around us.

A change of food

‘And the king appointed unto them a daily provision of the king’s delicate food, and of the wine that he drank, to nourish them three years’ (1:5).

There are three points of interest in this verse. First, Satan has a daily portion which he will seek to give us. By way of example only, there is so much information and other ‘content’ on the internet which bombards the young Christian but is not nourishing or helpful. God also has a daily portion for us as we turn to His Word daily to feed our souls. Second, the wine of this world will end our Nazariteship. The Nazarite was one who was devoted to his Lord. He was not allowed to drink wine, which speaks of earthly joy (Ps. 104:15), because even earthly pleasures may conflict with a life of devotion to the Lord. Worldly pleasures are an even greater hindrance to true faithfulness to and service for the Lord. Third, Satan knows that it takes time to completely corrupt a Christian (as seen in the words ‘to nourish them three years’), and is prepared to work patiently to achieve this end. At first, we may overcome his temptations, but over time many have given in to his attacks. Let us be strong in the Lord’s strength and wear the whole armour of God.

A change of names

‘And the prince of the eunuchs gave them names’ (1:7).

In biblical times, a person who had power over others could change their names. So it was that the king of Babylon changed the names of Daniel and his friends. But there was also something more subtle behind this. The names of Daniel and his friends all pointed to their God and their faith. 

El = God                               

• DaniEl  
• MishaEl        

Iah/Jah = Jahweh/Jehovah                        

• AzarIah 
• HananIah         

The new names had no reference to the God of Israel. Let us be clear about this: Satan wants to hide our true identity. If nothing in our lives shows that we are Christians, he will be very satisfied because then our lives will not be to the glory of God. Let us ask Him for the courage to confess whenever possible that we are Christ’s.

Daniel’s secret: four ‘survival strategies’

How did Daniel overcome the temptations of Satan? And how can we overcome the temptations of our time? Let us look at four of Daniel’s ‘survival strategies’.

1. Purpose of heart 

‘But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank’ (1:8).

Our decisions start in our hearts. Daniel had made a decision with purpose of heart. The psalmist in Psalm 119 more than once points out that we must follow the Lord with our whole heart (e.g. verse 10: ‘With my whole heart have I sought thee: let me not wander from thy commandments’).

We also see this in Ezra, the man of God: ‘Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments’ (Ezra 7:10).

It is no different in New Testament times. Barnabas, who is called a good man (Acts 11:24), exhorted the Christians in Antioch in the same way. ‘[Barnabas], when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord’ (v. 23). 

2. The right friends

‘Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions: that they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon’ (Dan. 2:17–18).

In Psalm 119:63, the psalmist says: ‘I am the companion of all that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts.’ What kind of friends do we choose? For Daniel (and the psalmist) real friends for a believer were:

• godly people (‘all that fear thee’);
• believers with a love for God’s Word (‘that keep thy precepts’); and
• friends to pray with (this incident in Daniel’s story seems to be one of the first collective prayer times in the Bible).

3. Time with the Lord in prayer 

‘Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime’ (Dan. 6:10).

We can apply some points from this to our own quiet times with the Lord:

• ‘in his chamber’ — Daniel had a place of solitude and quietness where he could have a time of fellowship with his God;
• ‘three times a day … as he did aforetime’ — praying was obviously a regular habit for Daniel;
• ‘When Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house’ — he knew where to go when in need! 
• ‘before his God’ — he had a personal relationship with God. He was his God.

4. He was a dedicated reader and student of the Word of God

‘In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem’ (Dan. 9:2).

Daniel studied the Scriptures regularly and intensively. Therefore he was able to apply God’s Word to his times and to judge his circumstances in the light of it. The New Testament has a lot to say about ‘the last days’ in which we live. If we study the Scriptures, we will be able to apply God’s Word to our lives and the situations which confront us and act with wisdom and according to His will.

Daniel’s ‘survival strategies’ will help Christians in the 21st century to overcome in a secular world.

Dare to be a Daniel,
Dare to stand alone!
Dare to have a purpose firm!
Dare to make it known.[1]

[1] Philip P Bliss.

From: Truth and Testimony, 2022