When your faith is under attack

Read Daniel 6.

This is a story of a man who would be god versus one who was God's man.

While Cyrus, the Persian, served as head of the empire, Darius, the Mede, had been appointed as king.  The pagan Babylonian advisers continued to have access and influence.  Their jealousy of Daniel, and their hatred of the Jews in particular, provided the basis for this bizarre episode.

By this time, Daniel would have been about 80 years of age.  His reputation as a wise and faithful man had been impeccable.  After a lifetime of top-level government service to the Babylonians and now to the Medes and Persians, Darius planned to promote Daniel to very highest position in the kingdom (v.3).  The adversaries could find no fault in which to accuse him.  So, they plotted against him spiritually.  They used a legal tactic to prohibit Daniel from the free exercise of his faith, though it had nothing to do with his job performance.  In short, they tried to make it illegal to worship God.  They observed Daniel's spiritual disciplines and lied to the king about Daniel's loyalty (v.13).

What did Daniel do under such a threat of death?
-Should he have sued these advisers for slander?
-Should he have attempted to negotiate a compromise?
-Should he have conceded that his critics may have a valid point?
-Should he have changed his spiritual disciplines and kept his faith secret?
He did none of these.  "He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously." (v.10)

What should we do when our faith is under attack?  Be on guard.
1. Guard your personal conduct.
"That you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world." (Philippians 2:15)

2. Guard your public conduct.
"Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation." (1 Peter 2:12)

3. Guard your prayer commitments.
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." (Philippians 4:6)