At last Daniel came in before me—he who was named Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods—and I told him the dream, saying, “O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no mystery is too difficult for you, tell me the visions of my dream that I saw and their interpretation. The visions of my head as I lay in bed were these: I saw, and behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great."  — Daniel 4:8-10

So into this baffling moment walks Daniel. He's a man of God. But Daniel lives during some challenging times. He is a captive in a major metropolitan city. He's been re-educated at a liberal university. Government legislation is forcing him to participate in heretical spiritual practices. They have given him a new name with new pronouns. He is the overseer of all the magicians, astrologers, and seers in the land. And he's about to interact with a king who worships himself. This king has erected a massive golden statue of himself and demands that everyone in the known world worship him. And we have terminology that describes what is happening here — this empire is possessed by the "spirit of Babylon."

This period is the birthplace of this terminology. It's talked about in the bible from the book of Daniel through the book of Revelation. This "spirit" describes any corrupt system that works in opposition to the Spirit of God. If you look back over time, you will readily detect its work. It will work through nations, governments, philosophies, religions, and individuals. It was present in Sodom and Gomorrah, and in more recent history, we've seen its work through Nazi Germany and North Korea. It will work through organizations that traffic drugs and humans. But sometimes, it works more covertly than overtly. And recently, we have seen expressions of this spirit in the curriculum taught to our children, the planning behind political narratives, and the media platforms entertaining the minds of our families. The spirit of Babylon has been and always will be all around us.

But then, there's God's man in the middle of it all. He is noticeably different. Even Nebuchadnezzar can detect it in Daniel — "that the spirit of the holy gods is in him." While Daniel is governed by Babylon, re-educated by Babylonian professors, and renamed after a Babylonian god, he remains resolute. He is led by the Spirit of God and remains in but not of the world.

Fellas, I think our time is becoming more and more like this. We are watching the intentional and systematic expansion of the spirit of Babylon. And what we need today are more men sold out for God than ever before. Men who are led by his Spirit. Invite God's Spirit to give you direction today. Today might be a day you are called to stand before someone possessed by the spirit of Babylon.

ASK THIS: Are you being challenged by a spirit of Babylon?

DO THIS: Ask God for strength by his Spirit.

PRAY THIS: God, may your Spirit be with me in every encounter and before all my opposition.

PLAY THIS: Bye Bye Babylon.

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