He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time. (Daniel 7:25, ESV)
Daniel chapter 7 contains an incredible vision of beasts rising from the sea, representing the kingdoms of the world in the last days. The fourth, terrible beast corresponds with the Antichrist, in the book of Revelation, and his kingdom. All that is some simple background to make sense of the prediction found in verse 25, and from this prediction, we gain insight into the devil's strategy in general against God's people.
Besides his strategy to tempt disciples into sin, or threaten them to renounce their faith in Christ, the enemy also simply tries to "wear out the saints of the Most High." The prophet uses here an Aramaic word, בְּלָא (be'la), which means "to mentally afflict constantly, and so, to wear out."
In C.S. Lewis' Perelandra, a demon-possessed character tormented the main protagonist through an entire night, repeating his name over and over again. When the tormented man would reach his limit and cry out, "What?!" he would only be answered with: "Nothing." And then the name repetition would begin again.
Throughout our lives, the evil one seeks to turn us away from wholeheartedly trusting and following the Lord Jesus by simply wearing us out. He brings the same old temptations day after day, and then accuses us for still being tempted by it! He stirs up little relational troubles and offenses during times that we hoped would be restful. He pours out gossip and slander in a drip, drip, drip fashion, like a kind of Chinese water torture, in order to keep us discouraged.
Even when we are ill, maybe especially so, the evil one attacks us with discouragement and lies in our minds.
All this is with the aim of wearing us out, in order to have us turn back from following Christ. In short, to have us give up on a life of love for God and others. Repetitiveness is extremely effective in breaking down people's wills—just remember when we were children, repeatedly asking our parents for something: "Please, please, please, please, please, please, please...." Now, perhaps your parents had an iron will, but many parents crack under the pressure, desiring for the pleading to stop, that they give the child what they are begging for.
All this being said, it is important that we first recognize this as a strategy of the evil one. Knowing this, we will be able to stand against this scheme. We must reject the faux-authority of repetition. A lie repeated a thousand times over does not become a truth. A temptation faced again and again over twenty years does not mean failure. Continued trouble and opposition does not mean God is displeased with us.
In short, rather than allowing ourselves to be worn down by the enemy of our souls, we must endure with Christ. Endurance is not a fun thing, but the alternative is to give up. But we are not called to endure alone, but exhorted to, in our troubles, to look to the Lord to fill us with all that is needed to endure in Him:
We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. (Colossians 1:9-12)
Friends, don't let the devil wear you out; instead, when you face repeated troubles from him, turn to the Lord in prayer and receive from Him all that is needed to endure every trouble and trial.
He loves us and will help.
Essene Press Team
