Are you game?

“But Daniel determined in his heart that he would not defile....” (Dan1:8 AMP)

I love sports (game of any kind). Aside from the fact that it keeps one young, it is also a way
to keep the heart and mind alert. Any meaningful game should at least make use of your
thinking faculty. You have heard it said that “sport is for dullards” that is a fallacy. Because
someone could not give his academic total concentration and he is good in sport does not
make him a dullard, it is just diversification of interest. Take for example football (soccer) I
believe it is a very scientific game that requires fast thinking, fast decision making and action
at the same time. I believe most if not all great footballers are very intelligent naturally
though some may not have flair for the academics.

The title of our article today is a slang used in our modern lingo to show commitment to a
job, appointment or a business/contract. In short, once you are game on something, it is
assumed that you have given your word. So it is possible you hear someone ask “are you
game concerning our date for tonight?” or you could hear someone say “I am game for the
business.”

Our base scripture was a decision made by a young man, Daniel over a very important
matter. To understand better I will try to give you the brief historical facts about the
happenings at the times of Daniel. This was the time that the Babylonian was the ruler of
the world. Then, the one way to claim dominion over a nation or city was for them to either
surrender to become an ally or they be conquered. Once the Babylonian conquer a nation,
they introduce their own government and in other to have firm grip and control over that
city or nation, they will pick up their princes, those with royal blood and nobility, the very
intelligent once, handsome, and like we say in our modern day, upwardly mobile young men
and very industrious.

Once they have been able to get these ones, they castrate them, then teach them of the
Babylonian ways, change their names and then put them in the place of governance for the
benefit of their government. Of course after the training which spans 3 to 4 years they are
tested and the best of them are then given the more sensitive responsibilities.

Such was the case of Daniel and his three friends. You may be wondering why these God
chosen young men (Jews) should be in this kind of predicament, God permitted it. But for
the sins of the King and the people of Israel there was no way for the Babylonian to defeat
them, but sin gave them into their hands. (See Dan1:2) I will like to make this all important
statement which hopefully I will explain in the course of this discuss; “the only power the
devil have over any child of God is the one we give him.”
The Babylonian government and its King Nebuchadnezzar at that time is a type of the devil
and his operation on earth. We shall consider the instructions that the King gave to the chief
eunuch Ashpenaz (it is most likely that this man was not a natural Babylonian) (Dan1:3-7)

Again from the verse 3, the man was asked by the King to look for, “young men who were
healthy and handsome, intelligent and well-educated, good prospects for leadership
positions in the government, perfect specimens....” (Vs4a MSG) In the same vein, the devil is
searching among the children of God (the born again ones) for his prey and just like the
Babylonian king, he is not looking out for the washed out Christian or the ones who do not
know their right from left, but he looks for the upwardly mobile, those who are hungry for
more of God, those good to behold, intelligent and well educated. Those are the prospects
for the propagation of the kingdom of hell. Many of us have been looking at the wrong
directions; we tend to think that the devil will use those ugly looking dirty men who stay in
ramshackle building surrounded by ugly looking effigies. You lie! You are deceived! Who will
follow such men easily in this modern world? But when the devil is dressed in fine suit, a
fine boy to behold, speaking queens English, driving the best car, supposedly having a blue
chip job and doing evil in Jesus name, many will easily follow such. Do you fit these
qualifications? Then the devil is on the lookout for you.

The next thing after meeting up with these qualifications is; “...and indoctrinates them in the
Babylonian language and the lore of magic and fortunetelling.” (Vs4b MSG) Having chosen
his candidates, the next thing is for them to be taught and instructed in the rudiments of
Babylonian language, not just that but they were also taught their principle and ways of
operations. In the same vein, the devil having picked his victim start by making him believe
that right is wrong and wrong is right. At such times, the language of the Christian
brother/sister is no longer different from the people of the world, they speak the same
language have the same goal, the same interest and rat race after the same thing. For
example, just as the people of the world the believer wants money so that he can show his
fellow believer, he wants to oppress with his possession, and some even take it as a class
symbol. Brother if you think this way you are already bought over by the devil. The one
major reason why you are blessed finically is for the propagating of the gospel and for you
to provide for the needy not to oppress them. You are blessed to be a blessing.

The next thing the king required was for them to be fed with his kind of meal. You eat what
you like and what you like is what you will almost all the time have appetite for. In other
words, he wanted to change their interest (appetite) to suit the Babylonian but he
stimulated their interest by making them feel they were eating as kings. The devil dig deeper
by changing the interest of the brother, now reading the Bible is boring, the pastor is
wasting time if he preaches for more than 30min, you now become too busy to attend
weekday service. That is when the silliest reason will not make you attend prayer meeting. It
is easier for you to attend love feast or any other thing that is fun (sic) than anything
spiritual. At such times waking up to pray has become a thing of the past, as long as your
Pastor see your fat tithe he should know you are blessed moreover beings church worker is
for jobless idle people (sic). If this fits you, you interest has changed, you almost totally
swallowed up.

Finally, they were given Babylonian names. Again, I want you to note that your name is what
you are identified with so we can conclusively say that your name is your identity. So just as
the Babylonian King, the devil having taught you his ways, give you a different appetite will
want to go further to change your identity. Once you are gullible enough to be taken in by
these other things then it is easy for you to accept whatever the devil says you are. It is at
this time you may say, I am saved but not righteous, it is easy for you to see the devil as very
powerful to the point of contending with God’s power. Then the ‘Nollywood’ (Nigerian film
industry) is now the determinant of what is right and what is wrong not the Bible. When
they portray the devil as powerful you agree with them notwithstanding the Biblical facts
that the devil is already defeated and that you are more than a conqueror. You don’t totally
believe you are the head and not the tail again. The Bible is no longer absolute, every other
opinion that is aired on TV, see in Newspapers or the happening around now determines
your actions and inactions.

At such time, the devil had got you, using the modern day lingo, you are game! But like
Daniel and his friends you still have a choice not minding the fact that it is said that the devil
is the lord of the system of this world. The bible said from our base scripture that “Daniel
determined in his heart not to defile himself.” Now, take note of the fact that he had no
control over been taken captive, neither could he control the Babylonian teaching. He could
not stop them from preparing their type of meal nether could he fight over the change of
name, yet he refused for the external happening to change his heart.

Likewise you child of God, the devil will remain the god of the system of this world till
judgement day for Adam and Eve have sold that right and there is nothing you can do about
it. There is nothing whatsoever you can do about the academic system because it was
founded by the Babylonian, so you can’t change the curriculum. Since the unbeliever
controls the air wave, and other area, you cannot control what is being aired on TV, paper,
radio, internet etc.

In spite of these odds against you, the devil does not have any control over your heart; he
cannot change what you believe. He cannot even make you do whatever you refuse to do.
He may coarse you, attack your mind, confuse and try to deceive you but he cannot make
you do what you don’t want to do. Devil will only use yielded vessels to him. If you don’t
yield yourself to him, he cannot control you, “Don't you know that you are slaves of anyone
you obey? You can be slaves of sin and die, or you can be obedient slaves of God and be
acceptable to him.” (Rom6:16CEV) Hence the axiom, “the only power the devil has over any
child of God is the one we give him.”
Daniel was able to be ten times better than his equal, he had excellent spirit from the Lord
that got him promotion to the highest place in government, he interpreted dreams and was
able to live through about four kings and even when the Babylonian were overthrown by
the Medes he was still relevant, he rather used the godly heritage he had with the
Babylonian teaching to his benefit, Daniel still served his God not minding the schemes
against. All these were founded on him purposing in his heart. Same can be said of you in
this crazy world or are you already game on the devil’s deceit?