Among his duties as a soldier during World War II, my friend Oscar was a military courier. He would carry messages to other units near the front lines. At dark he made his way through brush and trees to deliver information vital to the battle plan. Several times he ran into enemy patrols and had to change his course. More than once he was shot at.

In our Bible reading today, Daniel described a time that an angel was a courier, carrying a message from heaven to earth. Satan, though, tried to keep the message from getting through. His minion (referred to as the prince of Persia) succeeded in slowing up the angel who had been sent with God’s message (Daniel 10:13). And no wonder—it outlined Satan’s battle plans.

I’m sure that Satan and his helpers continue to try to block God’s messages to man, even in our everyday lives. When we’re reading the Bible, for example, interruptions may come. When a sermon is being preached, we may have distracting thoughts. When we feel we need to tell someone about Jesus, our attempts may be hindered. In situations like these, we must humbly cry out to God for help (v.12). He is able to get His message through.