Let me set the scene for you. Jehoiakim was 25 years old when he began his reign and he was a wicked king. He reigned 8 years before he was captured by Nebuchadnezzar and 3 after he was captured. After the 3 years in 605 B.C., he decided to rebel against Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchanezzar then decided to take some of the treasure in the House of the Lord and put it in his own palace. The Lord sent the Chaldeans, the Syrians, the Moabites and the Ammonites to destroy Judah. This was not in response to the wickedness of Jehoiakim, but rather because of the sins of Manasseh.
II Kings 21:1-16 21 Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hephzibah. 2 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to the despicable practices of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel. 3 For he rebuilt the high places that Hezekiah his father had destroyed, and he erected altars for Baal and made an Asherah, as Ahab king of Israel had done, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. 4 And he built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “In Jerusalem will I put my name.” 5 And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord. 6 And he burned his son as an offering and used fortune-telling and omens and dealt with mediums and with necromancers. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger. 7 And the carved image of Asherah that he had made he set in the house of which the Lord said to David and to Solomon his son, “In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name forever. 8 And I will not cause the feet of Israel to wander anymore out of the land that I gave to their fathers, if only they will be careful to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the Law that my servant Moses commanded them.” 9 But they did not listen, and Manasseh led them astray to do more evil than the nations had done whom the Lord destroyed before the people of Israel. 10 And the Lord said by his servants the prophets, 11 “Because Manasseh king of Judah has committed these abominations and has done things more evil than all that the Amorites did, who were before him, and has made Judah also to sin with his idols, 12 therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Behold, I am bringing upon Jerusalem and Judah such disaster that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle. 13 And I will stretch over Jerusalem the measuring line of Samaria, and the plumb line of the house of Ahab, and I will wipe Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down. 14 And I will forsake the remnant of my heritage and give them into the hand of their enemies, and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies, 15 because they have done what is evil in my sight and have provoked me to anger, since the day their fathers came out of Egypt, even to this day.” 16 Moreover, Manasseh shed very much innocent blood, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another, besides the sin that he made Judah to sin so that they did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.1
So Jehoiakim is dead and then Jehoiachin his son reigns for a little over 3 months and is also an evil king and is defeated as well. Now Nebuchanezzar was tired of these uprisings and so he took everything of value and moved it to Babylon where he was not only king, but where he could watch over his treasure a little more closely.
II Kings 24:12-16 The king of Babylon took him prisoner in the eighth year of his reign 13 and carried off all the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king’s house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold in the temple of the Lord, which Solomon king of Israel had made, as the Lord had foretold. 14 He carried away all Jerusalem and all the officials and all the mighty men of valor, 10,000 captives, and all the craftsmen and the smiths. None remained, except the poorest people of the land. 15 And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon. The king’s mother, the king’s wives, his officials, and the chief men of the land he took into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon. 16 And the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon all the men of valor, 7,000, and the craftsmen and the metal workers, 1,000, all of them strong and fit for war.2
Nebuchanezzar then made Jehoiachin’s uncle king and he was also wicked and then rebelled against Nebuchanezzar as well. It seems like Nebuchanezzar cannot get a break. More importantly, listen to God’s attitude at this time.
II Kings 24:20 20 For because of the anger of the Lord it came to the point in Jerusalem and Judah that he cast them out from his presence. 3
The situation went from bad to worse. The uncle rebelled and the people rejected the compassion of God and God’s wrath rose against his people until there was no remedy.
II Chronicles 36:13-21 13 He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God. He stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the Lord, the God of Israel. 14 All the officers of the priests and the people likewise were exceedingly unfaithful, following all the abominations of the nations. And they polluted the house of the Lord that he had made holy in Jerusalem. 15 The Lord, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place. 16 But they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words and scoffing at his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord rose against his people, until there was no remedy. 17 Therefore he brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary and had no compassion on young man or virgin, old man or aged. He gave them all into his hand. 18 And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king and of his princes, all these he brought to Babylon. 19 And they burned the house of God and broke down the wall of Jerusalem and burned all its palaces with fire and destroyed all its precious vessels. 20 He took into exile in Babylon those who had escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and to his sons until the establishment of the kingdom of Persia, 21 to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its Sabbaths. All the days that it lay desolate it kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.4
Daniel lived through this entire process. From the time that Jehoiakim was captured, Daniel became a slave and yet was greatly used by God. In the midst of all of this wickedness, Daniel stood firm. His example to us will be convicting and should cause us to gain strength so that we too can stand in the midst of a wicked world.
In this passage, we will see God arrange circumstances, place the right people in the right places, equip the people in every area in order to carry out His will, give those people favor among their enemies, insert Himself in the middle of the ungodly, and bring to pass all that He arranged right on time.
Verses 1-2 1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the vessels of the house of God. And he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his god.
So Judah lost their kingdom, but an interesting detail is given. Some of the vessels of the house of God were taken. This fact is given to point to the idea that this is not just a story about 2 kings, but about the gods of 2 kings. Nebuchadnezzar had his god and Judah had their God. Nebuchadnezzar must have assumed that because he had defeated the people of God that his god had defeated their God. But the Lord God was in control. All of this turmoil was predicted and arranged by God with precise accuracy.
Nebuchadnezzar thought that he had defeated God, but God was using Nebuchadnezzar to carry out His plans. Later in the book of Daniel, God proves that He is more powerful than Nebuchadnezzar by humbling the king in a most unusual way.
Application - Our lives are located in the midst of a war. The god of this world has his kingdom and the God of Heaven and Earth has His. It appears that the god of this world has the greatest influence on the earth, but the Almighty God is in control and has predicted and arranged all things with precise accuracy.
First, I want to give you some overarching ideas to keep in mind as we go through the rest of this chapter and the rest of the book as well. You see, Nebuchadnezzar had his so-called gods, but the God of Daniel is far better and we will see this proven over and over again. As we journey through this passage, we must take hope from the lives of Daniel and his 3 friends.
GOD IS SOVEREIGN OVER HUMAN AFFAIRS – God always has things under control.
GOD IS NEVER DEFEATED – When circumstances seem dire, do not think that all is lost.
Verses 3-7 3 Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility, 4 youths without blemish, of good appearance and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king’s palace, and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. 5 The king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate, and of the wine that he drank. They were to be educated for three years, and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king. 6 Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah of the tribe of Judah. 7 And the chief of the eunuchs gave them names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego.
The Lord had already been setting the scene for this passage long before the conquest of Judah. That includes the lives of 4 young men named Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. These were already outstanding young men. The Lord had been developing the character of those who are now appearing on stage. God knew that Daniel and his kinsman would find themselves in a foreign land, with foreign names given by an ungodly person, eating foreign food, learning foreign customs, and answering to a foreign king who worshipped his foreign god. The goal of the king was to wipe out the very identity of these men and to cause them to assume a new identity that matched the world that they now lived in. The king and his god were to be recognized as the provider and controller of their worlds now. Yet somehow, Daniel and the guys were able to live in the midst of this foreign influence without being corrupted and were able to prosper in the middle of this adversity. What should have consumed them, what should have become their new identity, simply became their platform to demonstrate the power of God.
GOD ALWAYS HAS THINGS PLANNED OUT – When we find ourselves in the midst of any circumstance, remember that God has been preparing us for the time before it arrived and will continue to equip us for the occasion. God planned what should take place and He causes what He plans to occur.
God knows that we find ourselves in the midst of a foreign land, we do not have our final names, we are under the influence of the culture of our day, and we are surrounded by the workings of a foreign king who desperately wants to strip us of our identity. God is not surprised. God has things under control. God has predicted the end result. When Christ died on the cross – it was finished.
King Nebuchadnezzar considered himself to be the best and wanted to be surrounded by the best. The king was willing to invest in order to have what he wanted. He looked for the raw material, invested high quality ingredients over a considerable period of time (3 years) and then judged for himself to discover what emerged as the best. The king wanted either royalty or nobility. No peasants. The king already had people in place that he trusted and he gave them the task of gathering more treasure out of the defeat. Ashpenaz was told to gather the greatest treasure. He wanted the people with the most potential. The king understood that wisdom and understanding was to be valued above the riches. Daniel and his 3 friends just happened to be born into the right family, just happened to have the right physical attributes, the right schooling, etc. Daniel had no choice in this. He did not choose the family he was to born into. He did not choose the education he would receive. He did not choose to be handsome. This was just his lot in life. The God who carefully knitted Daniel and his 3 kinsmen together in the womb had chosen these things for them. God did not ask Daniel’s permission. God simply did what He wanted to do in order to give Himself glory through these men.
GOD SURROUNDS HIMSELF WITH THE BEST - Nebuchanezzar wanted only royalty and nobility. God is like Nebuchadnezzar in this area as well. God does not want to be surrounded by mediocrity. He wants to be surrounded by royalty. He makes us a royal priesthood. He makes us children of the King.
I Peter 2:4-11 4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ…… 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy5
John 1:12-13 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. 6
Romans 8:14-17 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. 7
God considers Himself the best and wants to be surrounded by the best. He is willing to invest the highest quality in order to have the best. Since there is nothing that will satisfy God except absolute holiness, then Jesus was the only investment that could be made. Jesus has always been holy.
GOD PLACES PEOPLE IN CIRCUMSTANCES - We are born into opportunities. Some are born into high level families, wealth, etc. and God placed them there. There are some born into the poorest places in the world. There are some born into drug cartels. There are some born to prostitutes. God is the author of life. He is the one who places life in the womb. Do not despise who you are or envy others for their positions. Produce for the glory of God right where you are. If the Lord wants to move you into more or less, then He will bring this to pass. Do not spend so much time dreaming about what you might be that you neglect to build who you are. I Timothy 6:6 reminds us that contentment mixed with godliness is great gain.
GOD VALUES WISDOM - True wisdom and understanding should be pursued as the greatest wealth.
Proverbs 8:10-11 10Take my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold, 11for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.8
GOD PUTS IN WHAT HE WANTS OUT - Even the ungodly understand that what you put into something is usually what you get out. However, in the spiritual realm, the world does not necessarily understand what is best. The world understands high quality in their realm, but they are not willing to acknowledge that it is the Lord that produces such quality. They simply think that if you invest the best that the world has to offer in the highest quality raw material, then you will produce the best. I think that we sometimes buy into this mentality. There is no denying that much of this concept is true, but God is not limited to the raw materials. He can produce the extraordinary from nothing. He can even produce something wonderful from the most corrupt. He does this every time He saves a soul. He creates a new creation in Christ Jesus.
Hebrews 11:1-3 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old received their commendation. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. 9
GOD GIVES IDENTITY - What you are called by the world is not as important as who you are. Who you are gives you your identity, not what people call you. God has given you an identity. Daniel and the guys already had an identity. They were who they were by birth. They were who they were by faith. It did not matter what Nebuchadnezzar called them. We are the same. God has birthed us into the family of God – into the people of God. We are who we are by faith. Some people get their identities from the wrong places. They think that their clan, status, wealth, race, past experiences, etc. are what defines them. None of these things should supercede being a Christian. God must be the one who defines us and all of the rest is simply equipment that God gave us.
Verses 8-16 8 But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. 9 And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs, 10 and the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and your drink; for why should he see that you were in worse condition than the youths who are of your own age? So you would endanger my head with the king.” 11 Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had assigned over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12 “Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat the king’s food be observed by you, and deal with your servants according to what you see.” 14 So he listened to them in this matter, and tested them for ten days. 15 At the end of ten days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king’s food. 16 So the steward took away their food and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables.
Daniel would not defile himself. The audacity of this young man. He was fortunate to be alive. He was handpicked to live in the king’s court, eat the finest foods, wear the best clothes, etc. and he decided that he did not want what was given to him. God gave Daniel favor with Aspenaz, the chief of the king’s eunuchs. Daniel tried to get his godly ways inserted into the situation with Aspenaz, but that didn’t work. Daniel did not give up. He approached the steward that was under Aspenaz. God gave Daniel favor with the steward. God gave such favor with the steward that he was willing to take the risk of severe punishment for Daniel. This was not a kinsman or even a countryman, but Daniel was a slave. Why would he even take the risk? The steward could have just said no like Aspenaz. He could have commanded Daniel and the men to eat and drink what they were given with their mouths shut. What was all of this about? Why did Daniel even mess with this issue? Was this about the food? Was this about not defiling his culture and their customs? It was not. It was about keeping his identity. It was about who was really in control of Daniel and the guys. God was their sufficiency. If you want proof, just think about what Daniel asked to be given to eat. He turned down meat, wine, and other delicacies and asked for vegetables and water. The end result was that they were to look better. Better in that day was fatter. In ten days, Daniel and the guys were noticeably fatter while eating only diet food. Do you really think that this was about food or was this about God?
Daniel prepared himself using the equipment given by God so he was ready when God requested his presence. His preparation included developing himself to stand for the Lord no matter what.
Remember what Proverbs 22:29 says, 29Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.10
Daniel was a man of resolve. Real leaders often rise to the top during adversity. When who they really are is challenged, they stand in the truth. Watch a man who is under attack or when those he loves are under attack and you will see a man willing to stand. He might wobble, he might complain some, but he will dig his heels in and stand. He is loyal to his principles and to those he loves. His resolve will undergird and inspire others of principle as well. Daniel was that sort of man.
GOD PRODUCES RESOLVE - SO RESOLVE TO STAND….. Resolve to stand in what you know honors God. Let your obedience to God set the standard for those around you. Live a life that proves what God says is better. Take a risk to insert godly principles into the circumstances. If God would not have given favor, then Daniel had a choice. He would have to compromise what he believed or accept the punishment of not compromising. This absence of favor would have been designed by God and God would have given him grace to stand within the punishment. This was later proved to be true when these young men were cast into the fiery furnace.
Resolve to stand and insert godly ways into ungodly circumstances. Like Daniel, prepare yourself for the request of the Lord, so that you are ready in the midst of these times. The time to be ready is before resolve is needed. Daniel was paying attention. He was not caught up in the circumstances, but was thinking about where God had placed him and was looking for opportunities to seize for the glory of God.
Resolve to stand and be willing to have what you believe tested by skeptics. People of resolve know that what they believe is true and so they walk in a humble confidence. Daniel knew his God and knew who his God had made him to be.
Verses 17-20 17 As for these four youths, God gave them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. 18 At the end of the time, when the king had commanded that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. 19 And the king spoke with them, and among all of them none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Therefore they stood before the king. 20 And in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his kingdom.
God gave the 4 youths exactly what the king was looking for. Remember that they were trained in the language and customs of the Babylonians, and they were trained in astronomy, magic, etc. God gave these young men learning and skill in all literature and wisdom. Daniel was given extra. Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. God had a plan for these young men and was making sure that the plan came to pass. God is the one that made these 4 young men stand out before the king.
GOD GIVES WISDOM - The world has smart people in it. There are many who do not know God and in fact find that their so-called intelligence makes them choose to think that there is no God or that God’s ways lack pertinence. Now, more than ever, God’s people need to insert the wisdom of God into every area of life for the wisdom of the ungodly is destroying our society. The wisdom that we have been given by God in His Word is far more valuable than any other wisdom given by the world.
Ecclesiastes 2:26 26 For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God.11
The king questioned all of the candidates. The servants of God were found to be 10 times wiser and more desirable in every area than the servants of the other gods including the wisest men of the day who were supposed to be the professional Babylonians. What a statement the beginning of this book makes. This king, who thought that his superior god had beaten God, found that the servants of the true God were 10 times greater in all areas among not just the youths, but among everyone in the king’s service.
GOD GRANTS FAVOR - Favor before the world is not earned, but given. Even though these 4 men were outstanding, all their looks, abilities, wisdom, etc. had been given by God and without this favor, they would not have been on the stage. In unusual circumstances, God often gives extraordinary grace to equip us. God uses our normal abilities, but He also sometimes infuses who we are with extra talents or skills. These are placed within us for a purpose and often times cause us to be placed in positions that we would not normally acquire. These positions usually carry with them risk, but also greater purpose.
VERSE 21 21 And Daniel was there until the first year of King Cyrus.12
The length of time that Daniel stayed in the service of the king is then spelled out for us. For 67 years Daniel served the king of Babylon and the king of Persia faithfully even in this hostile environment.
Cyrus was the king that sent the captives of Israel back to rebuild Jerusalem in 538 B.C. Listen to what Cyrus, another foreign king, said while under the influence of the Lord.
Ezra 1:1-7 1 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing: 2 “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. 3 Whoever is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israel—he is the God who is in Jerusalem. 4 And let each survivor, in whatever place he sojourns, be assisted by the men of his place with silver and gold, with goods and with beasts, besides freewill offerings for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.” 5 Then rose up the heads of the fathers’ houses of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites, everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up to rebuild the house of the Lord that is in Jerusalem. 6 And all who were about them aided them with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, with beasts, and with costly wares, besides all that was freely offered. 7 Cyrus the king also brought out the vessels of the house of the Lord that Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and placed in the house of his gods. 13
Listen to the control of God over Cyrus when Isaiah prophesied between 740 and 700 B.C.
Isaiah 44:28 28 who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd, and he shall fulfill all my purpose’; saying of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be built,’ and of the temple, ‘Your foundation shall be laid.’ ” 14
God voiced His control when Jeremiah prophesied between 627 to 586 B.C.
Jeremiah 25:11-14 This whole land shall become a ruin and a waste, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. 12 Then after seventy years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity, declares the Lord, making the land an everlasting waste. 13 I will bring upon that land all the words that I have uttered against it, everything written in this book, which Jeremiah prophesied against all the nations. 14 For many nations and great kings shall make slaves even of them, and I will recompense them according to their deeds and the work of their hands.”15
Jeremiah 29:10-13 10 “For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile. 16
GOD PLACES US IN THE EMPLOYMENT OF THE UNGODLY - There are times that God places us in the employ of the ungodly, but all of that time we are to have influence on the thoughts and plans of those around us. We are not simply employed. We are suppliers to the world of godly wisdom and thought processes.
One has to wonder how much influence Daniel had in the lives of his captors and even the lives of his kinsmen during those 67 years that he served these kings. Maybe Cyrus was influenced by Daniel to let the captives return to their homeland. There is one thing for certain. In the midst of their captivity, the Israelites had a very visible reminder that God was still in charge. In Daniel, they had a representative high in the administration of the king. They had a spokesman who really cared about them and their future.
There are some last minute comparisons to be drawn. Satan thought that by defeating Adam and Eve (the servants of God) and by taking God’s stuff that he had somehow defeated God Himself. After all, Satan did become the god of this world. God sent Jesus and Jesus defeated the god of this world.
We find ourselves in this world. We will be here until our release from captivity is accomplished. This release has been prophesied and it will come true. So while we are on the earth, we are to walk as the wise ones. We have the truth and we should use it for the glory of God in the midst of a hostile environment. One can only guess the amount of influence we might have in the lives of the unbelievers and even in the lives of those who love the Lord.
I Peter 2:11-12 11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 12 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.