Attack On Idols- Conformity
Attack on idols – Week 1: conformity
In the opening week of Attack on Idols, we explore how Daniel and his friends resisted Babylon’s pressure to conform. They were given new names, new food, and new training — but they refused to forget who God had called them to be. Culture will always try to rename and reshape us, but we are called to stand firm in our God-given identity (Romans 12:2). Attack the idol of conformity by refusing to bow to culture’s definitions. Reclaim your true identity as a child of God.
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Attack on Idols — Week 1: Conformity
Well, hello Rock Church—how’s everybody doing? I’m so glad you’re here—whether it’s your first time or you’re here every week. Today we’re launching a brand-new series called Attack on Idols. It’s inspired by the anime Attack on Titan and grounded in the book of Daniel.
Quick on-ramp for those who haven’t seen it: in Attack on Titan, massive human-like titans roam the earth devouring people. Everyone lives in fear—until a small group finally says, “Enough. We’re not going to be devoured—we’re going to attack.”
That’s where we’re headed. I believe we all face “titans” in our lives—things that devour our attention, affection, and allegiance. We often create these titans ourselves, and the Bible calls them idols—anything we put in the place of God: pleasure, politics, people, money, pride, power… the list goes on.
Our challenge for the next seven weeks: quit bowing to idols and start standing with Christ. And let me warn you these messages may feel punchy. Hear my heart—I’m not attacking you. I’m attacking the idols in your life and in mine.
Today’s idol: Conformity—the pressure to blend in and adopt the world’s story about what to think (ideology), what to consume (indulgence), and who you are (identity).
Daniel 1: A Three-Front Attack
Open your Bible (or the Rock app) to Daniel 1. We’ll live here for this series.
“During the third year of King Jehoiakim’s reign in Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. The Lord gave him victory over King Jehoiakim of Judah and permitted him to take some of the sacred objects from the Temple of God…” (Daniel 1:1–2, NLT)
This is real history—605 BC. Nebuchadnezzar besieges Jerusalem, carries off the best and brightest, and tries to remake them as Babylonians. Four of those young men were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
1) Conforming our Ideologies (change how we think)
In Attack On Titan it was all about conforming. The Eldian’s were taught to conform in the way they think. Erin was challenged to conform in what he believed. Everyone was trying to get him to change his thinking and conform to their thinking. In the book of Daniel we see this as well. They started with trying to get Daniel and his friends to change their thinking.
“Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, his chief of staff, to bring to the palace some of the young men of Judah’s royal family… ‘Train these young men in the language and literature of Babylon.’” (Daniel 1:3–4, NLT)
Nebuchadnezzar’s first move is a curriculum: language and literature of Babylon. Change their ideas, and you’ll change their allegiance.
That still happens. There is a true King—Jesus—and a counterfeit ruler—Satan—who works through culture to bend our thinking away from God. If the enemy can reshape your thinking, he will redirect your beliefs, then your behavior, and ultimately your worship.
He uses everything—news, entertainment, universities, politics, friend groups, and yes, phones. Average screen time for teens/young adults hovers around 6mhours a day. Algorithms don’t disciple us toward truth; they feed what we linger on. Linger on despair and you’ll be buried in despair. Linger on content that questions biblical truth, and you’ll be fed an assembly line of doubt until your worldview shifts.
Satan will continue to bombard you with ideologies to get you to conform. If you conform it turns into an idol in your life. How do you know if an ideology is an idol…ask yourself when someone challenges your ideology, how do you react? If your reaction isn’t of God, your ideology may have become an idol.
2) Conforming our Indulgence (change what we consume)
“The king assigned them a daily ration of food and wine from his own kitchens. They were to be trained for three years, and then they would enter the royal service.” (Daniel 1:5, NLT)
This is more than a menu—it’s an invitation to a new table, a new relationship, a new loyalty: “Sit at my table. Consume my fare. Live by my appetites.”
Our culture makes the same ask: “Just consume what everyone else consumes. It’s college. It’s normal. You’re an adult—do what you want.” We normalize indulgence and conform to it because everyone is doing it. Binge drink because it’s college and it’s the thing to do. Sleep with whoever you want, whether that is your girlfriend/boyfriend, someone of the same sex, someone outside your marriage, or someone online because that is the way of our world. Smoke some weed or do some drugs because it isn’t a big deal.
Our world try’s to get us to conform to these things but God says no. God says don’t give into the cravings of the flesh and the world as they lead to death. Instead say yes to consuming of the things of God. He has given us great things that we can indulge, but they look different than the things of the world.
3) Conforming our Identity (change who we are)
Again in Attack on Titan we see a lot of conforming in this area. The Marly people were constantly trying to conform the Eldian people. They called them “devils”. They turned them into man eating Titans. They even convinced some to long to be a “special Titan”. It was all about the conforming of their identity. This is true in Daniel 1 also.
“Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were four of the young men chosen… The chief of staff renamed them with these Babylonian names: Daniel was called Belteshazzar; Hananiah was called Shadrach; Mishael was called Meshach; Azariah was called Abednego.” (Daniel 1:6–7, NLT)
Name-changing was identity-shaping.
Daniel = “God is my Judge” → Belteshazzar = “Baal protects the king.”
Hananiah = “Yahweh is gracious” → Shadrach (linked to a false god).
Mishael = “Who is like God?” → Meshach = “Who is like Aku?”
Azariah = “Yahweh has helped” → Abednego = “Servant of Nego.”
Change the name, change the story, change the allegiance.
That’s the enemy’s endgame today: rewrite identity apart from the Creator. He try’s to convince us that we decide how we were created. We decide what our gender is. We decide what our purpose is. We decide who we are. But Scripture says we are created by God—“male and female” (Genesis 1)—formed with purpose, fallen by sin, and redeemed through Jesus, who makes us children of God by grace. We are created by God to be a child of God.
Don’t conform your identity to what the world says about you. Hananiah, Michael and Azariah never did. We often call them “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,” but that’s Babylon’s language. Their God-given names are Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah—and they never accepted the Babylonian labels. Let’s honor what God called them.
Refusing to Bow: Daniel’s 10-Day Test
Here’s the hinge of the chapter:
“But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods.” (cf. Daniel 1:8, NLT)
Daniel proposes a test: “Please test us for ten days on a diet of vegetables and water,” he says. (cf. Daniel 1:12, NLT)
At the end of ten days, they looked healthier and better nourished than everyone else. God’s way proved right—again.
This is where your Romans 12 connection lands: “Don’t conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve of what God’s will is. His good, pleasing, and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2, NIV)
You can put God to the test against the idol of conformity and he will win every time!
So what do we do with this?
1) Ideologies
— Put your thinking to the test.
Ask: Does this idea align with Scripture or with the stream I swim in?
Replace algorithm-fed assumptions with Bible-fed convictions.
Curate your inputs: Scripture, prayer, wise voices, holy community.
2) Indulgence
— Put your appetites to the test.
Ask: What table am I eating from?
For 10 days, try Daniel’s posture: simplify, fast from what fogs your faith, consume what feeds your soul—Scripture, prayer, worship, presence.
3) Identity
— Wear the name God gave you.
Reject Babylon’s labels.
Receive your gospel identity: Created by God. Adopted through Christ. In dwelt by the Spirit.
Speak the truth over yourself daily: I am a child of God.
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Attack on Idols — Week 1: Conformity
This week we launched our brand-new series Attack on Idols—a journey through the book of Daniel inspired by the anime Attack on Titan. Just like the characters in that story face terrifying giants, we all face “titans” in our lives—things that devour our attention, affection, and allegiance. Scripture calls these things idols.
For the next seven weeks, we’re learning how to stop bowing to idols and start standing firm with Christ. Week one’s focus? The Idol of Conformity.
When Culture Says “Blend In”
Daniel 1 sets the stage: Nebuchadnezzar invades Jerusalem, takes the best and brightest young men—including Daniel and his friends—and tries to remake them into Babylonians. He changes their education, their diet, even their names. His strategy is the same one we face today: conform their thinking, their consumption, and their identity until their loyalty shifts.
1. Conforming Our Ideology
Nebuchadnezzar’s first move was to change their education—teach them the “language and literature of Babylon.” Change what they think, and you change who they worship.
We face the same battle: news cycles, entertainment, algorithms, and peer pressure all work to reshape our worldview. When we uncritically accept what culture feeds us, our beliefs and behaviors slowly shift.
Practical Step: Test your thoughts against Scripture. Romans 12:2 reminds us to renew our minds so we can know God’s will. Curate what you consume—make time for Scripture, prayer, and godly community.
2. Conforming Our Indulgence
Next, the king invited them to eat at his table. This wasn’t just about food—it was about loyalty. Our culture makes the same invitation: “Consume what everyone else consumes. Indulge your cravings. Do what feels good.”
But God calls us to a different table. The things we consume shape our hearts and our habits. When we say “yes” to God’s way, we find true freedom.
Practical Step: Try a 10-day reset—like Daniel did. Fast from something that clouds your faith and intentionally feast on the things of God: prayer, worship, His Word.
3. Conforming Our Identity
Finally, the king changed their names—an attempt to rewrite who they were. The world does the same today, trying to redefine identity apart from God. But we don’t have to accept Babylon’s labels.
You are not what culture says you are—you are who God says you are: created with purpose, redeemed by Christ, and called His child.
Practical Step: Speak truth over yourself daily. Remind yourself of your identity in Christ.
A Call to Courage
Daniel and his friends refused to conform—and God honored their faith. By the end of ten days, they were healthier and stronger than everyone else. God’s way still works today.
So, which area is God challenging you to test this week—your thinking, your consumption, or your identity? Take one step, for ten days, and see what God does.
Join the Conversation:
Which “idol of conformity” do you struggle with most?
How are you renewing your mind this week?
What truth are you speaking over your identity?
Share in the comments or with your small group—we’d love to walk this journey with you.
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Small Group Curriculum: Attack on Idols
Small Group Curriculum – Week 1 PDF
Series: Attack on Idols
Week 1 Title: Cultural Conformity and Identity
Main Scripture: Daniel 1:5–8 (NLT)
Big Idea: Attack the idol of conformity by finding your identity in Christ.1. Connect (Icebreaker / Relational Start)
Option A (Fun): If you had to pick a new name for yourself, what would it be and why?
Option B (Thought-provoking): What’s one trend, fashion, or cultural “fad” you felt pressured to follow growing up? Did you go along with it or resist?
Transition: Just like Daniel and his friends, culture tries to rename and reshape us. Today we’ll talk about what it looks like to hold onto our God-given identity.
2. Discover (Scripture & Discussion)
Read Daniel 1:5–8 (NLT).
"The king assigned them a daily ration of food and wine from his own kitchens. They were to be trained for three years, and then they would enter the royal service. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were four of the young men chosen, all from the tribe of Judah. The chief of staff renamed them with these Babylonian names… But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods."Discussion Questions
What pressures to conform did Daniel and his friends face in Babylon?
In what ways do you see our culture trying to shape how people think, act, or identify today?
Daniel “resolved” (made up his mind) not to defile himself. What does it look like for a believer today to make that kind of decision in advance?
How does remembering our identity in Christ help us resist cultural pressure?
Dig Deeper Scripture: Romans 12:2 (NLT) — “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think…”
What does this verse add to the Daniel story?
What are some practical ways we can renew our minds instead of conforming?
3. Respond (Application & Prayer)
Personal Application
Where do you feel the strongest pressure to “fit in” with culture right now—at work, school, family, or online?
What would it look like to stand firm in your identity in Christ in that area this week?
Group Prayer Prompt
Pray for courage to live with conviction like Daniel.
Ask God to strengthen each person’s identity in Christ so they won’t be swayed by culture.
Pray for influence—that your group would be lights in the world without conforming to it.
Challenge for the Week
Memory Verse: Romans 12:2 (NLT).
Practice: Each time you face cultural pressure this week, pause and say out loud: “My identity is in Christ.”
⏱️ Designed for 45–60 minutes:
Connect (10–15 min)
Discover (25–30 min)
Respond (10–15 min)
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