Satan and Dreams

re you willing to be guided and corrected by the Bible? Or will you be turned aside to fables? One of the major errors of professing Christianity is the practice, by some, of pagan traditions. For more on this vital topic, read Douglas S. Winnail’s article “The Pagan Revival” on page 22 of this issue.

For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

5. Let it be. The Lord will bring His dreams to your remembrance. Most of my dreams are extremely vivid; but the ones I pay closest attention to are the ones I remember years after having them. Occasionally, while sitting in God’s presence, He will recall a dream to my mind to reinforce a lesson He is teaching me. The danger comes when the dream preoccupies our thoughts instead of the One who gives us these supernatural visions.

Dreams from the enemy are often nightmares. The enemy desires to produce fear in us so we will not walk in faith. He frequently aims this kind of attack at young children, and when this occurs, the answer is not to tell them to ignore their dreams because they “aren’t real” — but to teach them their authority in Christ. Help your children trust in God instead of running in fear.

Another king, who had to learn lessons the hard way, was King Nebuchadnezzar. When he neglected to take the prophet Daniel’s advice to repent, God took Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom away from him. And King Nebuchadnezzar lived like an animal for seven years, until he learned his lesson. You can read about that in Daniel 4.

My son, keep your father’s command, and do not forsake the law of your mother. Bind them continually upon your heart; tie them around your neck. When you roam, they will lead you; when you sleep, they will keep you. (Proverbs 6:20–22).

This open door can come in three ways: your past, your media choices or your spiritual activity. Once you find the door the enemy is using, you can close it, and these dreams will often stop. I have seen many people set free from dreams from the enemy as they closed these doors — myself included.

Here, Elihu speaks of the work of God upon men in their sleep (in their night visions). It is a way in which the Lord speaks to men in their dreams in an effort to turn them away from evil. Yet, men are unaware of this work of God upon them (“yet man does not perceive it”). It is not inconsistent with John 1:9.

I may preface the prayer by commanding the demon in the name of Jesus not to hurt anyone and to be silent. I help the believer reaffirm basic theological truths such as those in the first two paragraphs. I do not involve myself in arguments or dialogue with the demon at all. All prayer is done to God in normal tones of voice. Remember, Christ’s power, not mine, is at work. I’m only His instrument. Demons are sent away by Christ’s authority, not by formulas, rituals, the power of their names, etc. One grave danger of deliverance ministry is a subtle temptation to pride and power.

As Christians, we need to be aware of Satan’s schemes, or devices. In this article, we will briefly discuss seven of his most serious deceptions, which he uses to ruin people and draw them away from God.

What is a dream? Webster (Webster’s Third New International Dictionary) describes a dream in this way, “1a: a series of thoughts, images, or emotions occurring during sleep. . . . having ideas or images in the mind while asleep”. So, dreams are thoughts and images occurring during sleep.

Many do not realize that Easter eggs are a pagan symbol of fertility. Decorated trees, holly wreaths, and mistletoe were pagan traditions. December 25 was celebrated as the birth of Mithras, the sun god; it was not the date of Jesus’ birth. Should Christians observe Valentine’s Day? In 496ad, Pope Gelasius I established the Feast of St. Valentine on February 14. Previously, since the days of ancient Rome, young lovers had often observed the Lupercalia — the feast of Lupercus, a fertility god — on February 15. Even in ancient Greece, mid-February was associated with love and fertility; the Greek month of Gamelion, ending in mid-February, was associated with the marriage of the gods Zeus and Hera.

God wants you to be His faithful and trusting son or daughter, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. He will give you His faith, if you turn to Him with your whole heart. In the meantime, arm yourself with spiritual knowledge. Avoid self-deception. Avoid the world’s deceptions. And avoid Satan’s deceptions. As the Apostle Paul reminded us, Christians are not ignorant of Satan’s devices. As regular readers of this magazine know, Bible prophecy foretells of a great future false religious system, inspired by Satan, that will influence billions of people all over the earth. By staying close to the true God, you can avoid Satanic deception. Do not let yourself be deceived!

Are you practicing pagan traditions in the name of Christianity? Remember Jesus’ warning to the Pharisees and scribes concerning certain religious customs. He warned them, “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition” (Mark 7:9).

Read that carefully. Satan, the devil, deceives the whole world! That means the people of every nation. That means you and me. I have been deceived. You have been deceived. But, thankfully, God calls us out of this world’s deception, through the true Jesus Christ of the Bible!

In disquieting thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on men, fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones shake. Then a spirit passed before my face; the hair on my body stood up. It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance. A form was before my eyes; there was silence; then I heard a voice saying: “Can a mortal be more righteous than God? Can a man be more pure than his Maker? If He puts no trust in His servants, if He charges His angels with error, how much more those who dwell in houses of clay, . . .”