WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU HAVE A DEMONIC DREAM
Dreams come in all forms and types. Most aren’t so bad and often aren’t remembered. But sometimes a horrifying, scary dream can shock us. Demonic beings may even be seen or felt. Are these our fault? Have we given these demons an opening by something we thought or did in a dream? What are we to do when we have a demonic dream?
There is an interesting passage in the book of Job, a book which clearly deals with spiritual warfare because it records Satan’s direct attacks on Job and his family. After pleading his innocence (Job 3) his friends who have come to comfort him speak. Eliphaz speaks first and sets the tone for what will be said about Job in the next thirty or so chapters. His opinion is based on a dream (Job 4:13) he had just had which was demonic (Job 4:15-16). It terrified him: “Fear and trembling seized me and made all my bones shake” (Job 4:14). Accusations against Job were placed in his thoughts in the dream. He accepted the words as true and responded to Job’s suffering by saying it must be Job’s own fault. The others picked up on this theme and continued their attacks until the end of the book. Here is an example of a demon putting terror into a sleeping person and telling them lies in the dream that they believed when they awoke.
It still happens today. Demons can cause such experiences while we sleep. It becomes worse when we think we are somehow at fault or to blame. It is true that demons can influence or control our conscience minds when we have given them an opening to do so. But when we are following Jesus and living for Him as best we are able they cannot influence our subconscious mind. We don’t’ have to live a perfect life, but we must confess known sin (1 John 1:9) so demons no longer have a foothold in our lives because of it (James 4:7).
While we may dream we are doing something sinful, we can’t really sin while dreaming because it is not our conscious self that is making a free-will decision to commit the sin. Thus we are not accountable and should not feal guilt when awake for what we did in a dream. If the sin is something we are allowing in our life, then we are guilty for it in our awake life, not when asleep.
Satan uses fear as a main weapon (2 Timothy 1:7; Psalm 23:4), so demons may try to put fear into us by a dream. They can try to use either the content of the dream, or just the fact that we are having it, to instill fear. That is the opposite of faith and means we are looking at our limited resources instead of trusting God who has unlimited power and is greater than Satan (1 John 4:4).
In the Old Testament, in Job’s day, God often spoke to people through dreams. Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of coming world empires (Daniel 2), Gabriel’s warning to Joseph to flee to Egypt with Mary and Joseph (Matthew 2) or Old Testament Joseph interpreting Pharoah’s dreams (Genesis 41) are examples. While God still can and at times does use dreams to communicate to people, His written Word and the Holy Spirit within us are by far the most common means of transferring guidance or information to us today. God never uses fear, confusion, darkness, terror or false guilt to motivate us. He gently draws with love and security.
If experience terror-filled dreams, call on the name of Jesus, even in your dream. When awake, remember God’s promises of protection and victory (1 John 4:4; etc.). If these dreams are a regular occurrence, pray for your sleeping space and dedicate it to God, commanding any demons that have access to it to be gone. Quietly play Christian music or a recording of someone reading the Bible all day and night. Leave a small light on all night as well. Demons hate hearing Jesus praised and love darkness, not light. You can anoint your walls with oil (in the shape of a cross) as well. Before going to sleep, pray for God to put a hedge of protection around you, your mind and your heart. That’s what Job did (Job 1:4-10).
Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Does Satan use dreams to distract or defeat you?
What can you do to help prevent such dreams?
What should you do when you realize you are having such a dream?
For more information about spiritual warfare see my book, “Spiritual Warfare,” at https://www.christiantrainingonline.org/our-ministries/india/books/ or email me at Jerry@Schmoyer.net and I’ll send a PDF copy. If you have any questions, I would be glad to answer them.
cto Rev. Dr. JERRY SCHMOYER
Christian Training Organization
Jerry@ChristianTrainingOrganization.org
(India Outreach, Spiritual Warfare, Family Ministries, Counseling, World View)
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