Have you ever woken up from a bad dream that left you unable to sleep? Perhaps our bad dreams are more than our imagination. Maybe the enemy is hurling lies and insults at our subconscious mind.
My Bad Dream
When I woke up, it was still dark. The clock read 4:43 a.m. I tried to roll over and get comfortable again, but images of my dream kept floating before my eyes. . . I hugged my old students and said I missed them. Then I watched them run off to class with the teacher who’d taken my place after their parents had pulled them from my class, one by one, until only a few remained.
I lay there, filled with sadness. This dream wasn’t a memory. This had not happened in real life. But the sadness, loss, failure, and rejection I felt when I left my last job was real. I flung off the covers in frustration, knowing I would not be going back to sleep.
Then, I cried out to God. Why do I keep having these dreams? That season of my life is over. It doesn’t matter if I failed or they rejected me. I have a new job. And You have given me a new purpose. I am happy now. So why do I keep dredging up these old feelings of shame in my dreams?
Where Did My Dream Come From?
And at that moment, I felt God’s peace. I knew these old feelings of rejection and failure were not from God. God loves me and calls me his child (1 John 3:1). Even though I’ve made mistakes in the past, everyone has sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. But because of Jesus’ sacrifice, we are redeemed, saved, and made righteous (Romans 3:23-24 and Romans 10:9).
I wondered if the reason I was still having bad dreams was the enemy was trying to pull me back to old feelings of hurt and rejection from my past. He was hurling old accusations, saying I was a failure, weak, and unwanted. And once again, I felt those old hurt, “poor me” feelings.
Does Satan Actually Exist?
If you are thinking, “Hold on, no one believes in Satan anymore,” then you aren’t alone. A 2023 Gallop poll revealed that only 59% of Americans believe in the devil. And if people do not think he is a mythical figure, then they believe he may have once existed and deceived Eve in the Garden of Eden, but he no longer exists.
But friend, there are references throughout the Bible, from Genesis to Revelations, stating who the enemy is. The enemy is: a crafty schemer, a stumbling block, a tempter, a spiritual force of evil, an accuser, a murderer, and a liar, just to name a few (Genesis 3:1, John 8:44, Matthew 16:23, 1 Corinthians 7:5, Ephesians 6:12, Revelation 20:1-2).
In the Old Testament, when God called Joshua to be the new profit after Moses died, the enemy tried to sling accusations at him to keep him from leading the Israelites into the promised land. “Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him” (Zechariah 3:1-2, NIV).
In the New Testament, we are told Satan entered into Judas before Judas betrayed Jesus (Luke 22:3-4). And we are warned, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings” (1 Peter 5:8-9, NIV). So, yes, the bible is telling us Satan is real and evil.
Dreams have three sources:
- God
The Bible provides many examples of God using dreams to communicate, such as:
- Jacob dreamed of a ladder ascending to heaven. (Genesis 28)
- Joseph dreamed his brothers would serve him. (Genesis 37)
- Solomon dreamed he was seeking wisdom from God. (1 Kings 3)
- Daniel had a vision to interpret Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. (Daniel 2)
- Joseph dreamed of the Lord telling him to take Mary to Israel. (Matthew 2)
- Our soul – our mind, body, and spirit
Dreams originating in our soul may result from stress, eating certain foods before bed, watching or reading something scary, bad feelings resulting from an argument or situation, worry, or fear.
- The enemy
Since the enemy spends all his time accusing and deceiving us while we are awake, it just follows that he would continue to do so while we are asleep. The Bible, however, only gives one instance of a dream with a possible evil origin. However, it is unclear if this was a dream from God, showing man’s need for a savior or one from the enemy, in which he taunts Eliphaz.
“Amid thoughts from visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on men, dread came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones shake. A spirit glided past my face; the hair of my flesh 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: ‘Can mortal man be in the right before God? Can a man be pure before his Maker?’” (Job 4:12-17, ESV).
How To Overcome Bad Dreams
So what are we to do when we know those hideous lies and accusations are attacking our minds and even dreams?
- Pray
- Before you go to sleep:
Praying before you sleep is the best way to calm the mind, body, and spirit. God promises to protect us with His peace. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6–7, NIV).
- When you awake from a bad dream:
Just as I did, you can immediately turn to the Father. Let Him wrap you in His arms and allow His presence to comfort and protect you. “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you” (James 4:7-8).
- Read, Meditate on, and Speak the Words of the Bible
Use the Word of God, His sword of truth (Hebrews 4:12), to defeat the enemy’s lies, temptations, and accusations. We can put on the armor of God to stand against the devil’s schemes. “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:14-17, NIV).
Takeaway
Unfortunately, friend, our enemy is real. However, defeating him is very simple with God’s help. As a believer of Christ, no matter what you hear in your mind or dreams, you are loved, chosen, forgiven, and righteous. We have hope because the Bible promises, “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet” (Romans 16:20, NIV). So, next time you encounter bad dreams, you can confidently say, “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe” (Psalm 4:8, NLT).
