Comrade in Arms
God speaks to us in a multitude of ways, if we just listen. He speaks through His Word, by His Spirit to our spirit, through others, through music, etc. He is all-Powerful, and is able to speak by whatever means He may choose.
Some believe the Lord speaks through dreams. There are those who take their dreams very seriously, and seek to interpret each one. For example, some believe that dreams about water indicate that one is avoiding an issue of fearfulness in his life. Although I don’t believe in dream-interpretation per se ~ a set of cookie-cutter guidelines conceived by a human being, a pre-packaged list of symbolic explanations ~ I sometimes dream dreams that seem significant to my current life events. When this happens, I ask the Lord to show me the meaning, if any, and reveal to me whatever it is I need to understand.
I view any dreams that seem meaningful as parables, metaphors of life events which, perhaps, will give me clarity. I do not, however, believe that every dream has a deep, hidden meaning. Most dreams are strictly that ~ dreams . . . random thoughts or feelings expressed by a semi-conscious mind.
I recently had a dream in which I was in a vulnerable position, unguarded, when I was confronted by a stranger. At first, he approached me slowly, giving the appearance of being harmless. Then suddenly he turned violent, and attacked with physical and verbal force. I fought back and while resisting, I called out to a nearby friend. The friend intervened and helped me chase the enemy off.
Not long after that, I discerned that the enemy was somewhere close by. This time, in an attempt to avoid being blindsided by another assault, I searched him out and found him hiding. He immediately attacked with greater force than before, and I fought back with greater force than I had when he first attacked. I also screamed out repeatedly for the friend to come to my aid once again. When the friend didn’t appear, I continued fighting and screaming out, and I began pounding on anything within my reach to get the friend’s attention. I fought hard, even verbally informing my assailant that he would not overtake me. After a while, my friend appeared and the enemy ran off once again.
Upon wakening the following morning, still in a state of brain-fog, I talked with the Lord
about it to see if there was any meaning behind it.
This is what I believe the Lord revealed to me . . .
Satan comes for us innocently and deceptively before attacking. He retreats for a time when we resist him, but he doesn’t go very far. He lurks in the shadows waiting for the next opportunity to strike. When he attacks again, it is with more force, more power, and more determination than the time before. When I resist him with more force, more power, and more determination than the time before, I will eventually be victorious.
There is also one key element here ~ the friend . . .
Both times, I called out to a friend to intervene, to help me overcome the enemy. The first time, there was a short delay between the time I called out to the friend, and the time the friend arrived on the scene. The second time, the delay was much longer and I had to put up more of a fight. The fight wasn’t just physical, it was also verbal and mental; I had to remain mentally sharp in order to keep my focus on my opponent, and I had to verbalize my strength and my confidence in gaining the victory.
The friend was a fellow warrior who came alongside me in the battle when I cried out for help. Perhaps when the second attack occurred, the Lord allowed the friend's delayed response in order to strengthen me and to intensify my resolve.
When we are confronted by the enemy, we must resist with everything in us. We must remain mindful that the enemy may retreat for a time, but he will be close by, assailing with greater force at the next opportunity. Like any army, Believers must remain vigilant at all times, aware that an ambush could occur at any moment.
When you are struggling with difficulties, your spouse can be a powerful ally in the battle. If your struggle is with your spouse, a fellow Believer can join you in fighting the enemy, bringing your marriage before the Lord, and fighting for the restoration of your Holy union.
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“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God.”
~ 1 John 4:1a