Topical Bible: Dreams: Enemies of the Church

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In the biblical narrative, dreams often serve as a medium through which God communicates with His people, offering guidance, warnings, and revelations. However, dreams can also be manipulated by forces opposed to the Church, serving as tools for deception and leading believers astray. This dual nature of dreams necessitates discernment and vigilance among Christians.

Biblical Instances of Deceptive Dreams

The Bible acknowledges the potential for dreams to mislead. In Jeremiah 23:25-32, the prophet warns against false prophets who claim to have dreams from God but speak lies to lead His people away from the truth. Jeremiah 23:32 states, "Indeed," declares the LORD, "I am against those who prophesy false dreams. They tell them and lead My people astray with their reckless lies, yet I did not send or appoint them. They do not benefit these people in the least," declares the LORD.

Similarly, in Deuteronomy 13:1-3, the Israelites are cautioned against prophets or dreamers who perform signs and wonders but advocate for the worship of other gods. The passage emphasizes that such dreams are a test of faithfulness to the Lord, urging believers to remain steadfast in their devotion.

Dreams as Tools of Spiritual Warfare

In the New Testament, dreams are not explicitly mentioned as tools of the enemy, but the broader theme of spiritual warfare suggests that any means, including dreams, can be used to undermine the Church. Ephesians 6:12 reminds believers, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world's darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

The early Church Fathers and subsequent Christian theologians have often interpreted dreams as potential battlegrounds for spiritual conflict. They caution that dreams can be influenced by demonic forces seeking to sow confusion, fear, or false doctrine among believers.

Discernment and Testing of Dreams

Given the potential for dreams to serve as instruments of deception, the Bible encourages discernment and testing of all spiritual experiences. 1 John 4:1 advises, "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world."

The Church is called to exercise wisdom and seek confirmation through prayer, Scripture, and the counsel of mature believers when interpreting dreams. This approach ensures that dreams align with biblical truth and the teachings of the Church.

Historical and Theological Perspectives

Throughout Church history, various Christian traditions have approached dreams with caution. The early Church often viewed dreams with suspicion, associating them with pagan practices and potential demonic influence. The Reformation further emphasized the sufficiency of Scripture, leading to a wariness of extra-biblical revelations, including dreams.

In contemporary times, some Christian denominations remain skeptical of dreams, while others embrace them as a legitimate form of divine communication, provided they are consistent with biblical doctrine and the Church's teachings.

Conclusion

While dreams can be a source of divine revelation, they also possess the potential to become tools of the enemy, leading believers away from the truth. The Church is called to exercise discernment, testing all dreams against the Word of God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. By doing so, Christians can safeguard their faith and remain vigilant against the deceptive tactics of the enemy.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Isaiah 29:7,8
And the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, even all that fight against her and her fortification, and that distress her, shall be as a dream of a night vision.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Bad Ecclesiastics and Base Plots
... So the Bishop of Gabala was successful beyond his wildest dreams, and"heaven of ...
The machinations of his enemies throughout the Church, and above ...
/.../chapter xxxix bad ecclesiastics and.htm

Against those who Fancy that in the Judgment of God all the ...
... heart until death, and are not converted from enemies into sons ... the dead, indeed,
the prayer of the Church or of ... that hope in Him, since, if their dreams be true ...
/.../augustine/city of god/chapter 24 against those who fancy.htm

The Church as She Should Be
... They have dreamed their dreams, as the Midianite did, and ... the chief glory and majesty
of the church lies mainly ... We reply, the enemies of Christ dread the cross ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 17 1871/the church as she should.htm

The Formation and Order of the Primitive Church.
... and goodness, the hearts of its enemies bear an ... The primitive Church was composed
of persons awakened ... without giving up their agreeable dreams, their soothing ...
/.../dick/lectures on the acts of the apostles/lecture iii the formation and.htm

Preached Before the Governor, and Council, and the House of ...
... spoke "face to face." To others by "dreams in the ... of Josedech (O happy times when
church and state ... by the false representations of their enemies, which perhaps ...
/.../selected sermons of george whitefield/preached before the governor and.htm

Faustus Rejects the Old Testament Because it Leaves no Room for ...
... unchaste the marriage of the Catholic Church with thy ... miserable prostitute to these
dreams, such are the ... to regard thy parents as thine enemies, because their ...
/.../faustus rejects the old testament.htm

Use to be Made of the Doctrine of Providence.
... 6. These calumnies, or rather frenzied dreams, will easily ... God having chosen the
Church for his abode, there ... various ways defeating the malice of our enemies. ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 17 use to be.htm

The Persons that Became at that Time Leaders of Knowledge Falsely ...
... and of certain demons that sent them dreams and lent ... 13. For the machinations of
its enemies were refuted by its ... of the catholic and only true Church, which is ...
/.../pamphilius/church history/chapter vii the persons that became.htm

The American Church on the Eve of the Great Awakening --A General ...
... a completeness not common to such prophetic dreams. ... colonial home and sympathy with
its political enemies. ... in Connecticut also, the Episcopal Church in its ...
/.../bacon/a history of american christianity/chapter x the american church.htm

Of the True Church. Duty of Cultivating Unity with Her, as the ...
... that by the tyrannical cruelty of his enemies he was ... have spoken attempt to rob the
Church of this ... Anabaptists, who have fallen into the same delirious dreams. ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 1 of the true.htm