THE Name - JESUS
At the time I had this dream, I wasn't keeping track of them, yet I knew this particular one was more than “just a dream.” I hadn’t yet come to understand how God uses dreams in one’s life and the importance of journaling them.
I am fighting a small demon at my home in India. A kutti demon, which translates to "small demon" in one of the Indian languages. She's literally fighting over me. I was fighting with all of my strength and became so angry that as I fought her I plucked out one of her eyelashes and it left a hole in her eyelid. I could see there wasn't any blood coming out of it but the hole that occurred by me plucking her eyelash was red and deeper than normal. The demon got angrier and came at me with more strength. I tried to fight back with all of my strength, but the demon would not let up. I tried continuously to catch a breath. I wouldn't say I was exhausted but if I continued on, I knew I would wear myself down. End of dream.
I can still remember it as if it were a few days ago. The message was not only for that point of time in my life, but a continual reminder that I shouldn't rely on my own strength and understanding, but on God’s. My abilities are limited. Proverbs 3:5-6.
When I had this dream I was in a phase of life where I had an increased desire to be with the Lord. I saw how much time my parents committed to spending time with God and I wanted to do the same. Though my desire was great, I was easily distracted and every day with God was looked different. I had no stability in my prayer life.
Upon waking up I knew God was asking me in the night to trust him and to be completely dependent on Him. He wasn’t asking me to be like other believers, but to be who he created me to be. He wanted me to look and rely on him and no other.
Though this was a key takeaway for me in this dream, there is a universal message to the body of Christ that we can learn from. Since that time, I have found that most of my God-dreams have more than one meaning.
It’s a clear picture when I operate on my own strength, I am weak. No matter how hard I tried to fight this small demon, I continued to be out of breath. The more I fought the battle in my own efforts, the weaker I became.
How did I fight in my own strength? Not once in the dream did I cry out to Jesus. Not once did I have a thought or sense I needed to stand in the authority God has given me to say THE NAME to silence the enemy and get him to flee.
The Bible says “When the seventy-two disciples returned, they joyfully reported to him, “Lord, even the demons obey us when we use your name!” Luke 10:17
The Bible also states, “There is no one else who has the power to save us, for there is only ONE NAME to whom God has given authority by which we must experience salvation: the name of Jesus.” Acts 4:12 TPT
Saying THE NAME above all names will save and deliver us.
The Lord revealed and warned me in this dream what happens when I rely on my own strength, not his. It was a picture of what can happen if I become complacent in my daily walk with God and don’t spend the time in prayer, reading my Bible, and worship that I know God wants me to. It wasn’t that I wasn’t spending time with God, it’s just that God needed to show me what my distractions were. At the time, it was too much television. “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” Philippians 2:13
The small demon represents the little things in life. There are times I react negatively to small concerns and controversies. No matter how minor a negative situation is, there’s always a danger it will escalate into something more harmful. The enemy can easily get me off track and focused on a situation before going to God. Slowly, these minor irritations chip away at the foundation of my relationship with Christ, which ultimately affects my relationships with others.
One thing is certain, the enemy will continue attacking the children of God. But when we submit to Christ we can be confident of our victory and a big fat defeat to the enemy.
The truth is if we keep fighting with our own strength we can only get so far and we wear ourselves down very easily, but when we have a daily routine set aside with God, we will win the battles. We don’t even have to feel exasperated in the process.
Jesus is our example. He wasn’t wishy-washy when he was faced with a temptation or in the presence of evil. Do like Jesus did: “But Jesus reprimanded him. “Be quiet! Come out of the man,” he ordered. At that, the demon threw the man to the floor as the crowd watched; then it came out of him without hurting him further.” Mark 1:25
Another aspect of the dream is that I’m at home alone, except that is for the presence and attack from a demon. Isolation is one of the enemies greatest tactics to wear us down, get us depressed, and steal our joy and self-confidence. We are more vulnerable to the enemy and his attacks when we detach ourselves from others and society.
Over the last few months, countries restricted people’s movement and across the globe, humanity was shut-in due to COVID-19. In the United States, schools shut down March 2020 and many have yet to open.
August 2020 the Centers for Disease Control released a report stating the “The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been associated with mental health challenges....*Symptoms of anxiety disorder and depressive disorder increased, reporting those experiencing disproportionately worse mental health outcomes, increased substance use, and elevated suicidal ideation. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Weekly / August 14, 2020 / 69(32);1049–1057
I wonder how many of those precious souls never sought the Lord for help? How many remained in isolation and never went to a medical professional, took the necessary prescribed medication, or sought the counsel of a friend or pastor without ever reaching out in desperation for help. Instead, their sense of hopelessness and defeat ended with them committing suicide.
We were created to live in community. For believers, it is important to worship and fellowship together. Community plays an important role in keeping us accountable to God and strong in our faith and trust in God. We need accountability.
Satan will do everything he can to keep us away from one another so that we don’t see any way out of our situation. Nobody is exempt from the enemy's attack of depression and feelings of hopelessness. We aren’t meant to be detached from people and life.
During our government “shelter-in-place” due to COVID-19, I learned early on that isolation isn’t the same as solitude. We may be physically absent from others, but we must always remain in solitude with the Lord. Jesus spent time alone with the Father. To be like Jesus, we need to do like Jesus.
This dream wasn’t to cause fear of the enemy. It was a beautiful reminder and nudge from the Holy Spirit of my need for him. I don’t have to be caught off guard. I don’t have to become weighed down by any challenge the enemy throws my way. God wants me to know he’s always there for me.
Don’t neglect your day in the presence of God. For where God’s presence is absent, the enemy has a greater chance of nudging his way into your space. If you aren’t in tune with the Spirit, in your strength you will be weak. But, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV
Reflection:
Who do you call upon first when you are in a crisis? Is it Jesus?
Does the world hear more of Jesus through you or do you speak of others more regularly, i.e., giving honor, praise, acknowledgment to his name?
Is your message, your cause founded on the name of Jesus? Do others hear it and see it, i.e., in-person and/or on social media?
Do you get easily distracted from spending time with God? If yes, what distracts you the most?
Spend some time in self-reflection and recognize what you are doing in your own efforts. “The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” John 6:63
Example: Did you set up unrealistic expectations? Instead, ask God, what do you want me to read in my Bible today? Teach me something new today God. Pause and wait on the Lord for an answer.
“Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him THE NAME above all other names...”
Photo by Mark Fletcher-Brown on Unsplash
