God made our brains and bodies, which is fascinating. He is incredibly creative in allowing us to dream while we sleep. Sometimes our subconscious brings up what we are going through, and I believe God can also use our dreams to reveal what we may be fighting through or remind us of biblical truths we need in the middle of a battle.

However, not every dream necessarily carries a spiritual meaning, which is why what we experience should always be weighed against Scripture.

Recently, I had two dreams where I was fighting intense spiritual warfare. In the second dream, I was told that I had to start with prayer in order to fight. The attack appeared to be coming through a person who was demonically possessed.

This wasn't a real person in my life, but in the dream I began to understand that the real battle wasn't simply against a person; it was spiritual.

This reminded me of Ephesians 6:12, which says, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood” but against spiritual forces of evil. Once I understood what I was fighting in the dream, I knew how to respond, and eventually there was victory.

In both dreams, the battle ultimately led to peace, wholeness and restoration. In one of them, I even ended up preaching the Gospel to people who had previously been influenced by evil. Eventually, they came to Christ, and one went on to lead a large church.

You see, Satan may know our weaknesses and attempt to use them against us, but he is not all-knowing, omnipresent or equal to God. First John 4:4 reminds believers that “the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”

In my own life, I've noticed similar struggles occurring before times of significant growth or breakthrough. I'm not saying that every trial automatically means the enemy is attacking you. Jesus tells us in John 16:33 that we will have trouble in this world.

Sometimes difficulties are simply part of life. What I am saying is that there can be patterns of temptation, distraction, discouragement or spiritual opposition that require discernment.

That's where prayer, praise and talking to God come into play.

First Peter 5:8 tells us to “be alert and of sober mind” because the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Yet Scripture doesn't tell us this so that we will become afraid or obsessed with the enemy. Instead, it teaches us to remain spiritually awake and prepared.

Prayer is one of the ways we fight. After Paul describes the armor of God in Ephesians 6:10–17, he tells believers in verse 18 to “pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.”

Prayer brings our attention back to God. Instead of allowing fear, anger or confusion to dictate our response, we can ask Him for wisdom and discernment. James 1:5 tells us that when we lack wisdom, we can ask God.

Praise can also be a powerful response during a battle. In 2 Chronicles 20, King Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah faced an overwhelming enemy. They sought God, and when they went out to face the battle, people were appointed to praise the Lord. As they began to sing and praise, God intervened (2 Chronicles 20:20–22).

Acts 16:25–26 is interesting because Paul and Silas were praying and praising God while they were still in prison. They had been beaten, locked up and had no idea that an earthquake was about to open the prison doors.

They didn't know what God was going to do next. They just worshiped Him right where they were. I think there's something powerful about that. They weren't praising God because the battle was already over. They were praising Him while they were still in it.

Praise doesn't mean pretending that our circumstances aren't painful. It means remembering that our circumstances don't change who God is.

Did you know forgiveness can also be a strategy for defeating the enemy?

If the enemy can get us to remain trapped in offense, bitterness and resentment, we can take our eyes off Jesus and become distracted by the person who hurt us. We begin focusing on what they said, what they did, what they owe us and whether they ever apologized.

Ephesians 4:26–27 warns us not to allow anger to lead us into sin or “give the devil a foothold.” Later in the same chapter, Paul tells believers to get rid of bitterness, rage and anger and to forgive one another as God forgave us in Christ (Ephesians 4:31–32).

Forgiveness interrupts that cycle.

Forgiveness doesn't mean pretending that someone didn't hurt you. It doesn't mean calling evil good. It doesn't mean abandoning healthy boundaries or automatically allowing someone back into your life.

Forgiveness means refusing to allow what someone did to continue ruling your heart. Romans 12:19 reminds us that vengeance belongs to God. We can bring our pain to Him and entrust justice to Him rather than allowing bitterness to consume us.

There are also times when God's strategy is simply to stand.

Ephesians 6 repeatedly tells believers to stand firm. We are instructed to put on the armor of God: truth, righteousness, readiness that comes from the Gospel of peace, faith, salvation and the Word of God (Ephesians 6:10–17).

James 4:7 says, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” I've heard the “resist the devil” part plenty of times, but there's something important before it: submit to God. Maybe fighting isn't always about doing something dramatic.

Spiritual warfare isn't about spending our lives looking for demons or becoming consumed with everything Satan might be doing. Our attention belongs on Jesus. Hebrews 12:2 tells us to fix our eyes on Jesus.

Prayer is a strategy. Praise is a strategy. Forgiveness is a strategy. Knowing Scripture is a strategy. Standing firm in truth is a strategy. Keeping our eyes on Jesus is a strategy.

Yes, sometimes the Lord calls us to be still and trust Him (Psalm 46:10). At other times, Scripture calls us to stand firm, resist evil and remain spiritually alert. The important thing is learning to seek God's wisdom rather than reacting from fear.

The enemy may attempt to distract, discourage or tempt us, but he doesn't get the final word. Our confidence isn't found in our own strength. It is found in Christ.

As Ephesians 6:10 says, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.”

Your faith is a weapon. Learn to fight your battles God's way.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES

Psalm 46:10; 2

Chronicles 20:20–22

John 16:33

Acts 16:25–26

Romans 12:19

Ephesians 4:26–32

Ephesians 6:10–18

James 1:5; James 4:

Hebrews 12:2

1 Peter 5:8–9

1 John 4:4.