In a previous Q&A, the question about whether Satan can influence us when we are asleep was answered.  It was proved that God would not allow His people to be subjected to such a situation.

And so, the next question to ask may be: “Where do our dreams come from?”

On the website: https://www.realsimple.com/health/mind-mood/dreams/facts-about-dreams/what-are-dreams we read about the process of dreaming:

“What Is a Dream, Anyway?

“A dream is a collection of images and ideas that occur involuntarily during certain periods of repose. When you first drift off, your heart rate slows, your temperature drops, and your brain is busy processing the day’s events. During this initial sleep stage, dreams are made up of flashes of thoughts and images from your waking life: what you ate for lunch, a phone call you made during the day, the movie you watched before bed. You rarely remember these dreams unless you wake up during them.

“After about 90 minutes, you fall into the rapid eye movement (REM) stage of sleep, where vivid, often surreal dreams occur. The amygdala, the area of the brain responsible for processing emotions, and the hippocampus, the seat of memory, are both active, which is why REM dreams have a story like quality and are the ones you tend to remember the next day and recount to friends. If you get six to eight hours of sleep, you experience four to five REM periods of various lengths, all of which are dream filled (though you probably won’t remember most of them).”

The article then goes on to say that “they help you understand new experiences, prepare you for change, help you cope with trauma or loss and can facilitate learning.”

Most, if not all of us, can attest to the fact that we do dream, and regularly.  We have learned that God will not allow His people to be tested and tempted when we are asleep – a time when they are not in a position to defend their minds.  But that should not put us in a position where we don’t pray for the protection of our minds whilst we are asleep!

As we read above, our dreams are a combination of what is in our mind following experiences of the day, and of our lives so far. Before we were converted, we may have developed bad habits that have subsequently been difficult to dislodge but we understand that all of these have been recorded by our brain and are part of who and what we are.   Our thoughts, pre-conversion and post conversion, can have a dramatic effect on what happens in our minds when we are in the subconscious state of sleep.

In “Understanding Your Subconscious Mind,” Brian Tracy states: “Your subconscious mind is like a huge memory bank. Its capacity is virtually unlimited. It permanently stores everything that ever happens to you.

“By the time you reach the age of 21, you’ve already permanently stored more than one hundred times the contents of the entire Encyclopedia Britannica.

“Your unconscious memory is virtually perfect. It is your conscious recall that is suspect.

“The function of your subconscious mind is to store and retrieve data. Its job is to ensure that you respond exactly the way you are programmed. Your subconscious mind makes everything you say and do fit a pattern consistent with your self-concept, your ‘master program.’

“Your subconscious mind is subjective. It does not think or reason independently; it merely obeys the commands it receives from your conscious mind. Just as your conscious mind can be thought of as the gardener, planting seeds, your subconscious mind can be thought of as the garden, or fertile soil, in which the seeds germinate and grow.  Your conscious mind commands and your subconscious mind obeys.”

One well-known speaker, Jim Rohn, said: “Our thoughts shape our reality.  Our thoughts shape our beliefs.  Our thoughts decide whether we feel happy or sad, calm or anxious, content or unfulfilled.  So we must exercise caution towards what we allow to enter the door of our minds because it affects our thoughts.  And our thoughts are the engine that starts everything – and we do have a choice.”

We mustn’t become complacent just because Satan can’t attack us when we are asleep.  Put simply, for the purpose of this Q&A, we have to be careful about our thoughts.   Whatever we think about and allow into our minds can surface in dreams at a later time.

We read in 1 Peter 1:13-14 in the NIV translation: “Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.  As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.”

We should regularly pray for the protection of our minds whilst we are asleep. Satan may not be able to affect us at this time but the way we live our lives, and what we say and do, can certainly impact on what we dream about. We are warned in Ephesians 4:26-27 that we should not let the sun go down on our wrath and not to go to bed with an angry attitude, nor give place to the devil. Satan cannot directly influence us when we sleep, but evil and bad thoughts, which were recorded by the brain, may lead to unpleasant dreams.

In Isaiah 26:3 we read that: “You (God) will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.”

In the first two verses of the chapter we read about safety which is the result of faith in God, and it reflects on the mindset of those who are focused on God through trust in Him. One writer, Oswald Chambers, penned these words when speaking about the subject of our minds being stayed on God:

“Your mind is the greatest gift God has given you and it ought to be devoted entirely to Him.  You should seek to be ‘bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ…’ (2 Corinthians 10:5). This will be one of the greatest assets of your faith when a time of trial comes, because then your faith and the Spirit of God will work together.”

One good comparison would be with our computers   There are many versions of different anti-virus protection which can protect our computer and all of our information.   If we didn’t take steps to protect our information, we could be open to hackers who could do serious damage.   Satan and his demons work in a similar way.   They will do everything they can, particularly to members of the true Church of God, to influence and affect us in a way that will dent our chances of making it into the Kingdom of God.   As we need protection for our computers, we need protection for our minds from the evil forces that do anything they can to derail us.   And our protection can only come from God.   He will help us to be careful what we let into our minds which can adversely affect us and it is essential that we don’t just carelessly allow wrong thoughts and ideas into our minds which can then surface in any dreams that we may have.

We have to be fully aware at all times about our carnal mind and nature: “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be” (Romans 8:7).   Later, in the same letter, we read: “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2).   We must not be part of this society and its ways, and our minds are an integral part of our Godly Way of Life.

In 1 Corinthians 2:6-16 the apostle Paul discusses spiritual wisdom, showing that the “natural man does not receive the things of God.”   Verse 16 should apply to us: “‘For who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?’  But we have the mind of Christ.”   With the mind of Christ, we will only let good and wholesome thoughts into our minds and, if and when these are included in our dreams, we can be assured that our dreams will not distress us or cause us any spiritual concerns.   However, probably all of us are still working on our relationship with God and have yet to arrive at the place where we should be and, therefore, any wrong thoughts could easily become part of our dreams; in addition, our brain has stored memories and thoughts which might have happened a long time ago, but which might come to the surface now.  That is why we do need to ask for the protection of our minds when we are asleep.

We are instructed not to be involved with those with a wrong attitude and approach: “If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself” (1 Timothy 6:3-5).

In 2 Timothy 1:13-14 (New RSV) we read: “Hold to the standard of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard the good treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us.”  We have to guard the truth given to us with help from the Holy Spirit and have to have the mind of Christ as it states in Philippians 2:5: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.”   That is the mind that we need, and must have.

In Ephesians 4:17 we read: “This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind.”   We are not to have that approach and a few verses later in the New Living Translation of verses 22-23, we read: “… throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception.  Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.”

That’s the key – to let the Holy Spirit of God help us in all things and in renewing our thoughts and attitudes. Then, our minds will be protected when we are sleeping. This is the only way to live!

We read in Romans 8:5-6:  “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”   This clearly shows the difference of mindset and the direction in which we must go.

How we live, what we think, say and do, and what we allow into our minds will reveal to God how seriously we take our calling.   Keeping our minds on the things of God and not of this world will enable us to live a life pleasing to our great God.

We know that Joel 2:28-29 gives us a view of times to come: “And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions.  And also on My menservants and, on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.”   However, that time is yet to come when dreams will mean something.

But for now, as we haven’t yet achieved perfection, there will be some failings along the way, but asking God in prayer to protect our minds while we are asleep will continue to be necessary.   Satan and his demons are not allowed to influence us when we are sleeping. However, let us not cause problems for ourselves by giving way to wrong thoughts and actions that could be reflected in our dreams.

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

First of all, it would be helpful to define what “unequally yoked” means.

A yoke was a wooden beam cross the shoulders of two animals, usually oxen or horses, which harnessed them to do some task better together than they could have attempted singly. The success of the operation, however, depended on the compatibility or suitability of the two animals to each other. As it says in Deuteronomy 22:10: “You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey.”

Why? The differences in the internal temperaments and energies of the animals, and their external structures and sizes, as well as the fact that an ox does not tolerate the smell and breath of a donkey, would mean that the work would not be done very well, if it was done at all. The animals could well pull in different ways as well as in different directions. The yoke would become an irritation and a pain, a hindrance to each one instead of a help to both of them. Unnatural combinations lead to confusion and discord as does compromise with the world.  Apply these principles spiritually and we will quite clearly see the problems.

There are many examples in both the Old Testament and the New Testament about this principle.   Let us review some of these.

In Deuteronomy 7:3-6, we read: “Nor shall you make marriages with them. You shall not give your daughter to their son, nor take their daughter for your son.  For they will turn your sons away from following Me, to serve other gods; so the anger of the LORD will be aroused against you and destroy you suddenly. But thus you shall deal with them: you shall destroy their altars, and break down their sacred pillars, and cut down their wooden images, and burn their carved images with fire.  For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth.”

It is abundantly clear that God didn’t want them to become involved with paganism – they were a holy people.   To intermarry with them was therefore unlawful.   Today, we are holy to God and completely different from the society around us as well as being completely different to the many denominations of mainstream Christianity who have absorbed so many pagan customs.   This is a principle that we must not try and work our way around.

Matthew Henry’s Commentary states the following:

“This very thing – talking about mixed marriages had proved of fatal consequence to the old world and thousands in the world that now is[,] have been undone by irreligious ungodly marriages; for there is more ground of fear in mixed marriages that the good will be perverted than of hope that the bad will be converted.”

Further examples can be reviewed in Joshua 23:13 and 1 Kings 11:1-10 where the wisest man who ever lived, apart from Christ, fell into the same trap.   The marriages could well have been mostly political unions and this meant that Solomon tolerated and provided for the religions of his foreign wives.  Those of us with much less wisdom have to be even more careful.   Also please note Ezra 9:1-2; 10:10; Nehemiah 13:23-27.

Invariably, the bad nearly always superimposes itself over the good – that is just the way that it is.   How many brethren have we known who simply have had a problem attending the Feast because of an unconverted and difficult spouse?   Over the years, there have been so many difficult situations because God’s instructions have either been ignored or circumnavigated.

If we have been called and chosen, we should not let such things stand in the way of serving the living God who has called us.   Either God comes first or He doesn’t.   Of course, many members have been called after they were married, but the issue that we are addressing in this Q&A is about God’s people intending to marry outside the faith.

There are enough Old Testament examples to clearly show the dangers of marriage which do not conform to biblical instruction.   In Proverbs 3:5 we read: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” and 1 Corinthians 10:11, the apostle Paul wrote: “Now all of these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition…”

Amos 3:3 gives us sound advice: “Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?”  This applies in any walk of life but surely none more so than in marriage.

2 Corinthians 6:14-18 is very clear:  “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?  And what accord has Christ with Belial?   Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?  And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God.  As God has said: ‘I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.’  Therefore ‘Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.’  ‘I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the LORD Almighty.’”

The New Bible Commentary states: “The apostle strongly exhorts Christians not to mix with unbelievers in the sense of sharing their lives.   Marriage is, of course, the supreme way of sharing in the life of another.   God dwells in the hearts and lives of believers, and God has no fellowship with Satan.   Therefore, believers cannot tolerate companionship with unbelievers in their distinctive activities.”

To be separate is to be different and to live in this world’s society means that a true Christian must have different standards of behavior. The reasons for not entering into an unequal yoke has to do with differences which exist between believers and unbelievers.    Note that these differences actually, and already, exist.   Many who have taken on an unequal yoke have eventually and tragically found out how opposite they are.   So many have also found that the wrong end of a yoke had distorted the right end, and whatever compromise had been reached is well below what would have been anticipated at the start.

It is always easier to be dragged down than to pull up!   To be unequally yoked can, for those Christians who are not too strong in the faith, be a real trial particularly when married to a strong-willed non-baptised spouse.   It can lead to spiritual shipwreck if the member is not very careful.   But why would anyone want to put themselves in that position anyway?   Isn’t our calling the most important thing in the world to us? If it isn’t, then it should be and nothing should divert us from the true path to which we have been called.

In 1 Corinthians 7:12-13 we read about an existing marriage: “But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her.  And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him.”

However, what we are addressing in this Q&A is those who are baptised and are contemplating marriage, not those who are already married.

But those who are looking for a loophole can debate the definition of a believer which, biblically, is quite clear cut.   This can be a good opt-out clause.   If the definition of a believer can be re-constituted according to personal requirements, then the Scriptures can be made to fit in with those who may have a vested interest in this matter. We have to live by every Word of God.

A Christian is someone who has repented of their sins, accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour, has been baptized and received the Holy Spirit and who lives an obedient Godly life, growing and overcoming as they strive to make it into God’s Kingdom.   We can surely see that the way of life that true Christians are to follow is a narrow and difficult way that needs faith.  God is only calling a few now and we should only marry those of the faith so that we don’t become unequally yoked. Let us be honest with Scripture about who is and isn’t a believer which must always be based on biblical evidence, irrespective of vested personal interests or circumstances.

What are the fruits of being unequally yoked?    Marriage is something that even two baptised members have to work hard at to make it a success and this is with two people who have committed themselves to true Christianity.   But consider that where there are “two minds” – a converted one and an unconverted one – further problems are bound to ensue.   Problems are things that we should be trying to eliminate, if possible, before they even arise!

In 1 Corinthians 7:39 we read: “A wife is bound by law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, she is at liberty to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord.”

A marriage “in the Lord” means a marriage between two believers. This is the universally accepted understanding by virtually all biblical scholars.  The New Bible Commentary observes that “The command to marry only within God’s redeemed community was to be maintained throughout the Old and New Testaments.”

In our Q&A, “Is it a Biblical obligation or merely a Church tradition that God’s ministry officiate during a wedding or burial of Church members?” we stated the following:

“Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 6:14-17 that we are not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers. Therefore, the ministry of the Church of the Eternal God in the USA, the Global Church of God in England, and the Church of God, a Christian Fellowship in Canada, will only officiate over a marriage between a man and woman, if both are baptized in the faith, and have received God’s Spirit.”

Surely this is clear enough that marriage should only be to other believers.  Of course, the lack of availability of a suitable mate in the true Church of God today can be seen as a problem.   Those who are single, male or female, and who may want to get married (not every single does want to marry) must ask themselves if they would make a good husband or wife if the situation arose.   Would they be a good catch?   Or are they too set in their ways to make all the necessary adjustments that are necessary when getting married?

We must be very, very careful that we don’t fall into the trap of trying to say that what Paul said was just an instruction for that time, some 2,000 years ago, and was fine for then but not for today.   That is the way of the world where people can “pick and mix” those bits that seem convenient whilst ignoring the inconvenient bits.   Such an approach allows the culture of the day to become more important than God’s clear instructions!   As we read, ALL Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16).

It has been said that some marriages with a baptised member and someone who is not interested in the Church can be as good, and in some cases better, than a marriage between two baptised members.   In a small number of cases that may be true, but because we can come up with an exception here or there doesn’t negate clear biblical teaching on this matter.   That actually can be faulty reasoning to justify a wrong and inappropriate action.

It’s not what we think that’s important, it’s what God instructs which is always for our benefit and ultimate good.   We are to judge by the fruits and a marriage with a member and a non-member can cause considerable problems, not only for themselves but also for their children who can be pulled in two conflicting directions.   Anyone who wants to marry an unbaptised person cannot expect that God will convert their spouse. Of course, it might happen on occasion, due to God’s unmerited grace and mercy, as the unconverted mate is “sanctified” by God through the believing mate, making it possible for the unbeliever to have access to God, but invariably he or she does not take advantage of the privilege, and there is absolutely no biblical evidence and no biblical promise to say that it will happen.

We must always believe what the Bible instructs.   We can’t agree with everything in the Bible and exclude that one thing that impacts adversely on our lives, that one thing that we wished wasn’t there!  There may be those around who, through personal circumstances, have become unequally yoked but consider their understanding of the verses we have examined in this Q&A to be somewhat at variance with what Scripture clearly reveals. Whatever the Scripture says, let us be obedient to it and not use human reasoning to try and get around that which is clearly revealed.   A baptised member should only marry another baptised member.

This same principle can also apply to business relationships.   One commentator stated the following:

“The ‘unequal yoke’ is often applied to business relationships. For a Christian to enter into a partnership with an unbeliever is to court disaster. Unbelievers have opposite worldviews and morals, and business decisions made daily will reflect the worldview of one partner or the other. For the relationship [better: business partnership] to work, one or the other must abandon his moral centre and move toward that of the other. More often than not, it is the believer who finds himself pressured to leave his Christian principles behind for the sake of profit and the growth of the business.  Of course, the closest alliance one person can have with another is found in marriage, and this is how the passage is usually interpreted.”

There have been some instances where this biblical injunction has been ignored either in marriage (which we have largely covered in this Q&A) or in business by members, but because there have been some exceptions where it might have worked out, does not mean that these rare instances invalidate God’s instruction.

There is another way of understanding God’s prohibition to be unequally yoked. In our Q&A, “Would you please explain how we should apply Romans 16:17-18?” we stated:

“Paul’s message to the Corinthians regarding their affiliations left little room for compromising: ‘Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?” (2 Corinthians 6:14-15). People who do not continue in the truth of God are in grave danger of falling back into the world—the society whose god is Satan (compare 2 Peter 2). Their light will fade into darkness, and they will become an unbeliever.

“This is why we have such strong warnings against fellowshipping with dissident individuals. In his day, Paul had to contend with those who rejected the leadership of Christ—as we do in our time: ‘Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame–who set their mind on earthly things” (Philippians 3:17-19).

“[Those] who are blatantly rebellious and full of resentment and accusations, must be avoided. Understand that these attitudes are often masked by deceptive representations in order to justify themselves.”

In conclusion, we are instructed not to be unequally yoked and that should be good enough for the people of God.

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

There are those who believe that Satan can influence us whilst we are asleep and others who think exactly the opposite.   What does the Bible have to say on this matter?   Where can we find Scriptural references that give us the answers?

To give you just one example of how wrong conclusions are reached, one commentator quoted Ephesians 6:12 where it states: “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”   He said that Paul was making it very clear that this fight that we face daily in this world is not against flesh and blood (other human beings) but against demonic forces, such as fallen angels and demons. “It is in this spirit realm that every human being enters when they fall asleep that the battles truly begin” (our emphasis). It is difficult to see how such a conclusion could be reached.

Job 4:13 is often used to support the idea about demonic influence whilst asleep.   This reads: “In disquieting thoughts from the visions of the night, When deep sleep falls on men, Fear came upon me, and trembling, Which made all my bones shake. Then a spirit passed before my face; The hair on my body 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 saying: ‘Can a mortal be more righteous than God? Can a man be more pure than his Maker?’”

The Benson Commentary observes as follows: “These thoughts, it seems, arose from the visions of the night, which, probably, he had had before, and were the occasion of the fear mentioned in Job 4:14.   Visions differed from dreams herein, that God imparted his mind to men in dreams when asleep, but in visions when they were awake.”

Barnes Notes on the Bible states: “From the visions of the night…..This was a common mode in which the will of God was made known in ancient times.”

Matthew Poole’s Commentary writes: “When deep sleep falleth on men;  in the dead of the night, when men usually are in a deep sleep; though Eliphaz was not now asleep, as appears from the nature of a vision, and from the following words.”

Other commentaries agree with these observations that Eliphaz was not asleep and the vision was from God. However, they are wrong to conclude that this “vision” was from God. It was most certainly not godly, but demonic.

We state the following in our free booklet, “Angels, Demons and the Spirit World”:

“We read in Job 4:12–16 about Eliphaz’ encounter with a spirit: “Now a word was secretly brought to me, And my ear received a whisper of it. In disquieting thoughts from the visions of the night, When deep sleep falls on men. Fear came upon me, and trembling, Which made all my bones shake. Then a spirit passed before my face; the hair on my body 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…”

“Eliphaz saw some kind of a form before his eyes but he could not discern the appearance of the spirit. This indicates that it was a demon, as the Bible does not show that God’s angels appear to man in such a way. It was something like an apparition—a phantasm.”

At the same time, we need to emphasize that Eliphaz was not asleep. He was quite awake and had “disquieting thoughts”, but the encounter with the demon happened at night, when deep sleep falls on (other) men.

There are situations that are not specifically covered by the Bible and a classic case is that of smoking.  If every facet of living was specifically covered in the Bible, it would be a much larger book than it is currently, and the Jews have their list of do’s and don’ts and it is still insufficient to cover all that they face in their lives in a world of increasing complexity.  However, as a general practice, by reviewing God’s Word on smoking, we can see a number of Scriptures and principles that can be applied to this habit showing that it is not a Godly practice.  The same approach can be applied to this particular question about Satan and whether he can influence human beings whilst they are asleep.

We can, and should, pray that God will help us in every facet of our lives and it is inconceivable that He would protect us whilst we are awake as we are able to make decisions and judgments with our full faculties but leave us to the devices of Satan and his demons whilst we are asleep and not able to fend off these invisible but highly dangerous adversaries.  That would be an inconsistent stance to take and not compatible with the love that God has for His people.

God wants us to search the Scriptures (see John 5:39) as did the Bereans (see Acts 17:10-11). Let us look at some Scriptural evidence.

God gives us His armour to protect us as we read in Ephesians 6:10-18, as briefly mentioned above: “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.  Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.”

“Wrestling” is an activity where the contestants are conscious and their minds awake and focused on the activity, and the same principle must apply when wrestling “against… principalities, powers, the rulers of the darkness of this age and against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”   We simply couldn’t wrestle against these forces when asleep.

One area that we might want to meditate on is that Satan can influence us in our daily lives when we are conscious, and we know that this is true because Satan may tempt us to sin and we have to repent of any sins that we commit.   It might be that when this is stored in our memory bank, any such contact may be on our mind and be reflected in any dreams that we may have afterwards.  Our brain continues to function even when we are asleep, but this does not mean that demons “enter” our mind and brain while we are sleeping. On the other hand, we simply mustn’t get involved in the occult, séances or other demonic activities during the day as that would be counter-productive to our Christian lives and could also give opportunity for us to have dreams and nightmares at a later time.   In these ways, demonic influence could be indirectly felt but surely God would not allow Satan and his demons “open season” to afflict us when we are in the unconscious state of sleep.

There are examples where God has “spoken” to different people in dreams; for example, Abraham, Abimelech, Pharaoh, Joseph, Solomon, Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar, Joseph, the step-father of Jesus, Pilate’s wife, Ananias, Paul, the apostle John – and others.   These were all for positive purposes, as we would expect from the God of love.   If Satan and his demons were to be allowed into our minds whilst we were asleep, it would always be negative and for evil reasons.

We can take a famous passage of Scripture and see relevance to the matter in hand.   We read in Matthew 4:8  “Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, ‘All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.’  Then Jesus said to him, ‘Away with you, Satan!  For it is written, “You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.”’  Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.”   This is also recorded in Luke 4.

In these passages, we see that Jesus was not asleep, when Satan approached Him, but He was quite conscious and able to resist the devil.

As followers of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, we can take the same action that He took.  A key verse is found in James 4:7 which states: “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”   We resist the devil whilst we are awake and are able to send him packing.   Whilst asleep, we would not be in the same position and, therefore, how could God allow Satan free reign to influence us whilst we are not in a position to thwart his broadcasting?

Proverbs 3:21-24 is further vital information about wisdom and understanding where we read: “My son, let them not depart from your eyes— Keep sound wisdom and discretion; So they will be life to your soul And grace to your neck.  Then you will walk safely in your way, And your foot will not stumble. When you lie down, you will not be afraid; Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet.”  Our sleep could not possibly be sweet if our minds were being assailed by Satan’s evil broadcasting, and this is another proof that he cannot influence us whilst sleeping.

Psalm 3:4-5 conveys a similar thought: “I cried to the LORD with my voice, And He heard me from His holy hill. Selah. I lay down and slept, I awoke, for the LORD sustained me.” Leviticus 26:6 even states: “I will give peace in the land and you shall lie down, and none will make you afraid.” This would most certainly have to include demons while we are sleeping.

In 1 Timothy 2:4, the apostle Paul states this about God: “… who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”  Also, in Romans 11:26 we read; “And so all Israel will be saved…”, which is a phrase that should encourage us, knowing that God will do everything He can to facilitate this in spite of Satan’s best attempts to do otherwise, which begs the question why God would allow His Will to be put in danger by allowing evil influences to run riot in the minds of humans whilst they are not in a position to defend themselves?   The answer is, of course, that God will not allow this.

It is not God’s Will that we should fail, and allowing Satan to play around with our minds for 7-8 hours a day as he pleases whilst we are asleep would inevitably thwart that desire.   We know that the damage that can be done by Satan in a very short space of time can be immense, and God wants us to succeed and He is not going to put us through trying to win when the task is impossible.

Hypnosis is something else to consider.   Let us quote very briefly from our Q&A on hypnosis entitled, “Should a Christian Use Hypnosis?”

“Romans 6:16 reads: ‘Do you not know that to whom you present (yield) yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?’  It is all about controlling our own minds and not letting anyone else into that territory.  We are to yield wholly, fully and completely to God and His Will which is perfect.  Hypnosis gives away that control to another person or another spiritual entity, such as a demon influencing the hypnotist to use his power.”

The full Q&A can be reviewed at https://www.globalchurchofgod.co.uk/should-a-christian-use-hypnosis

If we voluntarily submit our minds to the influence of a hypnotist, then it is possible that Satan or his demons might influence us while we are in that state. In fact, depending on the circumstances, this might be very likely. But hypnosis is not the same as normal sleep. That is why hypnosis is so dangerous.

In addition, once a person is totally possessed (as distinguished from just occasionally influenced), then the demon has gained complete control over such a person; regardless as to whether the person is asleep or awake.

There are those today who believe that God has spoken to them in a dream or a vision. Upon further investigation, this belief is erroneous in just about every case (only very rare exceptions might exist today),  and there is no evidence that the prophecy in Joel 2:28 has yet begun.  We read in this verse: “And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions.”   This happened in part on the day of Pentecost just after Christ ascended to heaven.   It was a preliminary fulfilment and there is more to come at the end of this age of man, but that time has not yet arrived.

Philippians 4:6-7 is a passage of Scripture which gives us the assurance that God will guard our hearts and minds: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

In conclusion, we can see that there is sufficient evidence from the Scriptures quoted and the general principles that we have briefly reviewed to see that a loving God would not allow our minds to be influenced at a time when we would not be in a position to fight back spiritually against a clever and cunning adversary.

This Q&A clearly shows that Satan cannot influence us whilst we are asleep, and regular prayer will keep us close to God and will help to reduce or eliminate any influence that Satan would like to exert whilst we are awake!

Lead Writers: Brian Gale (United Kingdom) and Norbert Link

This is an interesting question.

Today, many can use the arguments that as culture changes, God will go along with the flow and bend according to the particular dictates of man at any given time. They don’t phrase it that way of course, but that is how they view it.

In an article in April 2015 in the New York Times, a columnist wrote: “And homosexuality and Christianity don’t have to be in conflict in any church anywhere. That many Christians regard them as incompatible is understandable, an example not so much of hatred’s pull as of tradition’s sway. Beliefs ossified over centuries aren’t easily shaken.  But in the end, the continued view of gays, lesbians and bisexuals as sinners is a decision. It’s a choice. It prioritizes scattered passages of ancient texts over all that has been learned since — as if time had stood still, as if the advances of science and knowledge meant nothing. It disregards the degree to which all writings reflect the biases and blind spots of their authors, cultures and eras. It ignores the extent to which interpretation is subjective, debatable.”

Can you see how subtle and deceptive this all is? The article goes on to show how “advances” in understanding have been made in respect of slavery, contraception, gender roles and same sex marriages. This author and the people he quotes who share many of his views obviously think that they know better than God.

So let us quickly take, for example, homosexuality which is one of the areas of their “new understanding”. It is very clear to those who have eyes to see that the Bible in both the Old Testament and the New Testament denounces this abominable practice and yet it is seen as something good and acceptable by so many societies around the world. This is one of many cases where the application of Isaiah 5:20 is clearly shown: “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil…” It is interesting that Romans 1:32 states “…that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.” We see that approval is also condemned! We know that, so often, the law of man in the case of homosexuality takes precedence over the Word of God but God does not change when it comes to such matters! (Please see our Q&A dated 11^th March 2005 entitled “The Biblical Teaching on Homosexuality.”) God has not changed His instruction on this subject just because there are those who come up with arguments to prove that “we have to change with the times.” Perhaps, nearly 2,000 years ago, there were the “modernists” who might have felt that the condemnation of this practice in the Old Testament ought to be brought up to date to suit their wrong understanding of morality as laid out by the God who created us all. There were the “naysayers” then [a naysayer is one who denies, refuses, opposes, or is sceptical or cynical about something (Merriam-Webster)] and we have them today, so what changes?

We know from Malachi 3:6 that God does not change: “For I am the LORD, I do not change”. Another verse that is used to show the unchanging nature of God is found in Hebrews 13:8: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.” In James 1:17 we read: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”

There are a number of examples where God DID change His mind and so how do we explain that? Let us look at some of these examples.

In Genesis 6:5-6 we read that “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.  And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.”

Genesis 18:26-32 relates Abraham’s negotiation with God over how many righteous in Sodom would be needed in order to save the city from destruction. First of all it was 50, then God agreed to 45, then 40, then 30, then 20 and finally 10. Quite a few changes of mind there because of Abraham’s pleading.

Numbers 14 tells the story of Israel refusing to enter Canaan and instead of entering the land immediately, God changed this by deferring their entry for 40 years.

In 2 Kings 20 we read that King Hezekiah was “sick and near death” (verse 1) and the King prayed about this matter (verse 2-3) and God changed His mind and added another 15 years to his life (verses 5-6).

Jonah was sent out on a mission to Nineveh but Jonah tried to opt out of this task. Eventually he did deliver the message that in “forty days… Nineveh shall be overthrown” (Jonah 3:4). However, all the Ninevites repented and “God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it (verse 10).” Again a change of mind by God.

We can see from these examples that God did change but none of these changes involved alterations to His unalterable spiritual law. God does not alter, nor does He compromise, with His plan for mankind which is set out in His Holy Day calendar (Please see our free booklets “The Meaning of God’s Spring Holy Days” and “The Meaning of God’s Fall Holy Days”) where His plan of salvation for ALL people is revealed, even those who, at this present time are disobedient to the truths and Way of Life that God has shown His called out ones. He doesn’t change on the need to keep His law – the Ten Commandments.

It is interesting that the Roman Catholic Church has defied God and “replaced” His seventh day Sabbath with Sunday. They also keep the paganised holidays such as Christmas and Easter (and other days) whilst ignoring and rejecting the Holy Days that God says are His. Leviticus 23:1-2 clearly states: “And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘The feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts.” God then gives details about the Sabbath and all the annual Holy Days.

The Church of God has long understood that if one part or passage in the Bible is contradictory then God’s Word could not be trusted. If God went back and forth about His spiritual Law for mankind, then how could we trust Him?

God is perfect in all His ways and we know that the Father and Jesus are one (see John 10:30 and 17:11) – unified and with a singleness of purpose.

We are truly blessed that God is constant, His integrity intact and that we can fully trust the great Creator God of the universe. This is confirmed in Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding.”

God does NOT change when it comes to the eternal truths that He has made clear in His Word. God has, and is, perfect character which cannot change and we have to have the spiritual insight and understanding to comprehend this, rather than lumping everything together. (Please see our Q&A, “Does the Bible say anything about man’s character development?” – 24th July 2009 No. 404).

We read in Deuteronomy 32:4: “He is the Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He.” God’s called-out ones can understand that but the author quoted at the beginning of this Q&A would believe that these glorious words are “beliefs ossified over centuries (that) aren’t easily shaken.” Those who currently rail against the Word of God will, one day, have the opportunity to understand when they have their calling, and it is to be hoped that they will have a complete change of mind at that time.

Moral absolutes are just that – absolute. They cannot be changed and God does not change in this area. However, God can and has changed His mind over certain events as outlined earlier in this Q&A.

Knowing the difference makes all the difference!

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)