I hear rumbling in the distance. It is a deep sound that seems to move the earth itself, almost like a drum. The pebbles dance on top of the barren desert floor to the beat of the sound. The stagnant air causes the dirt that is stirred by the sound to fall back to the ground like a puff of smoke.  Lifelessness seems to eerily surround the four individuals who have gathered together in this wasteland. No trees bloom, no birds sing. Only destruction and garbage litter the ground, as if a bomb has sucked any life out of the once beautiful land.

My eyes scan the desert mountains that outline the grey sky and suddenly something catches my eye. I notice what looks like steps leading part way up a small mountainside.  At the top of the steps is a hidden entrance, yet I know it is there. Guarding the entrance stands a lone man. He isn’t just any man. He is covered in armor that is outlined in crimson. He is a warrior.

The rumbling continues. I wonder why the four people who are meeting at the rocks below do not hear the sound. They are talking to each other, laughing. The sound gets louder and then I see where it is coming from. Just above the horizon, on top of a ridge is an army. It isn’t just any army. These aren’t men. These are creatures, evil creatures. I can feel the evil, I can sense the evil. I can almost smell the evil. They have swords in their hands, mallets in their hands, clubs in their hands.  They are stomping harder, eager to wage war. They are shouting. Something invisible is holding them at bay but I can tell as soon as this invisible shield is broken they are going to attack at full force.

A light is shining from the mountainside where the warrior stands, like the reflection of the sun on a mirror. It is getting brighter. Is it the warrior causing the reflection or is it a light that is coming from the entrance?  I am not sure. The four individuals notice the bright beckoning light. They stop talking and begin to walk towards it, curious. Suddenly they hear the roar of the army on the ridge. Their eyes dart toward the ridge where the army is anxiously waiting, then towards the light. 

The warrior is shouting to them, “RUN“!   As soon as they hear those words they notice the army break loose in  full force descending upon them.

“RUN!” yells the warrior again, this time louder and this time with greater urgency.

I  hear myself scream, “RUN!”

“RUN!”

I know I am not there and that perhaps they cannot hear me but I scream as loud as I can none the less.

The four people run towards the steps. Reaching them, they take several at a time, not daring to look behind them, knowing there is safety ahead.

“Run deep into Sanctuary!” the warrior directs them when they reach the entrance. “Go in. I will return.”

Just as they get into the entrance the door slams behind them.  The warrior disappears as the people run deep into Sanctuary. Unknown to them a dragon is released. He is huge. He is smart. The battle has begun.

This is only part of a recent dream I had. It would be too long to write it all out at this time. But there is a battle going on around us that we do not see with our physical eyes.  Still we need to run towards the Lord, run towards “sanctuary”– safety. Safety will not be found in a place, but in a person, the person of Jesus Christ.

If you are a follower of Christ, you must realize that you have an enemy. He is not a person but an entity of extreme evil that would love (oxymoron) to destroy any child of God. In fact he wouldn’t mind destroying anyone, anywhere, anytime.  But on the opposite spectrum we are not to fear. God did not give you a spirit of fear. (I Timothy 1:7) Instead the same spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives in us. (Romans 8:11) He has promised to never leave us or forsake us but instead has given us what we need to fight the onslaught of darkness.

This is not a battle against people.
In my dream the enemy was demonic by nature.  I couldn’t really describe what I saw.  But they were not people. Though people may heed to their demands the real enemy behind the evil motives is evil itself – satan and/or his cohorts.

Ephesians 6:12 “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of the world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (KJV)

This battle belongs to the Lord.
When David was going out to fight Goliath he said in 1 Samuel 17:47, “And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!” (NLT)

Like David, we just trust God and do what he says. King Jehoshaphat did the same thing in 2 Chronicles. He was frighten because a huge army was about to descend upon him. He and his people prayed and called out to the Lord. God answered those prayers. His enemies actually got confused and ended up killing each other. The battle belonged to the Lord.

The Lord is your safety. You can trust in Him.
Sanctuary is a place of refuge, a place of safety.  That is why in my dream the people were told to hide deep in Sanctuary. The Lord is our safety. We can only hide in him.  When the flood waters came down on Noah and his family, he was safe in the ark. It wasn’t that he didn’t go through the storm, but he had listened to the Lord and rode the storm in safety.

How do we do that today?  It is by getting to know the Lord personally, spending time with him and hearing his voice. We hide under the shadows of his wings through prayer, through praise, through knowing his word and through obedience.

The entire chapter of Psalm 91 is filled with verses about hiding in the Lord and finding refuge in him. Verses 1-3 state, “Those who live in the shelter of the Most High, will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God and I trust him. He will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease.” Verse 14 continues, “The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name.” (NLT)

Is that to say that we will never face battles? On the contrary we will face many, but we can ride the storm with the Lord.  He will give us wisdom how to fight the raging darkness.

When called to fight, know how.
Revelation 12:11 states that “the enemy was defeated by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.”  (NLT)

We have already been given victory because of the cross. Christ’s blood is strong.  It frightens our enemy because it has already defeated sin and eternal damnation. God’s word is alive and active and shaper than a double-edged sword. (Hebrews 4:12) Paul explains in the book of Ephesians that a believer should put on the whole armor of God, reminding us that the word of the Lord is our sword. Study it and declare it’s promises in your life and in the lives of others.

God is Greater.
Let’s not forget the story of Elisha and his servant. Horses and chariots surrounded their city. His servant was frightened when he saw them and wondered what they were to do. But Elisha prayed that the Lord would open the servant’s eyes. Then the young man saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire from heaven.

We are in a raging invisible war. BUT the Lord has already won!
Remember this: if GOD is for us who can be against us? Romans 8:31b (NLT)

Amen, so be it.