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 http://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)

Good question!   Let us look at what Scripture has to say about this whole matter.

First of all, let us look at what that storehouse of wisdom, the book of Proverbs, has to say on this matter.  Proverbs 26:4 tells us: “Do not answer a fool according to his folly, Lest you also be like him.”    In the following verse we read: “Answer a fool according to his folly, Lest he be wise in his own eyes.”

A dictionary definition of a fool is a person who acts unwisely or imprudently; a silly person.  In the past, many have seen this as a contradiction but those who have been members of the Church of God have had this explained on many occasions.   However, it is worth reiterating the value and meaning of these two verses.

First of all, there is no contradiction; otherwise, the Bible itself could not be trusted.   The Bible does not contain contradictions and there are always answers if one allows the Bible to interpret itself.

We should ask God in prayer to help us, should we ever be asked or confronted about our beliefs.  1 Peter 3:15 states: “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.”  When anyone asks us about our beliefs, a quick prayer to God, asking for His help in discerning what and how much to say, will certainly help.

We should ask for this discernment as to whether the questioner is asking out of politeness, is generally interested or is looking for a chance to argue and debate.  Our assessment then determines what our approach should be.

Proverbs 26:4 warns us against engaging with a fool on his own terms, because we could be seen as foolish as he is, which would not be a good example of Christian behaviour.   A fool despises wisdom and instruction (Proverbs 1:7); fools hate knowledge (Proverbs 1:22); fools die for lack of wisdom (Proverbs 10:21); the folly of fools is deceit (Proverbs 14:8); fools mock at sin (Proverbs 14:9); and, perhaps most revealingly of all, the way of a fool is right in his own eyes (Proverbs 12:15).   When we ascertain that someone is trying to draw us into a discussion that he wants on his terms, we could well be falling into the trap of answering him according to his folly.   We would do well to recall what Jesus said in Matthew 7:6 that we are not to cast our “pearls before swine”.

In Proverbs 26:5 we read that we should answer “a fool according to his folly, Lest he be wise in his own eyes.”   At times a fool has to be addressed when such a person may be thoroughly convinced of the correctness of his argument, even though he is completely wrong.   In such a case we should show him accurately where he is in error—not as a “put down”, but to make him think about his erroneous stance.

As one commentator put it: “In short, in negligible issues we should just ignore fools, but in issues that matter, they must be dealt with so that credence will not be given to what they say.”

Another area of consideration is to find out what a word, phrase or statement means, as this can vary from person to person.   For example, you could be asked if you were homophobic.   What you may understand by that phrase may be different to the next person.   A fairly standard definition of homophobia is “the hatred or fear of homosexuals – that is, lesbians and gay men – sometimes leading to acts of violence and expressions of hostility.”   However, as we know, if the biblical understanding of this behaviour is quoted, it can be regarded as hate speech.   Therefore, it is important to find out what the other person understands what “homophobia” means to them.   We can then know how to answer accordingly, showing that a true Christian must love the person but hate the immoral action.

We may be called a bigot but, again, what does that word mean to the other person?   Being bigoted means, according to the Oxford Dictionary of English, as “having or revealing an obstinate belief in the superiority of one’s own opinions and a prejudiced intolerance of the opinions of others.”   As our understanding is based on the Word of God, we must be firm in our convictions without being objectionable.   Finding out the other person’s understanding of the word will be helpful in forming a response.

Finding out where the other person is coming from may diffuse potentially difficult situations.  Alan Greenspan once commented humourously: “I know you think you understand what you thought I said but I’m not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.”  We need to ensure that both parties have the same understanding of the word or phrase, so that any response cannot be misunderstood.

Another way of dealing with any enquiry is to find out why the question is asked.  Sometimes that can lead to finding out that the enquirer may just have been asking a question without really wanting an answer.

Let us remember that Jesus answered in the wisest way possible because he could ascertain the purpose and intent of the one who was to be answered – or otherwise.   In Luke 20:1-8, Jesus had His authority questioned and He refused to answer; in Mark 12:13-17, the Pharisees tried to trap Jesus about the paying of taxes to Caesar, and He answered indirectly in a very unexpected way.   In these two instances (and there are others) Jesus decided not to answer directly because of the attitude and intent of the questioners.

Wherever we can, we should use Scripture to answer any religious question that may come our way.   Let us look at how Jesus dealt with Satan in exactly this way, as recorded in Matthew 4:1-3:  “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.  And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.  Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, ‘If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.’”

Jesus did not argue and debate with Satan but answered him from Scripture (verse 4): “But He answered and said, ‘It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God”’” (quoting from Deuteronomy 8:3).

The adversary then tried another approach, as we read in verses 5-6: “Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, ‘If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: “He shall give His angels charge over you,” and, “In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.”’” Here, Satan quotes Scripture too (citing Psalm 91:11-12), but he totally twists the meaning of the passage.

Again, Jesus answered from Scripture (Matthew 4:7): “Jesus said to him, ‘It is written again, “You shall not tempt (better “test”) the Lord your God”’” (quoting from Deuteronomy 6:16 in the correct context and with the intended meaning).

In verses 8-9 we read: “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 (Matthew 4:10): “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve’” (quoting from Deuteronomy 6:13). Satan had been defeated three times by Jesus by the use of Scripture. “Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him” (verse 11).

We have seen in this brief Q&A that we should discern whether or not to answer and, in addition, it may be advisable to ask what is meant by the question or the definition of a word or phrase if this could be contentious.  Further, answering with Scripture as Jesus did, is always the best way to respond so long as it is appropriate, correctly used and in context.

We should use wisdom at all times and be gentle and friendly and not provocative or confrontational at all; Proverbs 15:1 tells us that “A soft answer turns away wrath.”   Taking that approach will enable us to do “all things decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:40).

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)