Spiritual Warfare/Deliverance
The above art is the anointed work of Bill Osborne and has reproduced with his permission. I highly recommend you go to his site to see more of what God has worked through him: www.billosborne.com
Below are a series of dreams the Lord sent regarding spiritual warfare and deliverance.
6/27/08: DREAM: FIGHTING SAXONS
I was living in a castle with others and the King was entertaining guests. He was explaining to them that He built the castle on a main thoroughfare people used to get from here to there. He pointed out a disadvantage: that Saxon raiders who used the thoroughfare would often try and raid the castle to take it over.
No sooner did he finish his sentence when exactly that happened—about 100 Saxons dressed in barbaric loincloths, armor, helmets and weapons suddenly launched a frontal assault on the castle. We were taken unawares as there were no watchmen on the walls and had to mobilize quickly.
A man from our church (who is an ex-marine and fought in the Gulf War) and I were in charge of the defense force—the plan was that He would stay with the main group of defenders (who all lived in the castle) and I would flank the raiders alone. I did so, climbing a steep bank and getting around to the side of the raiding party. I charged down the hill with a sword in my right hand, screaming a battle cry. I charged right into the midst of them, taking them by surprise and cutting about 10 of them down before they knew what hit them.
By the time I was done, they had made it inside the castle through the windows. I could hear the sounds of battle, so I jumped through a window to join the fight. I went from room to room, cutting down Saxons as they appeared. All in all it was very easy—they never once struck a blow against me and I would dispatch them with one swipe of my sword. In one particular room, a large Saxon was to my right and I dealt him a lethal blow. Before he died, however, he attempted to throw his excrement at me to soil me! Before he could do so, I lopped his head off.
When I went into the next room I rejoined the ex-marine and the rest of the group. We went through the first 3 floors of the castle, room by room, easily killing all Saxon raiders. We finally regrouped in a big room on the 3rd floor, checking our weapons and status. I noticed that some had swords, others had bows, and some even had guns. My weapon was now an impact wrench and I recall thinking it was easily the most powerful weapon amongst all of them, including the guns!
The 4th floor which was the top floor was the final fight—where the leader of the Saxon party was. Once we dispatched him, the castle would be safe and clear and the fight would be over. The ex-marine and I agreed that we needed to go do “other things” first before we took him on and both of us descended to the lower floors. I got distracted, losing my way and going around in circles until I finally found myself back on the 3rd floor. The ex-marine met up with me there, but everything was different. The battle lust and adrenaline was gone—we were both now tired and not so much into the fight. We both apologized to the other for getting distracted and agreed that we were not ready to continue the fight. That we would have to go and get ready then meet back here and take on the leader. END.
INTERPRETATION: the King is Jesus Christ, and the people taking the tour are new Christians. The rest of us are veteran Christians who have become lax in our guard and defense. Jesus brought His Kingdom--the castle--and place it right in the middle of this sinful world which is run by the devil. The Saxon raiders represent the enemy always trying to destroy God's Kingdom.
With no prophetic Watchmen on the wall, the Saxon raiders take us by surprise and even manage to get INSIDE the castle which also represents the Church. Now that we're finally mobilized and properly armed with the Sword of the Spirit, the Church is a force to be reckoned with as we engage in batle together. We're able to easily overcome the enemy not because we are strong but because Christ is and thus we clean most of them out.
Me having the impact wrench and knowing it was the most powerful weapon is because it BINDS and LOOSENS which Jesus said are "the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven" (Matthew 16:19). Unfortunately the Church gets distracted at the end before taking out the lead demon, distraced by the cares of the world. By the time we reassemble, the fire of God has gone out from us which means the head demon is still there....
27 September 2009: DREAM: Demons at My Door
I dreamt that I lived in a small apartment in a building with my wife Becky and I was home alone. I went to the microwave in the kitchen and opened it: inside was some already heated up leftover food that Becky had brought home from a restaurant along with an empty laundry detergent container.
I was puzzled because this was the second time this had happened—that I came home to find heated food along with the laundry container in my microwave. I knew Becky would never do this so I wondered if someone was breaking into our apartment and playing a joke.
I held the steaming hot food in my hand wondering if I should throw it away. I didn’t want to waste food but I was afraid it had become contaminated by the laundry soap container that had been heated with it.
At that moment I realized it wasn’t a physical human being who was doing this but rather a demonic spirit. I even “saw” the spirit in my mind’s eye in the dream: he was all black and wearing a black hooded cloak—tall, very thin, and floating around the room like a ghost. He looked like one of the Nazgul from Lord of the Rings.
Suddenly several other people were in the apartment with me—some were out in the living room near the entrance and there was a commotion of some sort coming from there. Sitting next to me (because I’m sitting now and still in the kitchen) is Pastor Mark Dieterle. I’m very happy to see him because of his calling to Deliverance Ministry and I immediately begin explaining to him everything that’s happened and my vision of the demon. As soon as I’m done Mark urgently grabs my hand and explains that it’s a certain TYPE of demon (he named it in the dream but I can’t remember what he said). He jumped up from his chair and I followed suit, and he told me the situation was urgently dire and required immediate action.
The commotion at the entrance/door to my apartment was getting louder and more intense so I left Mark in the kitchen and went to see what was going on. I saw several people attempting to barricade the door with their own bodies against people on the outside who were trying to break in. The door itself was wooden but there were small glass windows on the upper half like some have. The glass had been either shattered or removed and the people on the outside trying to break in were sticking their arms in—all had sharp weapons like knives.
There were probably 3 or 4 people outside trying to break in. I suddenly had a memory: that there were times when I would leave my apartment and start walking down the corridor and there would be a young man waiting there for me. He would have a knife and would slash at me whenever I walked by him.
That same man was now there trying to break in and he’d brought some help! I immediately joined the people on my side of the door to help barricade it (with our own bodies by putting our shoulders against the door). I don’t know who these people were but I knew they were on my side and friendly to me. The arms sticking through the window slots were stabbing and slashing at me and I tried to grapple with them only to have my fingers, hands and arms cut. At one point I dislodged a knife from one of their hands and tried to use it to stab them back—but it only made them stronger. I yelled advice to Mark who was still in the kitchen not to fight these guys with their own weapons as they became stronger and Mark gave a positive acknowledgment. It came to my mind at that point that Mark himself had been here at this door trying to keep these guys out previously and had tried using their own weapons against them.
The pressure on the door increased and it became more difficult for myself and the others to hold the door shut. At one point it burst open and I immediately discerned that although the attackers looked human that they were actually demons. I was disturbed to see that some looked like people I knew—friends and family. I shouted “in the name of Jesus Christ leave here at once!” They stopped attacking and backed up about 10 feet allowing me enough time to slam the door shut again. The moment I did so, however, they charged the door with MORE fury and strength than before.
Several more times they managed to open the door, once even breaking it from its hinges (somehow I did this quick repair with a screwdriver I took from the hands of one of the demons who tried to slash me with it). I successfully rebuked them a couple more times but then I did it and it had NO effect. I tried calling upon warrior angels from Heaven to appear outside the door to fight the demons and none appeared. Every time the door opened I noticed something else as well: there were MORE demons each time. There was a woman who was helping me barricade the door from the inside and when she noticed the same thing she cried out with despair: “they keep getting more reinforcements!” I actually saw one of the demons leave the door and the building only to come back with more in tow!
One time when the door opened several people who were defending alongside me ran out into the corridor as if to carry the fight to the enemy. One of them was a former Tae Kwon Do student of mine. He was holding an impact wrench (which the Lord had told me in a previous dream was for binding and loosing). I urged them to come back in immediately as there was no protection for them out there and we were vastly outnumbered. Most listened but some did not, staying out in the hall. I had no choice but to shut the door and lock them out as I knew the demons were about to charge again.
I was quickly losing hope and my fear was growing. The door was bulging inward and soon would completely shatter: no repair job could be done again. I fearfully called out for Mark to come and help but I could sense hesitation on his part. He stood in the entryway between the kitchen and living room and told me he was dealing with the black cloaked demon and had his hands full: I was on my own.
The woman next to me, still in despair and fear, said “if they break in they will take you, Scott!”
Suddenly this just blurted out of my mouth: “They can’t! I belong to Jesus Christ!”
As soon as I said that all fear and despair left me . . . and the pressure on the door eased up a bit . . . so I said it again, louder. The attacking arms of the demons withdrew and the pressure on the door was now gone! Full of confidence and boldness I started singing those words like a cadence but it wasn’t ritualistic or empty in any way, but full of faith and power.
“I belong to Jesus Christ!
I belong to Jesus Christ!
I belong to Jesus Chriiiiiiiiiiiiiist!
I belong to Jesus Christ!”
I looked through the windows of the door and saw my friends who’d been locked out earlier and were now up singing the same cadence as did those still beside me in the apartment. All had been bound but were now free and singing the song.
I opened my door and there was no sign of the demons in the hall. I went outside the building to see a wondrous sight: all of the demons who’d been attacking my door were now completely docile and were marching two by two in a straight line bound in chains. A couple military men dressed in partial camoflauge were in front and directing them. I continued singing the song/cadence the entire time I walked near them and I realized that the demons were not only in bondage but disarmed and forced to obey the two military men who were leading them away from my apartment building. I recall thinking how easy and simple it all was once I started doing the right thing (singing the song with faith). END.
INTERPRETATION: the apartment I was living in represented my spiritual house, likely the Church as a whole. Clearly I had grown lax in faith and spiritual defense which allowed an insidious demon to enter in and try to "poison" our "food." The food is the Word of God, and the demons attempts to poison it would be to introduce false doctrine (1 Tim 4:2). Through Discerning of Spirits the Lord shows me the false doctrine and the demon behind it so that I don't "eat" it.
Pastor Mark and the other people in the dream are either part of me or Gateway, but in an of ourselves we're just people and not God. The people outside the door to the Church are actual demons trying to make their way in. At first we're attempting to keep them out purely upon our own power and resources, but as the numbers of demons grow it becomes an impossible task. My attempt to use the demons own weapons against it (accusation, etc) only makes them stronger.
Even when I invoke the Name of Jesus there is very little faith behind it...at first only enough to drive them back but not away. Some of the people with me are too bold in their own power and even in the tools God has given them like binding and loosing, and end up being in bondage to the demons for leaving the flock and trying to fight on their own. The Book of Joel makes it clear that God's heavenly army fights as a single, very organized unit going to to say that every warrior in the ranks walks perfectly in step and unison.
As my fear grows my faith fails to the point where even calling upon the Name of Jesus has no effect. Just as all is lost and myself and others realize that no amount of human power and effort will save us, the revelation hits: who we are in Christ and Who Christ is in us. We belong to Him, period, bought and paid for by His Body and Blood. It reminds me of the old song "My boyfriend's back and you're gonna be in trouble!" Our relationship with Jesus is similar: we are betrothed to Him and when we really know that then we tell the enemy that our Bridegroom Jesus will soundly thrash them if they don't leave us alone! There is a peaceful security in that knowledge....
So myself and the others truly realize that Christ is in us and that we belong to Him, faith and authority return tenfold! The demons are cowed, flee, and then are bound in chains and led away by two warrior angels (guys dressed in camo).