THE DREAM OF KNIGHTS

By Michael K. Farrar, O.D.

© God’s Breath Publications

 

Many people feel we are living in the last days before the return of Christ to the earth. Acts 2:17 quotes Joel 2:28 concerning these days. It says, “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.’”

 

While I’m not sure if I like calling myself an old man, I do on occasion have dreams that I believe have spiritual significance. Several years ago I had such a dream and wish to share both the dream and my interpretation of it with you.

 

“The Dream of Knights”

 

The brave young knight proceeded cautiously down the dark stonewalled corridor. His senses were attentive to every detail of his surroundings. His mission was one of stealth. His goal was to reach the end of the corridor without his mentor finding him. It would be difficult for him to accomplish this task, for his commander was one of the best in the King’s army. Carefully he made his way along the cool stone wall. His eyes strained to pierce the darkness ahead of him.

 

He stopped briefly thinking he may have perceived something moving in the shadows ahead. No sooner had he stopped than he felt the cold hard blade of a sword at his neck. He heard a voice whisper out of the shadows, “This blade could take your life in an instant.” He realized he had failed as the blade was removed from his throat. He slowly turned to face his merciful teacher. She was a middle‑aged women dressed in the same uniform which he wore. Her eyes reflected both disappointment yet hope for her young student.

 

“What have you learned?” She asked.

 

The young knight was speechless in his failure.

 

“You must learn one of the most important lessons as a knight of the King.”

 

 “What is that?” The young knight replied.

 

“The battle is forever.”

 

I awoke confused. Why had such a strange dream interrupted my sleep? I lay in bed reliving the dream, attempting to determine its meaning. Several questions floated to the surface of my pool of evaluation. Why had I dreamed of a knight in training? Why had the young knight’s mentor been a middle‑aged woman? What did the statement, “The battle is forever.” mean?

 

What I hope to share with you is my interpretation of the dream and its significance to a Christian’s walk with Christ.

 

I see the situation of testing that the young knight faced as a symbol of the life we are called to as soldiers of Christ. Several scriptures refer to believers as soldiers of Christ. One such verse states, “Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 2:3)

 

How many times have you or I walked down a corridor of life similar to the young knight? A corridor immersed in coldness, filled with the shadows of fear, where we felt surrounded by the unknown. How often have we emerged from such caverns of testing knowing the only way we had survived was by remaining steadfast in our faith? As we serve our Heavenly Father He is always close by to guide, direct and comfort, but we are the ones who must travel the path laid before us. As soldiers are we following the commands of Ephesians 6 and putting on the armor of God? Properly prepared for battle, are our eyes focused on Christ; do we rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to sustain us?

 

Knights or soldiers serve their King, but they also take commands and orders from their superiors. In my dream an unlikely commander had authority over the young knight. Normally you would expect the mentor of such a knight to be a strong, masculine, experienced older man. My perception of this female commander was not one of a weak and frail human being. This female commander impressed me as being an individual with strong commitment to her King and her role as instructor of knights. She had battle tested experience behind her actions and words. I believe we have all had a strong female figure in our upbringing that made an impact on our lives. This person might have been our mother, grandmother, a teacher or neighbor, but in any case, they made a lasting impression on our lives. As I consider the female commander in my dream, this symbolism tells me that I need to respect and seriously consider wise counsel whoever it might come from. God works through a variety of avenues to guide us. If we are grounded in His Word, bathed in prayer and listen for the voice of God, we may hear it from numerous sources. Are we listening for the voice of God as we serve in His army?

 

The voice of the young knight’s commander echo’s in my mind still, “The battle is forever.” As soldiers of Christ we know the battle is already won by Christ’s death and resurrection. While we are aware of this, we also know we are still surrounded by the spiritual battles of life. From our perspective as soldiers of Christ, the battle is forever and constant. As long as we are on this earth we are involved in spiritual warfare. No matter where we are or what we are doing a spiritual battle rages around us. Satan does not take a break from his schemes or attacks on God’s Kingdom. He is always engaged in some sort of battle tactics. The statement, “The battle is forever.” is a statement of the condition we face as soldiers of Christ on this earth. When Christ returns the battle will cease. Soldiers of Christ will be evaluated and rewarded according to their service on earth. Nonbelievers will be judged for their actions and face eternal separation from God. Satan and his army of demons will be thrown into the lake of fire.  The battle will be won. A new statement will echo through the “heavenlies” then, “THE BATTLE IS OVER.”

 

Are you living each day as a soldier of Christ? Are you listening to wise counsel from God’s Holy Word, from Christian mentors, from your pastor? Are you aware that a spiritual battle rages constantly around you?

 

 Ephesians 6:11 13

“Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”