Dream Meaning of Unable to Call on the Name of God When Being Attacked
Have you ever had a dream of being attacked by evil forces, but being unable to call on the name of Jesus or pray? If so, this dream has a deep spiritual meaning. For an unregenerate person, such dreams may be normal because they do not have the life of Christ. However, for a born-again Christian, this is an unusual sign and should be looked into immediately.
Lack of Spiritual Authority: Signs and Solutions
When you dream that you are being attacked and unable to call on the name of Jesus or your voice suddenly stops, it indicates that you are lacking spiritual authority in some area. Your dream life often reflects the state of your spiritual life. Every child of God is given power and authority from Heaven upon being born again to use the name of Jesus, causing demons to flee. However, it is important to understand that there are different levels of power mentioned in the Bible.
There is an authority given to you as a believer (“dunamis”), and another authority given only when you fully surrender to God (“exousia”). It is this second authority that causes demons to flee when you call upon the name of Jesus.
“Dunamis” and “Exousia”: Two Kinds of Power
When you become a child of God, you receive power from Heaven, called “dunamis.” This power represents God’s ability to perform miracles, as recorded in Acts 1:8: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” The disciples received this operative power of the Holy Spirit to be witnesses of Christ. This power empowers you as a believer to witness, but it does not necessarily cause demons to flee. Even after 40 days of fasting and prayer in the wilderness, Satan was still able to tempt Jesus, despite His power.
For demons to flee from your presence when you call upon the name of Jesus, you need another kind of authority, “exousia.” This power only comes to you when you walk rightly with God. Luke 10:19 says, “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; nothing shall by any means hurt you.” “Exousia” in this verse is the authority to act in the name of Jesus. This power is only given to those who are walking in the light of God. Without “exousia,” demons will not respond to you, even if you command them to flee.
When demons attack you, it is your “exousia” which is your power and authority that makes them flee. However, this function is only activated when we walk in the ways of God. If you try to use the name of Jesus while living in hypocrisy, demons may be affected but they will never completely flee. Praying or calling on the name of Jesus will never be a problem; the reason you cannot call it is because you are in an unfavorable spiritual state.
Lessons from the Sons of Sceva
The story of the seven sons of Sceva in Acts Chapter 19 illustrates the difference between these two types of power. They tried to drive the demons out by saying, “In the name of Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out!” But the evil spirit recognized them and replied, “Jesus I know, Paul I know, but who are you?” The sons of Sceva were not empowered from above because of their unrighteous lifestyle. If you are living in sexual impurity, you will not have the power and authority to command evil spirits of lust to flee.
2 Peter 2:19 says, “They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves to corruption; for by what a man is overcome, he is enslaved.” Peter warns that if a person allows himself to be defeated or enslaved by a particular sin or temptation, he will become enslaved or bound to that sin. This is similar to Paul’s words in Romans 6, that those who yield to unrighteousness will become slaves of unrighteousness.
So, when you find yourself unable to call on the name of Jesus when under attack, it is a sign that you lack the spiritual power or “exousia” to command the enemy to flee. They refuse to flee not because the devil is preventing you from calling that name, but because there is much that is not spiritually aligned within you. You need to “clean up” your spiritual trash to use that name effectively. While the devil respects the name of Jesus, he does not respect a person who is not walking in the right way of God.
The Bible says that at the mention of the name of Jesus every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that He is Lord. The name of Jesus causes powers to bow, but it only causes the enemy to flee when used by a person who is walking rightly with God.
Restore Lost Authority
When you are not walking rightly with God in His power, the forces of darkness will come against you, just as the demons came against the high priest Joshua in Zechariah chapter 3 because of his dirty clothes. They can also come against believers who are not walking in holiness and obedience to Christ.
So if you have dreams where you cannot pray or call out the name of Jesus when attacked, cry out to the Lord in repentance. Ask Him to reveal any sin to cleanse you of physical and spiritual filth, and restore your God-given authority and power to trample on serpents and scorpions in the mighty name of Jesus.
This may simply be a matter of asking for forgiveness for known sins, or the Lord may point out areas where you have not managed your spiritual authority well, or where the enemy has gained a foothold through deception.
Receive the Lord’s cleansing and walk in the light of His presence, and you will find your mouth powerfully opened when attacked in your dreams, as you proclaim the name of Jesus. You will find that the name of Jesus causes the devil to tremble and flee, but only if it is invoked by someone who submits to the righteousness of Christ. As James 4:7 says, “Submit yourselves therefore to God; resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” This means that you must begin to submit to God, for those who walk uprightly.
The name of Jesus is the highest authority in heaven and on earth, as Philippians 2:9-10 says: “Therefore God also highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,”
So if you cannot call out that powerful name in your dream when you are under attack, it is important that you examine your relationship with God. See if you are fully following His ways and walking in holiness, or if there are areas of unrighteousness that have given the enemy a foothold. Repent and turn away from all sin so that God can cleanse you and restore your right to use the name of Jesus with power against any attack from the devil.
Remember that Jesus gave the disciples a powerful promise in Luke 10:19: “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” This authority is for all who obey God and walk uprightly in His spirit.
So let your dreams be a call for you to examine your heart. If you find any areas that need repentance, come to God for His grace and forgiveness. Renew your mind through His word and walk in the light of His presence. Then you will find yourself with great authority to call upon the name of Jesus, not just in your dreams but in every area of your life. The enemy will flee when you stand firm in your faith based on God’s word, covered with the blood of Jesus, and filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.