Several years ago the elders at Des Moines Fellowship did a teaching series on spiritual warfare. As we were finishing up that series, one of the others elders asked, “Is there anything we are missing?”. For me, there was, because spiritual attacks on me, were so often clustered around a certain time of day. Probably close to 75% of my dealings with the powers of darkness or spiritual forces of wickedness, seemed to take place at night or early morning. So I put together a message called night time battles, in the hope that some might be helped to stand firm against the devil in the dark hours of the night.

This would not fit into any kind of normal Christmas message. Yet, it is precisely this kind of victory over darkness, sin and fears, that Christ came to give to us, whether by day or by NIGHT!

I feel that talking about night time battles is somewhat risky, because it is probably NOT everyone's experience. But, I do believe it is a fact, that at certain times of day we are more vulnerable to the attacks of the enemy. You and I need to know those times, prepare for those times. My mother, who is one of the most optimistic people I know, called my brother about 1:00 am a few weeks ago; she was very despondent, and said she was dieing and wanted the family to come. She did not die and is doing fine. But it was an example of how we often see things the bleakest in the middle of the night.

William Gurnall said, “Even the saints sleeping time, is Satan's tempting time.” And that only makes sense. It has been estimated that you will spend more than 20 years of your life asleep or in bed. IF we are in a spiritual conflict, and IF the devil schemes against us, it does not make sense that the enemy of our souls would take the night off, just because it is our bedtime! He does not say, “Oh, the saints are going to sleep, I'd better leave them alone!

There are nights I go to sleep and don't wake up till morning or if I do wake up I think of nothing more than readjusting my pillow, turning over and going back to sleep. There are many nights that I wake up and have the sweetest times of communion with the Lord. But there are also a few nights that I wake up and fight some monstrous spiritual battles with fear, condemnation, and just darkness or gloom.

There are mornings I wake up, looking forward to the day, eager to get going, but there are also mornings I find myself fighting some epic spiritual battle just to get my joy back and to praise the Lord. Psalm 30:5 says, “Joy comes in the morning”. Even that, implies that there was a struggle during the night, BEFORE that joy came in the morning. Sometimes that can be our experience. But if you sleep like a baby with perfect peace every night, never any disturbance of mind or soul, and you wake up with boundless enthusiasm and joy for each day, you can just ignore me this morning and think about what you are going to have for lunch.

But what tells me I am not completely alone on this is the Bible and the Psalms in particular. There are 6 references to sleep, to night or to my bed, just in the first 6 Psalms! These are not figures of speech but refer to literal times we are asleep or in bed.

David frequently spoke about his struggles in the night. Psalm 6:6 “I am weary with my sighing, every night I make my bed swim, I dissolve my couch with my tears”. Another translation puts it this way, “I am worn out from sobbing, every night tears drench my bed, my pillow is wet from weeping”.

Psalm 77:2 “In the night my hand was stretched out without weariness and my soul refused to be comforted”. He was troubled deeply about something and while lying on his bed. He had his hands lifted to the Lord, but his heart had not YET found rest.”

In Psalm 143 It was during the night that David said, “For the enemy has persecuted my soul. He has crushed my life to the ground.” ... “Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me”.... “In the morning, let me hear your loving-kindness, for I trust in you.”

Psalm 22 is a prophetic Psalm about Christ. Vs 1 says “My God, my God why have you forsaken me?” -Which we have all heard. But it goes on to say, “O, my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, and (I cry out) BY NIGHT, but I find no rest”. We should not forget that the great spiritual anguish Jesus endured in Gethsemane, was at night. On that same night, when Judas betrayed Jesus, Jesus said, “Every DAY I was with you in the temple courts,..but this is your hour, when darkness reigns”. Or “this hour belongs to you and to the power of darkness”. Jesus was out in the open every day and no one seized him. They did it at night, in the darkness. There was this relationship between the darkness of night and the spiritual darkness of Judas' betrayal.

Ecclesiastes 2:23 talks about how hard people work all day, how they toil and strive to make a living. It says, “...his work is pain and grief, even at night his mind does not rest”.

And there is the testimony of saints: Charles Spurgeon, “Night is the season of terror and alarm to most men. It is one of the greatest blessings we enjoy yet to many it is a gloomy period”.

First. Night time can be a time of accusation and troubled conscience. The work of your conscience is a good thing! Sometimes we say or do something during the day and give no thought to it, but during the night we may become painfully aware of how we sinned. It is common for people to say something like, “I couldn't do that because I want to be able to sleep at night”. Which just acknowledges that we hear our conscience more keenly at night. In a positive way God can speak to our conscience at night and if there is a sin to forsake, or an apology to make, determine to do that.

But also we can be more susceptible to the enemy at night, condemning us for our sins. He will use the night hours when you are all alone to accuse, to condemn, to tell you there is no hope, no future, no chance for victory. A writer by the name of Andree Seu, wrote this in World Magazine. “Here in the wee hours, things come alive that we, in daylight modes of thought, consider (just) figures of speech. Evil, finding the coast clear sheds his daytime charade as (a) “concept”, and hovers over my bed, in inky, swirling menace. “But this is your hour and the power of darkness – Luke 22:53. It is the hour of the Accuser, and he dredges up all the old scores I settled long ago with Christ.”

I think it was William Gurnall who said, “Sin puts a dagger in man's bed, and every time we turn it cuts and stabs us”. Unless our conscience is covered by the blood of Jesus Christ, and unless we know that and hold fast to that, Satan will take that dagger and slash us with it.

At night you must know the value of the blood. You must know that your life is under his protection, and his love, that you are saved by his blood. You must know the sufficiency of Christ's death to adequately pay for your sins. In Hebrews 10 it says, “By one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy”, and “we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all”, and “their sins and lawless deeds I will remember no more”.

“The angel told Joseph, you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” This was his mission! And he accomplished it. When you are worried about your sins and failures at night you can go back to sleep knowing he saved you from your sins!

At night you must dwell on the tender and merciful nature of Christ to you. Consider these thoughts from Puritan writer Richard Sibbs form book called, The Bruised Reed: “For more evidence of Christ's mercy to all bruised reeds, consider the comforting relationships he has taken upon himself of husband, shepherd and brother, which he will discharge to the uttermost....Consider the names he has borrowed from the mildest creatures, such as lamb and hen to show his tender care. Consider his very name Jesus, a Savior given by God himself. Consider his office, which is that he should bind up the broken-hearted....What mercy may we not expect from so gracious a Mediator who took our nature upon him (so) that he might be gracious (to us)?”

Second: Night time can be a time of terror, including all sorts of fears and anxious thoughts. Psalm 91:5 refers to “the terrors of the night”. I know if I fear something a little during the day, I can fear it double or triple at night. Satan knows that and uses that against us in the night.

Even children fear more at night. When our grandchildren have stayed overnight in past years, when I tuck them in for the night a frequent request was, would you pray for me that I wouldn't be afraid, pray that I can go to sleep, that I wouldn't have any bad dreams. Even though we may not admit it, not all fears stop at childhood! Adults have fear of the future, fears of financial problems, fears about business problems, relationship problems, and on a deeper darker side, they have fears of abandonment or rejection by God.

The Solution to night time fears is to dwell in God's protection. Psalm 91 says, “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High with abide in the shadow of the almighty. I will say to the Lord, You are my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust. Then here comes the promised protection: “You will not fear the terror of the night....nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness..”

Acts 12:1-6 gives us an example of this kind of confidence in the Lord in Peter's life. Herod had put James to death with the sword, and Peter was next. He was arrested, put in prison and to be tried and executed in the morning. Verse 6 “The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains...” He was to be tried and executed in the morning and here he is sound asleep. Peter may well have thought of Psalm 4:8 “In peace, I will both lie down and sleep, for you, alone, O Lord, make me to dwell in safety”.

Luther wrote how the birds teach us to sleep without fear: “Like the little bird upon the tree, he has fed himself tonight – he knows not where his breakfast is tomorrow. He sits there while the winds rock the tree; he shuts his eyes, puts his head under his wing, and sleeps; and when he awakes in the morning he sings, “Mortals cease from toil and sorrow, God provides for tomorrow”.

Three: Spiritual Oppression. Or spiritual attack. There is something beyond normal fears that we can deal with during the day or night. We can experience demonic oppression. I think this is what Paul had in mind in saying we wrestle with forces of evil, and powers of darkness. I think some can get carried away with this but nevertheless it is real.

Here is a comment from the Wycliffe Bible Commentary on Psalm 91: Indeed the (Jewish) Talmud, suggests that this Psalm be used in case of demonic attacks. The terror by night MAY refer to the night demon, Lilith.....the arrows by day, may describe the vices of the wicked demons. The pestilence in darkness may have affinity with the demon Nam tar, the the destruction at noonday may refer to a one-eyed demon in Rabbinical tradition. Even if these ideas were absent from the writers thoughts they were VERY MUCH A PART OF THE PSALM IN ITS ACTUAL JEWISH USE.

I have felt the presence of evil in certain situations and places. And I am sure you have too. Bravery comes in these experiences by knowing Christ's complete victory over the devil and all evil. “(Jesus) said to (his disciples), “I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. Behold I have given you power to tread upon serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall harm you”. I don't know all that means, but it says we have victory over, and protection from Satan.

Victory over spiritual oppression comes from remembering that evil will lose, Christ will reign. Evil will look weak and pathetic, as it is overwhelmed by the authority of Christ. As it says in Revelation, “And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, the deceiver of the whole world – he was thrown down to the earth and his angels were thrown down with him. And I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, 'Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come.” Christ came as a baby but is also the great warrior judge over all our enemies! Jeremiah 20:11 “But the Lord with with me like a dread champion; therefore my persecutors will stumble; they will not overcome me.”

Weapons for the night battle: One: The security of knowing and belonging to Jesus Christ. Matthew 1:23 “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel – which means, “God with us”. Jesus is our assurance that God is with us. In the hours of the night darkness, we need unshakeable confidence that we belong to Jesus Christ, and that he accepts us. Two verses I often quote for assurance of this: Revelation 3:20 “Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him and will dine with him and he with me.” This was written to Christians who had in essence shut Christ out! But he says if you open the door he will come in. NOT that he might come in. The other is John 6:37 “The one who comes to me, I will certainly not cast out!”. Do you want to be near to Jesus, then just come to him and he will never turn you away.

Two: Meditation on the Word of God. Psalm 119:148 says, “My eyes anticipate the night watches, that I may meditate on your word”. Joshua 1:8 and Psalm 1 both tell us to meditate on this Book day and NIGHT. Everybody knows what worry is – it is to think and rethink and about something that causes us fear. Meditation is the same process of thinking and rethinking but it is about God's grace and goodness. Be careful what you think about especially at night. Instead of your problems think on promises like Psalm 138:7, “Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life”.

Three: Make night time a time of friendship and communion with God. Psalm 63:6 “On my bed I remember you. I think of you through the watches of the night”. In many ways, night time is the best time to talk to God and let him talk to you. Psalm 16:7 “ I will bless the Lord who has counseled me, indeed my mind instructs me in the night.” Psalm 17:3 “You have visited me by night”.

You are not apart from God at night. You are not apart from God when you sleep. Psalm 3:5 “I lay down and slept, I awoke, for the Lord sustains me.” In the midst of all the evils of this world, all the pressures, all the unresolved problems, you can lay down and sleep, and you will awake for the Lord sustains you.

Or consider Psalm 139:18 “When I awake, I am still with you.” You are with him when you sleep and you are with him when you wake. Sometimes when you wake up, you may feel rough, you may feel like you are a million miles from God, yet you can say, When I awake I am still with you...because you are!

Four: Sing (within your heart). This one seems like an impossible thing. And I only mention this because nighttime singing is so prevalent in the Bible. Psalm 149:5 “Let the godly ones sing for joy on their beds”. Job 35:10 refers to “God my Maker who gives songs in the night”. Psalm 77:6 “I will remember my song in the night...” Psalm 42:8 “The Lord commands his loving-kindness in the day, and his song will be with me in the night”. The NLT “But each day the LORD pours his unfailing love upon me, and through each night I sing his songs, praying to God who gives me life.”

Paul and Silas sang hymns at midnight in the depths of a Philippian jail. John Piper: gave a message titled: Ambushing Satan with Song. He said, “If anybody were to say to us today, "When you hit bottom, sing hymns to God," we would probably say to them, "Lay off with simplistic solutions. You've obviously never been on the bottom." But Paul and Silas were at the bottom. And they sang hymns to God. Sometimes the only solutions left in life are simple ones.”

To sum this all up: You must put on the full armor of God, even at night. The answer for all battles, day or night is to remain in the Lord, to live in him, to keep your mind and heart, in him. Psalm 91 “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High, will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, You are my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust. Then you will not fear the terror of the night or the arrows that fly by day.”

Have you made the Lord your refuge at night? Do you talk to him that way? When you fear, when you are anxious, when darkness comes, do you say to the Lord, “You are my refuge? You are my strength and my salvation. I place all my hopes in you!” That is the answer to everything day or night. Christ came, into this world, so that your sins could be forgiven and so that you could have real spiritual security from all the powers of darkness, even at night.