After the 21 days of consecration in the new year, I was given three prophetic back-to-back dreams of foxes among us. In the dream, they were making holes, eating the fruit, and damaging the properties established by the farmers of the fields. In this series of dreams, the foxes were beautiful in appearance but aggressive in nature. I began to pray, and the Lord took me to the Scriptures concerning foxes and what they represent spiritually and symbolically.

In Song of Solomon 2:15, the Shulammite says, “Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom.” In this poetic book, the Shulammite woman was speaking of a foxhunt. As with many images in this beautiful poem, the foxes are symbolic.

Solomon’s readers considered foxes to be destructive animals that could destroy valuable vineyards and properties (see Judges 15:4, Ps. 63:10; Ezek. 13:4). As the Shulammite emphatically expresses her deep love for King Solomon, she emphasizes the necessity of catching the foxes that spoil the vines in the vineyards. In this passage of Scripture in the Song of Songs, it may be supposed that the blossoming vineyard suggests a growing romance between the two. The foxes could then represent potential friction and problems that could ultimately damage their relationship before marriage (which takes place in Chapter 5).

The future bride takes proactive and preventative measures to protect their love from danger. Why would God show me foxes that looked like wolves? He is speaking of the nature of these two animals. Both animals look like dogs or household pets but are very much wild animals. We must understand that in ancient literature, wild animals were often used to symbolize issues that could separate romantic love.

For example, Egyptian love songs often use crocodiles as a picture of an imminent threat to couples in love. In Israel, crocodiles were not common, but foxes were. Ezekiel 13:4 says, “O Israel, your prophets are like the foxes in the ruins.” The Lord informed me that we are to watch out for the foxes that are among us and that will threaten and disrupt our relationship with the Father. God will use true prophets to expose the foxes (craftiness) in our midst. In addition, foxes will speak of individuals and false prophets that will break up families, ministries, churches, marriages, businesses, and divine covenant relationships. We must safeguard ourselves from the foxes that come to discredit, sabotage, destroy, bring division, and dissemble what we are building for the Lord. Foxes are coming to destroy the dream, vision, prophecy, and assignment in your life.

In the Old Testament, foxes are mentioned in Judges 15, where 300 foxes were released with torches tied to each other’s tails to destroy the grain fields of the Philistines. Moreover, in Nehemiah 4:3, the evil Tobiah mocks the rebuilding project of Jerusalem’s wall, mockingly saying, “Whatever they build, if even a fox goes up on it, he will break down their stone wall.” He knew the damaging effects of what foxes can do. I believe the enemy is unleashing foxes (individuals) speaking of counterfeits, false ministries, false prophets, and leaders that will come to deceive, influence, and bring discord within your sphere of activity. The enemy is after your love relationship with the Father and those He has called you to come into covenant with.

We must know beyond the shadow of a doubt those we will labor within the Lord. The Bible says know those that labor among you. God spoke to me that the enemy is after your harvest. Consequently, the enemy sends outfoxes in response to harvesters bringing ruins to the vineyard or the family of God. Jesus understood the nature of foxes when he described Herod, saying, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Look, I cast out demons. And I perform healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I shall be perfected'” (Luke 13:32).

Jesus labeled Herod a “fox” as a rebuke of that monarch’s deceitful, cunning, selfish, crafty, and worthless nature and ways. Herod’s animalistic ways opposed the advancement of the kingdom of God. The enemy's strategy is to keep you from reaping and fulfilling your God-given assignment in Christ. Song of Solomon 2:15 offers a beautiful picture and verse concerning “the vineyards are ‘in blossom'”—speaking of the love romance growing, intense, and preparing to bloom finally, bud, and bear fruit. It was imperative in this love story that the “foxes” be caught and destroyed, meaning that all potential threats to their relationship have to be severed, cut off, or removed.

The Lord says we are to identify the foxes occupying our lives (vineyards) by removing them. There are unhealthy relationships that we come into that God hasn’t authorized, and the fruit of that relationship is often pain, heartache, headaches, disappointments, failure, debt, stress, and destruction. One thing that stood out to me concerning the Shulammite woman was her wisdom when she specifies that the foxes are “little”—the little things, the things overlooked, often spoil the things we value. God admonishes us not to be so consumed with our daily activities that we miss the small things that can bring significant damage.

The heart of the bride-to-be for her lover, Solomon, was that he was to address and remove all dangers, obstacles, resistance, and threats to their love life. Anything that comes into our lives that distracts our purpose, destiny, and calling to God, we must be on guard and bold enough to address head-on. God says we must do our due diligence in paying attention to the “little things.” In other words, we must “pray attention” to anything and anyone who is unhealthy, unproductive, and destructive to our Christian walk.