Overcome Satan’s Assaults On Your Mind
We had much time before our Sunday service was to start as scheduled.
A wonderful sister, with her husband and children, was having a conversation with me on various spiritual subjects.
Then, suddenly, she asked me a question with child-like charge packaged with adult seriousness.
“Where do those thoughts come from? Those thoughts that keep bombarding the mind…” she queried, as she clustered the fingers of her hands, gesturing imaginary missiles to her head.
This sister is a mighty warrior in The Spirit, tremendously blessed with the seer anointing. Yet she was befuddled by the spiritual bombardment.
We all are, in one way or another. We are at war, remember?
I believe The Holy Spirit moved the sister to ask me the question, knowing that He has been training me for some years now in the matter.
In stating the obvious, those bad thoughts are thrown at us by demons with the aim to get us to think them and be taken captive by the devil to do his will.
It happens quite like hook and line fishing.
In my boyhood we used to go canoe-fishing on a very massive lake; sometimes with nets, other times with hook and line (home-made).
As per my experience in home-made hook and line fishing, the hook is intricately and very tightly fastened to the line, the line is in turn fastened to a slender bamboo pole (about the size of a large man’s middle finger).
When fishing, we put a bait on the hook and cast it into the water, and calmly wait, very alert.
Soon, a hungry fish or fishes would come, attracted by the seeming meal, taking the bait.
Somehow, you can feel it when a fish is nibbling on the bait. This is the key moment to catch a fish.
With perfect timing, you skillfully side-swing the pole powerfully in order for the hook to pierce the mouth of the fish and catch it.
If well executed, a tilapia or some other delicious fish will be flapping vigorously to get free. Get it very fast into the canoe. And there it is. The joy of a catch!
This is exactly what Satan does to catch a person. Particular demons first throw bad thoughts into your mind to bait you.
If you take the bait (by thinking the thought), you are caught — easily, craftily, by the devil and taken captive by him to do his will. By his mechanism of craftiness, he draws people away from their senses into his snare, taking them captive by him to do his will, (2 Timothy 2:26).
This was what happened to Eve when the serpent tempted her. She thought on the devil’s words instead of The Word of God, and was bewitched, deceived. Deception is bewitchment.
“O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?” Galatians 3:1.
Deception bewitches one not to obey The Truth! Deception makes sin seem good.
“So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate,” Genesis 3:6.
By deception, Eve saw death as “good”, “pleasant” and “desirable”. She was bewitched when she took the bait.
Satan’s thoughts are bewitching if pondered. Therefore, don’t think them; don’t think on them.
Respond with only what is written, as I previously wrote in another Word titled, “Take Care Not To Think Beyond What Is Written“.
That’s what our LORD Jesus did when He was tempted by the devil repeatedly in the wilderness. And the devil left Him.
If we do likewise, the devil will leave us whenever he comes. It is a daily battle to fight. Fight the good fight of faith, (1 Timothy 6:12).
Bad thoughts bewitch by corrupting the mind, “But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ,” (2 Corinthians 11:3).
How does the serpent corrupt the mind? By his craftiness. Craftiness is the basic and corrupting power of Satan.
Thus, he comes to steal, kill and destroy through thoughts, high things, imaginations and strongholds. (Please see 2 Corinthians 10:4-5).
In spiritual warfare, thoughts are initial sinful thinking of things — things of disobedience; high things are high-minded/fleshly-minded, prideful, sensual desires, pursuits; imaginations are false arguments; doctrines of demons; earthly, sensual, demonic wisdom – including the traditions of men, the basic principles of the world; all unrighteousness, un-Godliness and worldly lusts; and strongholds are demonic fortresses of spiritual imprisonment; cords of sin, (Proverbs 5:22).
The devil’s captivity activities are executed by his various ranks of evil angels. His strategies, tactics, practices, procedures and processes of taking one captive, correspond directly to the various ranks of evil angels who execute them.
“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,” 2 Corinthians 10:4-5.
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12.
Thus, “thoughts” are executed by spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places (various planets, the sun, the moon and other places in space), “high things” by rulers of the darkness of this age, “imaginations” by powers, and “strongholds” by principalities.
This is what happens in the unseen realm.
Spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places (the first rank of unclean spirits) come with their sinful thoughts to bait a person in the mind.
If the bait of filthy thoughts (say, unforgiveness, sexual immorality, etc.) is taken and thought on (instead of swiftly countering it with The Word of God, renouncing and resisting it by The Blood of Jesus), then rulers of the darkness of this age swoop in with high things (fleshly-minded things). Powers (the third rank of evil angels) then bring in imaginations (false arguments; the traditions of men, the basic principles of the world; demonic wisdom).
Principalities then come and establish strongholds. And one is bound, in spiritual prison — taken captive by the devil to do his will.
Sinners are the devil’s prisoners, both believers and unbelievers alike.
Are you unforgiving, bitter, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating, easily angered/provoked, commuting sexual immorality, haughty, or steeped in any other sin? If yes, you have been taken captive by the devil to do his will.
Immediately repent, ask The LORD Jesus Christ to let His Blood make atonement for your soul. Then, by The Blood of Jesus, renounce the demons by their name (mention the particular sins), and command them in The Name of Jesus Christ to go out of you. Keep praying so until you are completely free.
When you commit a sin you do the desire of the devil, (John 8:44). Hate and avoid sin.
If you sin, repent and renounce it by The Blood of Jesus. And don’t go back to it.
We all do get it wrong. But we must repent readily and renounce our sin. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us, (1 John 1:8-10).
However, don’t practice sin (lawlessness). Don’t continue in sin. Don’t practice lawlessness (sin). Those who do go to hell, (Matthew 7:21-23).
Repent. Renounce and resist sin by The Blood of Jesus.
Just as he did with our LORD Jesus Christ Himself, the devil says things to tempt one to disobey God. If his sinful thoughts are entertained in the mind they become like torpedoes launched into a ship. They devastate and destroy.
This is how many believers have “suffered shipwreck,” (1 Timothy 1:19).
As the second coming of our The LORD Jesus Christ draws ever closer, Satan is aggressively increasing his assaults on the mind.
Be ONLY mindful of the things of God (His Word, purpose and plans; His Holy Spirit, His Blood); avoid the things of men, (see Matthew 16:23). Be watchful of the devil’s schemes. Renounce and resist evil desires with the Blood of Jesus Christ.
This is very important because, “each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.” (James 1:14-16).
By The Word of God, by The Holy Spirit, by prayer, by practice, have your senses exercised to discern both good and evil, (Hebrews 5:14). Hate evil, love good, (Amos 5:14,15; Romans 12:9; Psalm 34:14; 97:10).
“Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.“ Colossians 3:2.
Only meditate on and obey God’s Word. Only think on the things of God in His Word. This is what Scripture repeatedly commands us to do.
“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy — meditate on these things.” Philippians 4:8.
“Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you,” 1 Timothy 4:15-16.
“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” Joshua 1:8.
“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the un-Godly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper,” Psalms 1:1-3.
Brethren, use the weapons of our warfare to overcome Satan’s assaults on your mind and other areas of life. (Please study Ephesians 6:10-18).
“Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong,” 1 Corinthians 16:13.
“The LORD Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.” 2 Timothy 4:22.
“Farewell” Acts 15:29.
~ Jacob Awagah
“And having been perfected, He became The Author of Eternal Salvation to all who obey Him,” Hebrews 5:9.
Just awesome. Powerful. Thank you.
thank you for pulling people from the brink