Controlling Our Thoughts

Q.  After reading your answer to a previous question I sent in, I got to thinking about how do we know when to blame the devil vs. blaming ourselves for the bad thoughts that come into our mind?

A.   Assessing the blame for where your thoughts come from isn’t important.  Whether it comes from your sin nature or straight from the devil, it’s all the same.  2 Cor. 10:3-5 says we’re to take captive any thought that sets itself up against the knowledge of God.  We should not allow any thought come into our mind that contradicts what we know about how God would have us behave.  As you learn to immediately reject those thoughts and ask God to forgive you for them, you’ll find yourself having fewer of them. This is what James meant when he said, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7)