Wow. This whole time I thought I was battling the devil..

[Disciple]

Ive always thought I was being tempted by the enemy constantly and in every way, I felt like I was in a constant struggle with the devil tempting and twisting my thoughts and desires..
God spoke to me as I was just laying down thinking and revealed that Ive been battlng this whole time my own mind and my own lusts; '..every man when tempted, is tempted of his own lust, desires.' - the book of James
Let go of the old man and become at peace of mind in the Lord.
As soon as God spoke to me I had to share..
Im filled with peace now :)

 

[Angelina]

Amen!

God is soo good! :)


Bless you!

 

[Robbie]

This one time I felt the Lord had told me to lay off drinking beers for awhile... I went and played golf with my girl and we're walking down the course and out of the blue there's an ice cold newcastle unopened just sitting in the middle of the fairway... haha... I'm pretty sure my lusts weren't the cause of the beer being there... another time my friends girlfriend told me she wanted to go home with me... I told her to go inside for a second and I'd be right in... I ran home as fast as I could... she was a cute girl... it was quite tempting... but I loved my friend so I ran... I'm pretty sure it wasn't my own lust that tempted me in that case... it was some chick... so I get what you're saying but there's balance...

If I had a friend that was on a diet and I was waving a Big Mac in front of their face in a sense they're own flesh would be tempting them but so would I...

Satan is great at using our flesh against us... as it's been since the beginning...

 

[Thankful 1]

Ive always thought I was being tempted by the enemy constantly and in every way, I felt like I was in a constant struggle with the devil tempting and twisting my thoughts and desires..
God spoke to me as I was just laying down thinking and revealed that Ive been battlng this whole time my own mind and my own lusts; '..every man when tempted, is tempted of his own lust, desires.' - the book of James
Let go of the old man and become at peace of mind in the Lord.
As soon as God spoke to me I had to share..
Im filled with peace now :)

When you accept those evil thoughts as you then you are in trouble.

 

[calbhach]

Ive always thought I was being tempted by the enemy constantly and in every way, I felt like I was in a constant struggle with the devil tempting and twisting my thoughts and desires..
God spoke to me as I was just laying down thinking and revealed that Ive been battlng this whole time my own mind and my own lusts; '..every man when tempted, is tempted of his own lust, desires.' - the book of James
Let go of the old man and become at peace of mind in the Lord.
As soon as God spoke to me I had to share..
Im filled with peace now :)

^__^ I'm so glad to hear that, Disciple. Praise God! *Hug*

 

[Disciple]

@Templar; Im a wretched sinner so yes I do accept those thoughts as me.. who's thoughts am I suppose to accept them as? the devils? God's? because Gods Spirit dwells in me.. So that would mean the devil would have to be in me too to control my thoughts.. But no.. That is not the case.. You are your own man, the devil is his own and God is the creator we all have our own thought patterns.

I think the second you accept your own thoughts as not your own but the devils then there is a problem. but not vise versa.

 

[Duckybill]

It is quite possible for Christians to be oppressed by Satan and even to have demons.

 

[Foreigner]

"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." - James 4:7

 

[Duckybill]

"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." - James 4:7

A true statement indeed. However most Christians do not recognize Satan's works in their lives. His power is in staying hidden. That's why we see him at work in this forum trying to persuade us that he doesn't exist or doesn't bother anyone.

Acts 10:38 (NKJV)
[sup]38 [/sup]how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

Revelation 12:9 (NKJV)
[sup]9 [/sup]So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

 

[Robbie]

Have you ever tried not to think certain thoughts because you want to focus on the principles that comes from your Father but they keep popping into your head ? If you're willing not to think something and the thoughts are still popping into your head I'd say there's a good chance they're not from you...

 

[Disciple]

so the devil knows your thoughts and can even control them? i do not beleive this, maybe if you are possessed by a demon then it can speak to your mind and control you through your own mind. But otherwise I beleive we've all been deceived to think or feel like the devil knows all of our thoughts..

 

[calbhach]

I believe that demons can plant thoughts, but I don't think they can control you at all. They can just give a person ideas. After all, if a demon could truly control a Christian, God would not have said that we could never be made to suffer beyond what we can escape from, right?

1 Corinthians 10:13 (King James Version) - There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

 

[Duckybill]

I believe that demons can plant thoughts, but I don't think they can control you at all. They can just give a person ideas. After all, if a demon could truly control a Christian, God would not have said that we could never be made to suffer beyond what we can escape from, right?

I agree, but Satan has many other ways to oppress Christians, I.E. sickness, poverty, death ... This warning is for Christians.

1 Peter 5:8-9 (NKJV)
[sup]8 [/sup]Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. [sup]9 [/sup]Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.

 

[Foreigner]

A true statement indeed. However most Christians do not recognize Satan's works in their lives. His power is in staying hidden. That's why we see him at work in this forum trying to persuade us that he doesn't exist or doesn't bother anyone.

-- This is Ducky's response to James 4:7 and I have to say I agree with this statement.

It appears many Christians fail to realize that thoughts of condemnation, inadequacy, worthlessness, etc. come from Satan.

They seem to confuse it with the conviction that the Holy Spirit sometimes gives in order to point out that there is a specific area or practice in their life that needs to be addressed.

My belief is that Satan cannot read our thoughts -- but he doesn't have to!

He or his minions are stalking you every moment of every day. They can listen, trend and figure out what can be interjected at a specific time that will seem to be a normal thought that person would have - thus leading to self-conviction and confusion as to how they could possibly have such thoughts of doubt, judgment, vengeance, anger, etc. etc. etc.

Classic example:

Coming to the end of the quarter at college. Praying to God for financial blessing to help pay tuition. As the payment date approaches, Satan will begin to give you thoughts that there is no way God will help you - you are not worthy, you waited too long to seek His help, your sins void any right you have to expect God's assistance, you likely misunderstood and God actually didn't want you in this college or program, etc. etc. etc.

Instead of rebuking those thoughts the person feels those thoughts are coming from him/her alone.

 

[Robbie]

I don't think he plants thoughts... I think he talks to people... but people that are unconscious don't comprehend what's happening within themselves... they can't figure out why sometimes they think really good thoughts and sometimes they think really bad thoughts... well pure and dirty water don't come from the same glass so how can both pure and dirty thoughts come from the same person? ... I think satan talks to people the way he talked to Jesus... the way he talked to Adam and Eve... and one of the names given to Him is the tempter... to not recognize who he is and what he does is to be unconscious of the spiritual battle within and over ourselves...

 

[whitestone]

The OP has wisdom I think. I've always seen it that way too.
It would be so much easier if it was "someone else" causing sin in my life. But the lusts come from within. The "old man" as Paul says. My old man. It is my own desires of my own flesh that is the enemy that I crucify with Christ. It is in the cross of Jesus that I glory in this. I can't imagine how I would fit a supernatural demon or devil philosphy into any of that. ugh

 

[aspen]

Adam pointed to Eve, and even blamed God for placing her in the garden

and Eve pointed to the serpent

The fact is, no one forced them to sin.......they chose to eat the fruit.

We are our own worse enemies....

 

[Robbie]

I say it goes hand and hand.... as temptation increases... so does it become apparent... the weakness of our flesh...