The power of thought is greater than what the enemy wants you to know. Otherwise why would this direction be given to the faithful in Christ by Paul?
For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete. 2 Corinthians 10:4-6
How exactly are we then led into temptation and sin by our enemy? Most would tell you that the enemy sets traps for us to fall into. While this may be true the battle begins way before that. The real battle begins in your mind. It begins in our thought life. Have you ever had a thought pop into your head and you wonder where it actually came from? Very few teachers in the Body deal with this issue of our thought lives, or how the battle takes place first in our minds.
First let’s break down the avenues of thoughts in your mind. You obviously have your own thoughts. But have you considered that there are others that can also invade your mind with thoughts? When looking at the mentally ill, and the demon possessed, and oppressed, and listen to them talk about their own agonies … they will often talk about the thoughts (voices) in their minds. They may actually think they are hearing those voices with their physical ears yet all those around them don’t hear anything. It’s obvious that the spiritual realm can inject thoughts into the human mind, and so strongly that we actually think we are hearing them with our own ears. So that would mean that there must be other possible avenues into your mind. And those avenues are utilized by the forces of God and His enemies. Can you discern the difference and where those thoughts are coming from? Who actually is speaking in your own mind?
So many biblical teachers will quickly agree that demonic spirits can place thoughts into the mind of a human. Then why are they so silent about the Voice of the Holy Spirit in the minds of those who He inhabits? Your mind is the MAIN avenue of the bulk of the teaching the Holy Spirit will bring to you. He will ‘speak’ in your mind. How then are you to understand when it is Him? In the same way of all relationships …you learn over time by familiarity what someone’s voice sounds like. Plus you have the scriptures as a filter in your minds. The Holy Spirit will not say something to you that is in disagreement with the wholeness of the scriptures. He will not violate His Word. The Holy Spirit will be teaching you the Word. And often His Voice is very soft and gentle and we will wonder if it was really Him. Where as the enemy will always twist the Word in your mind. The enemy will often sound just like your own ‘voice’ in your mind. The Holy Spirit as well can sound like your own mind at the beginning, until you become familiar with His Voice. How do determine with certainty His Voice? By building a strong filter (Scripture) in your mind to pass those thoughts through, just as Paul talks about in the above scripture.
In prayer ask Him to speak to you. Ask Him to help you hear Him with greater clarity. This practice is vital for the coming days. When things get more dangerous for us it will become vital that we can hear His instructions to us. And in those pressure situations we will need to have that ‘familiarity’ with His Voice so as not to hesitate when we’re called to act immediately.
Begin today in prayer asking for Him to help you attain greater clarity and ability of hearing His Voice in your mind.