A man came into my office one day and told me of a problem he was having. He was married and had two children. He attended a local church and was, in fact, quite active in it. He, however, had a problem that had plagued him for years. He said that every time he saw a woman, he would have lustful thoughts about her. Then he would feel guilt and repent. This “repentance” would only last a short while and then the problem would reoccur and he would lust again. He would repent again and so the cycle continued. He asked what he should do and I gave him this deep theological answer.

I said, “Just don’t think those thoughts.” He looked at me with a blank look on his face as though he thought I didn’t understand what he had said. He told me his problem again and I gave him the same answer. “Just don’t think those thoughts.” It may sound simplistic, but it’s true. You don’t have to think about anything you don’t want to think about!

When I told him this he responded. “But you just don’t understand. I can’t control my thoughts. I can’t help what I think.”

This man was a Christian, but sadly he didn’t know God’s Word and because of that he was being destroyed. In Hosea 4:6 God said, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” Sometimes people say “What you don’t know won’t hurt you.” In the natural physical world in which we live, that may sometimes be true, but in the spirit realm, what you don’t know will hurt you. Ignorance is no excuse.

Well, ignorance was this man’s problem. He did not know that he could control his mind. Since he didn’t know he could control his mind, he didn’t believe he could control it, so he didn’t. If we will not control our own thoughts, we leave our minds open to the control of the spirit world and that can be deadly.

Satan is waiting for the opportunity to control your thoughts. If you relinquish control of your mind, he will, through his deception, gradually move you into wrong thinking. Wrong thinking leads to wrong actions. Believe the truth and not the lie. God’s Word says you can control your thoughts.

Let me explain. Philippians 4:8 says, “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.”

God is a good God and not cruel. He does not command us to do something we do not have the ability to do. So, since He told us to take control of our thoughts, we must be able to control our thoughts. That’s only logical.

In 2 Corinthians chapter 10, we are told to “bring every thought into captivity.” Once again if it were impossible to control your thoughts, God wouldn’t command you to do it.

So, when evil thoughts of lust, greed, envy or strife come into your mind, the Bible says to take them captive and the good news is you can. Don’t dwell on evil. Stay far from it! But when temptation comes and corrupt thoughts try to enter your mind, take them captive and cast them down!