When Satan Comes Knocking

Your mind is the devil’s playground. Or more precisely, your mind is the battleground on which the invisible battle for your soul is being waged. The choices you make that shape your life and destiny all begin in the mind. That is why the first strategy Paul mentions in Ephesians 6 for winning the spirit war is to recognize destructive thoughts and replace them with God’s thoughts—or as Paul puts it, putting on the belt of truth.

1. Understanding the Belt of Truth

When Paul penned his strong words about spiritual warfare to the Christians at Ephesians (Ephesians 6:10-13), he was under arrest in Rome. As Paul observed the Roman guard who was watching him, he must have thought, “The same armor this guard wears to protect himself against the enemy is available to every Christian.” Using the imagery of a Roman soldier’s armor, Paul describes the essential pieces of equipment we must put on and use if we are to have any hope of winning our death struggle with Satan.

2. Putting on the Belt of Truth

The Roman combatant wore a free-flowing garment called a tunic. However, as comfortable as a loose tunic might be in daily life, it could be lethal in combat. An opponent could grab a portion of the loose tunic and gain an advantage in hand-to-hand combat. Or the soldier himself might accidentally trip over his own garment. That’s why, before entering into battle, every good soldier would tuck his tunic into his leather belt to secure it.

Similarly, Paul is encouraging us to secure any loose thoughts that might trip us up or allow the enemy to gain an unfair advantage over us in our spiritual struggle. 

Now, here are four practical actions you can take to confront these loose thoughts by securing them with the belt of truth.

• Refuse to Feel Guilty for Wrong Thoughts (Luke 4:1-3)

Luke 4 describes Jesus’ experience in the wilderness immediately following His baptism. For 40 days, Christ was completely isolated. No other people, no newspapers, no computers.  

Yet, during those 40 days, Jesus was tempted with thoughts of discontent, greed, and pride. “Since God hasn’t provided you with what you need to survive, turn these stones into bread.”  “You don’t need to wait to reign over the kingdoms of the world; they can be yours now if you are willing to compromise.” “You don’t need to follow God’s timetable. Bypass the cross, and put on a spiritual circus to demonstrate you are the Son of God.”  

From where did these thoughts originate? Interestingly, nowhere in the biblical account of Jesus’ temptation does Luke record that the devil appeared to Jesus. Very possibly Satan spoke to the Lord the same way he communicates with us … through the mind. 

Yet, did these ungodly thoughts make Jesus a sinner? Of course not! He remained the perfect “lamb of God” whose blamelessness qualified Him to be our Savior. 

If we are going to win the mind games, we need to first stop feeling guilty when evil thoughts invade our lives and, instead, learn how to deal with such unwelcome thoughts. 

• Resist Allowing Wrong Thoughts to Linger in Your Mind (2 Corinthians 10:5a)

The initial thoughts the devil sends to us may be just a “toehold” the first time we entertain those thoughts and dwell on them or fantasize about them.  The longer we entertain the thoughts, however, the more likely we are to start making mental plans about how we might act on them.  It is then that the toehold of an idea becomes a “foothold.”  The more we develop plans for acting on a sinful idea or temptation, the more we find that the foothold has become a “stronghold.”  

We come to the place where we feel compelled to try out the idea in our behavior.  We have fantasized and imagined what it was like to do something, experience something, or try something for so long that we come to the place where we want to act on that idea more than we want to banish the idea.  How can we prevent our thoughts from turning into strongholds for the devil? 

• Recognize and Replace Wrong Thoughts with God’s Thoughts (2 Corinthians 10:5b)

To dismiss Satan’s thoughts, we must replace them with God’s thoughts, just as Jesus did.   When Satan attempted to plant seeds of discontent, Jesus responded by quoting a verse from the Old Testament about God’s sufficiency to satisfy our deepest cravings. “And Jesus answered him, It is written, man shall not live on bread alone” (Luke 4:4).

When Satan enticed the Lord with thoughts of power and riches, Jesus responded by reciting God’s greatest commandment. “Jesus answered him, It is written, you shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only” (Luke 4:8).

When Satan tempted Jesus to act independently from God, the Lord responded once again by quoting the Old Testament admonition. “And Jesus answered and said to him, It is said you shall not put the Lord your God to the test” (Luke 4:12).  

Jesus understood that the best way to dismiss an unwelcome thought is to replace it with another, more powerful thought. The best way to dispel darkness is to confront it with light. 

I believe it is this process Paul has in mind when he encourages us to “gird our loins with truth” (Ephesians 6:14). Our success in spiritual battle depends on confronting any loose thoughts with the truth of God’s Word.

• Remember that Victory Is Possible (Romans 6:6-7)

Satan continually taunts you with the lie that you are his prisoner, that your mind is under his control, and that you must eventually act upon his suggestions. In reality, Satan has no more control over your life than you choose to allow him to have. 

Believe, declare, and act upon the truth of God’s Word, and you will thwart Satan’s strategy. That is the way—the only way—to prevail in the “mind game” when Satan comes knocking!

Full Passage: Ephesians 6:13-14