Can satan or demons read our mind?
Discussion question for April 22, 2011.
What does the Bible teach about the ability of the enemy to read our thoughts? How does this inform your defensive strategy against him? What are demons? Do they have personhood (continuity of identity)? What role(s) do they play in your life and in the world?
Here’s my summary of our discussion.
There are three forces that affect us: the will of God, our own free will, and the will of the enemy. There is no Biblical evidence that satan or demons can read our mind or have direct access to our thoughts, but God most clearly can. God knows what is in our mind (present thoughts) as well as what is in our heart (capacity of thoughts now and in the future).
There is a Biblical account that suggests satan and demons are unable to read our mind, and that is the story of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream being revealed by God through Daniel but the magicians and seers could not, even though they are presumed to be cooperating with satan or demons. This is not conclusive however, since even the king was unable to access those thoughts even though they were his own.
We identified three different strategies of the evil one: temptation, demon possession, and demonic influence. Temptation occurs when the evil desire inside us is attracted by evil from outside and is carried away (James 1:14). Demon possession is when our mind and will have in part or entirely been given over to the will of the evil one or his representative(s). The demon possessed person has abdicated authority and is controlled by evil. Demonic influence attempts to capture the area between the two; somewhat more internal than temptation but less controlling than possession.
One of the risks in evangelical and denominational churches happens when they teach that a Christian cannot be demon possessed. This might give a false sense of power or security to that person who in turn lower their defenses against evil control in their life. It can also build a reliance on overcoming temptation with strong self-will or self directed effort. This might also bring the person to take on too much responsibility for the condition they are in. They should be fully submitted to God, since it is His power that overcomes the devil and His authority that reclaims the will.
The risk on the other side of the argument, sometimes promoted by those involved in deliverance ministries, is that everything is blamed on the devil or demons and self-responsibility is underweighted. Naming demons and identifying them by their actions or outcomes is not for the purpose of establishing blame. It is for the purpose of directing God’s authority at the root of the problem and allowing Him to reign victorious in its place.
If our battle is temptation, then we must renew our mind so there aren’t evil desires to attract that attention. Galatians 5:16 promises that when we walk with the Spirit we will not gratify the sinful nature.
If our battle is possession, then we must reclaim our mind and authority so that it is obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5-6 and Romans 8:9 support this strategy.
If our battle is against demonic influence, then we must find the areas of weakness and breaches in our defenses and shore that up. This describes the process of renewing our mind until we reach maturity in the knowledge of Christ (Ephesians 4:13).
The discussion of how evil tempts, influences and possesses us is beneficial to the extent that it equips us to become victorious in our own life and encourage victory in the life of others. We are not attempting to win an argument, but to win the war.