9. Satan wants to keep me from hearing Jesus’ voice, from connecting with God, and from living in relationship with them. 

(Before looking at the questions below, take a few minutes to think about this statement. Invite Jesus to speak to you about what He would like you to notice.) 

Spend some time reflecting on how Satan keeps you from hearing Jesus. Maybe make some notes to refer to.

Does the idea that Satan can put thoughts in your mind seem wrong or unlikely? Think about the stories in the Gospels where Satan is recorded as speaking to a person or through a person. What do you think is true about Satan’s influence on your thoughts?

Consider how Satan’s actions in our world creates information and ideas into our world that can influence how and what we think.

Your mind is the battleground between thoughts and ideas from God and thoughts and ideas from Satan. With this in mind, how could you prepare for the battle?

In John 10, Jesus uses the metaphor of a shepherd. He says that the sheep know the shepherd’s voice and feel safe with him. Jesus goes on to say that the sheep know not to follow the voice of a stranger, a thief who comes to steal, kill and destroy. They will naturally run from such a stranger.

In the process of learning to hear God in our thoughts, it is critical to acknowledge that there will be competing voices in our minds. As we learn to hear God’s voice we cannot overemphasize the reality of Satan’s desire to steal our opportunities to hear God, kill our belief that God wants to be in relationship with us, and destroy any hope we have of experiencing an abundant life with God.

Ignatius of Loyola, a reformer in the Catholic church, had a deep experience with Jesus that led him to begin a movement to guide others into this relationship. Ignatius wrote about the Discernment of Spirits. In this short but insightful document, Ignatius gives great advice about how to know when it is God speaking in our thoughts and when it is Satan.

For example, Ignatius says, “The characteristic effect produced by God and His angels … is a genuine lightness of heart … whilst his [the enemy’s] characteristic activity is to resist such lightness …” (Greater Discernment of Spirits, First Rule)

We may never know all the ways that Satan works to steal, kill and destroy, but if we are to learn to hear God in our thoughts, we must take his opposition seriously and learn how to notice and resist it.