What to Do When Your Thought Life is Attacked - Don Johnson

There's no such thing.

I asked someone one time -

they carry a Bible on
the dash in the car.

I asked them why they did that.

What was the purpose of it?

He said that keeps away the devil.

Well, I haven't found that to work.

Of course, I keep a Bible handy.

I'm just saying that all these charms

and formulas and legalistic works

are useless, worthless,

in the battle of the mind.

What are the mighty
weapons of our warfare?

If they are weapons

and if we're urged to use
them, what are they?

Listen.

Ugly, silly thoughts that exalt themselves

against the knowledge of God

can only be answered and defeated

by sound and true knowledge

of the Word of God.

You know what will knock down a lie?

The truth.

And that's the great
example our Lord gave us.

Jesus Himself used this example

for our benefit.

When assailed by Satan,

tempted at all points,

He simply remedied the
situation of the temptation

by quoting Scripture.

Keep your nose in the Bible!

Store up the Word of God in your heart!

The more you hide in your
heart the Word of God,

the less you will sin against God.

The more you have of the Word of God

in your mind,

the less room there will be for Satan

to put other things in your mind

and fill your heart with
foolish sinful suggestions.

So the more you know God's Word,

the more you can use it to counter

these contrary thoughts and suggestions

that exalt the idea or the notion

of something that is foolish,

that is contrary to the will of God.

Sinful thought says: it would be fun.

It would be good to believe this.

You would be more in tune with the age.

You would be more up to date.

That's a lie.

And you counter those
things with the Word of God.

But then there's something else.

We thank God for the Scriptures don't we?

All Scriptures are given
by inspiration of God

and are profitable.

And I find that one
of the greatest profits

of the Word of God and
of having it in your heart

is the use of the Word of God

against foul and obnoxious thinking.

But there's something more.

Sometimes we are assailed

with a particularly strong
temptation in our mind,

and in a moment's time,

a whole lot of time,

the Bible knowledge has
a way of evaporating.

Have you ever been in that place?

I can remember a few years ago,

I was on my lawn mower

and a particular temptation came upon me

and it's almost like I forgot everything

that I had ever read in the Scriptures.

I just went blank.

It seemed like I couldn't quote anything.

Nothing.

Nothing came out.

Well, what do you do in such occasions?

Then you must engage
Jesus Christ in the battle.

How do you do that? Call on Him.

Pray.

Call upon the Lord in the day of trouble.

Pray fervently.

Bring your mind into the presence of God.

Show up at the throne of grace.

Get that mercy and help that you need

in a time of need.

And when your mind is under assault,

it is an hour of need.

Praying always with all prayer

and supplication in the Spirit.

Our God is a God of help!

He's not against us
in this thing, beloved.

He's for us!

He's a help. A very present help.

Call upon Him when you're struggling.

Call upon Him when the
bad thoughts attack you.

Call upon Him when the lies

are insidious and high
and lofty and clever.

Call upon the Lord.

Call upon Me and I will answer thee

and show thee great and mighty things

that thou knowest not.

There's help for those

who earnestly cry out for it.

God likes us showing up
at the throne of grace.