Case Studies
Resisting to the point of bloodshed: When I studied in the college, one engineering college student used to attend the prayer group regularly. He wanted to please the Lord and live a life that will bring glory to Him. One day when he came to the prayer group, I noticed some bruises in his chest.
Then I asked him about the bruises and scrapes. He replied, “Sometimes I get evil thoughts. I hate them like anything. So when I’m tempted, I pinch my chest with my nails and pray for God’s help to overcome it. These are the marks of my hatred for sin”.
The Bible says that we should resist sin to the point of plucking out our eyes, and cutting off the right hand to avoid sin Matt 5:29, 30. Is it not necessary for us to resist evil thoughts like this student to the point of bloodshed, “You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin” Heb 12:4.
Readily using the sword of the Spirit: I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour when I was studying in the college. There was a great change in my life after conversion. I started reading the Word of God, prayed and participated enthusiastically in the ministry. After a few months, I found that I had difficulty in controlling my thoughts. The Lord spoke to me that evil thoughts are sin and must be confessed and resisted by all means.
I prayed and tried my best to overcome them. Since it had become a problem for me, I approached another senior student, and shared with him my problem. He told me about the temptations of Jesus Christ and the way in which He overcome them by using the Word of God. He also explained to me about the offensive weapon – the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, Eph 6:17, given to believers to overcome temptations. He encouraged me to memorise certain Bible verse and say it aloud at the time of temptation, as Jesus did when He was tempted by the devil.
The Lord gave me Heb 2:18 as the verse that I could use when tempted with evil thoughts. “For in that He Himself has suffered being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted”. So when I was tempted with evil thoughts I used to say Heb 2:18 aloud, and then praise God for fulling His promise. I found from my experience that the Word of God had the power to put an end to my evil thoughts.
Receive a renewed mind by surrender: I met one young believer in one of the meetings that I preached last year. The young boy had problems in controlling his thoughts. He told me that he prayed and tried his maximum best to control them and failed. I requested him to read Rom 12:1, 2 “… present your bodies a living sacrifice… and be transformed by the renewing of your mind”. Then I asked him, “What is the requirement for getting a change in the mind?” He replied, “Present the body as a living sacrifice to God”.
Then I told him, “You will get changed life only when you surrender your life and mind to God”. He surrendered his life on that day and continued to surrender his life daily thereafter. He got victory over evil thoughts and now he is happy in the Lord. The Bible exhorts us, “And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, … for sin shall not have dominion over you…” Rom 6:13, 14.
Resisting the evil thoughts with prayer: I know a believer who had to struggle very hard to overcome the various thoughts that came to his mind, when he was in the bed in the night. He prayed for his problem. The Lord gave him the idea to prepare a prayer list to pray in bed.
He prayed as usual for various needs in the night, and went to bed. Then the moment he got the evil thoughts in the bed, he started praying for the points in the list. He was able to control his thoughts and at the same time could go to sleep easily, while praying for others. Evil thoughts can be restricted by prayer and study of the Word of God. For the Bible says, “Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh” Gal 5:16.
Reject it with God’s power: Once a student had the problem of not being able to meditate and pray well during his quiet time. He could not concentrate due to evil thoughts. He was shocked to get wandering thoughts when he was on his knees. So he approached a pastor to find out the solution to his problem.
The pastor listened to his problem patiently for some time, and said, “Your problem is not because of wrestling against the flesh and blood. It is because you fight against principalities, against powers, against rulers of darkness of this age, against Spiritual host of wickedness in the heavenly places’ Eph 6:12. You get even in your prayer time, because there are thousands of hosts of wickedness, all around you, trying to discourage you. One of those Satan’s agents tempts you with evil thoughts.
“How can I overcome them?” asked the student. “It is only by the power of the Holy Spirit” replied the pastor and asked him to read Rom 8:2, 3. “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death… For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live”. The student understood that he can overrule the power of Devil only by the power of the Holy Spirit. Thereafter he could overcome his problem by putting to death the deeds of the body by the power of the Holy Spirit.