Hello and welcome back to the Satisfied Podcast here on the Thee Generation Network.

This is Ryan Swanson and we are continuing on in our series that we’ve called Mind War,

the discussion of our thought life.

And I think I told you at the conclusion of our last episode, which was more of an introduction,

that the next two episodes would be in a discussion of the attacks that we face in our mind

and it would be split up into the next two episodes being one on sourced temptations

and one with unsourced temptations.

And I won’t even define that now because we’ll get into it later.

But I actually want to stick one episode in before those even.

And I thought about calling this episode Before the Thought

because it really does come sooner than that.

But I think Don’t Even Think About It also encapsulates the situation

same idea in our discussion for today. This is a very, very, very, very important discussion

when it comes to thoughts and really any aspect of the purity realm. But as I thought this through,

I realized how much this really does apply in this scenario dealing with our thought life.

So let’s jump into this and see what we can learn from a few verses here. First off in Psalm 66, 18,

David says, if I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. Now, when we hear that word

regard, we think of guard, protect. And so if I’m defending the sin in my heart, then the Lord’s not

going to hear me, and it will stilt that relationship I have with him. But actually, that word regard

is the word consider, is what that Hebrew word means. David’s saying, if I even consider it,

then we already are severing that relationship with God in the moment. We are passing the way

of escape. We are making provision for the flesh. We are not walking in the Spirit, even if we just

consider. So what’s that like in the moment then? Because, you know, it definitely is the case that

the temptation itself is not a sin, and we will discuss that more than in the next couple months.

Yet, when the temptation first comes, what do you do with that? And that’s the point of this

episode right here. What do you do at the very first moment that you know the devil’s trying to

get you to think a certain thing, to look at a certain thing, to do a certain thing. But in regards

to this discussion of thoughts, there’s a thought pattern coming across your mind, whether it’s

sourced or unsourced, we’ll get to that later. But there’s a thought pattern coming, what are you

going to do with that? Many times the instruction we’re given is to, well, why don’t you just think

about in that moment, all the people that you’re hurting if you give into this temptation,

And think about your wife or future wife and your kids.

And think about what you’re doing to your brain and the brain damage.

And think about how you’re not going to have peace in your life because of this.

And how many times you’ve told yourself you would never do this again.

And think about all those things.

So you’re listing out all of the reasons on one side.

It’s like the pros and the cons to giving in in this moment.

And I know you wouldn’t think about this happening in this way because it happens so quickly.

But on one side we list all those reasons that I just went through.

about reasons we wouldn’t give into this, the people we’re going to hurt and all these things.

But on the other side, then essentially what we’re doing is we’re weighing that with what the devil’s saying.

Well, it would be good in this moment. It would be fulfilling. Not, but he’s going to tell you that.

It would meet that need in your life. It would feel good. You’re bored right now. You’ve got nothing else to do.

And whatever. Mainly, it’s just going to feel good.

Whatever is on that side is completely pathetic.

There’s nothing over there that makes any sense and certainly nothing that could justify all the cons,

all the things telling you you should not give in in this moment.

However, what do you find?

If you spend one second, five seconds, half a second, whatever it is,

considering just like that when you’re trying to go back and forth weighing those options,

you will almost always give in.

Even though it makes no logical sense because you’re trying to fight a battle with logic that is not logical.

We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers.

You see, the devil just, all he wants you to do is to consider it.

He doesn’t want you to think it’s somehow a better option.

It’s not going to be logical. It’s not going to make any sense.

All he wants you to do is to consider it.

And if you will consider that sin in your heart, the Lord’s not going to hear you.

You’ve already given in, and you have chosen to break fellowship with your God, with the Holy Spirit,

because instead you are listening and considering what’s coming from the devil in that moment

and what’s coming from your flesh in that moment.

Romans 8, 6 says,

Now notice it doesn’t say to be carnally minded could become death or might become death

or eventually will become death.

It says to be carnally minded is death.

It’s like it already happened.

As a man thinketh in his heart, we would find in Proverbs 23, 7,

as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.

Again, it’s like it already happened.

It doesn’t say so he might become, so he may become someday.

So is he.

What are you allowing yourself to consider?

When that temptation comes, don’t even think about it.

Now, when we’re having a discussion on thoughts,

maybe we should say, don’t even think about thinking about it.

Because what you consider, you eventually will do.

You are literally practicing for defeat.

There was a study I read about, and I believe it was from Harvard University that did this.

They took a group of piano students and handed out the same piece of music to everyone in there.

And then they split them into three different groups, A, B, and C.

Group A, they told them to do nothing, don’t look at the music, don’t spend any time on it, don’t practice it, nothing.

but they monitored their brains and brain development over the next couple of weeks.

So the group A was just a control group.

Group B, what they did is they gave them the music,

and they told them to practice that music for an hour a day.

And group C, they gave them the same music, but they said,

sit down at the piano with your hands by your side,

look at the music, mentally practice, but do not move your fingers.

and they studied the brain development, brain growth, over the next couple of weeks for all three of these groups.

Now, when they compared group A and B, they found exactly what they expected.

That’s the difference between the control group and those that were actually playing the piano and practicing it physically.

What they found was that their brains were growing in group B.

They were growing significantly in the area that controlled the fingers when compared to group A, the control group.

And again, they expected that.

That’s just what happens.

The brain develops that way.

And so they noticed that there was development in the area that controls the fingers for those that were practicing.

But then they looked and were monitoring group C, and here’s what they found.

In group C, these people were not moving their fingers at all.

They were just mentally practicing, hands by their side, staring at the music for an hour a day.

But their brains grew in the exact same place almost exactly as much as group B, those that were actually physically practicing.

We learn a lot from our brains here, but not something we couldn’t have found in Scripture.

As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.

There is a huge physical tie to what we do and what we think about or consider.

And so you realize that you may say today was a great victory because you didn’t act out.

But what were you considering?

How much did you let yourself ponder those things?

How much did you let yourself yearn for those things?

You may be thinking something like, oh, that would be really good to give into that again.

And yeah, that sure would flip my switches right now.

But I would never do that again.

I’ll never do that.

And I’m telling you, you will because you’re considering it.

And you are practicing.

You are mentally practicing for defeat.

And what you’re doing is you’re training your brain to next time it has the opportunity to take it.

Because again, you’re practicing.

You are creating a habit without even doing it just by considering it.

Don’t even consider it.

When that temptation comes, sometimes we think the face of temptation is we’re gritting our teeth and it’s like the white knuckles.

And look, I get it.

There are times that it’s hand-to-hand combat and there’s blood, sweat, and tears in this battle.

And I get it.

But here’s what I found in my own walk here.

That the face of victory is a smile.

It’s putting a smile on my face and saying, you know what?

I don’t need to even consider that.

You know what, devil?

You are hilarious to think that you could get me with that again after all the destruction it’s caused.

There is no way I’m going to.

That is not even an option.

I am heading the other direction.

Now, what would this look like?

Because if it was something physical, like, for example,

something in viewing, something pops up on your computer,

well, then you take the Joseph principle and you turn and burn

and leave the coat in her hand, right?

So when it’s in our thought life, though, what does this look like?

Well, here’s a principle I also read about.

It’s called turn and cleave.

So in that moment, we are turning from the temptation,

whatever that is, whether it’s sourced or unsourced,

that temptation, instead of sitting there considering and trying to convince ourselves

that it’s not the right thing to do, just don’t even consider.

Just get out of there.

Turn and cleave to Jesus.

Spend time with him.

We’re promised that if we walk in the Spirit, we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

It’s a promise.

So here’s what you do.

In that moment, go take a walk with the Spirit.

Now, I’m not sure that’s exactly what that’s referring to,

but what I mean by that is spend some time with the Spirit.

Spend some time with God.

spend some time getting to know Jesus intentionally in that moment and whether that’s physically going

up and taking a walk which could be helpful but what I mean is spend some time with him and say

Jesus I’d like to take this moment here yes there’s been temptation I don’t let’s not even

worry about that let’s just can you teach me something about yourself Jesus there’s this

person I’ve been burdened for they need to be saved can we spend some time in prayer with

for them right now Lord there’s something I read in my devotions this morning I don’t totally

understand, but I think you’re trying to show me something here. And so would you help me with that?

And you see what you’re doing. You’re intentionally turning from the temptation and saying, I ain’t got

nothing to do with that. That’s not me. That’s not me anymore. I’m not even going to consider that.

Instead, we’re just turning our back on the temptation and spending that time with Christ.

And eventually, here’s what you’ll find, is that the more temptations you face in a day, the closer

you get to Jesus. So they’re kind of counterintuitive and hopefully eventually the devil gets the point.

so in that moment go take a walk with the spirit listen I get people all the time that are

asking for help in their thought life but I think they’re trying to battle it the wrong way just

like we’re trying to battle most things in this realm in the wrong way we we wait until it’s it’s

far it’s too late it’s not that the Lord couldn’t intervene and give you victory when you’ve already

begun to consider or indulge but I’m telling you the way of escape is far sooner than that

it’s right at that point when you are tempted and you choose with a smile on your face to say

I will not consider this spend some time with Jesus take a walk with the spirit

and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh well that’s it for today a simple challenge but

I guarantee you you can put this into practice today there are things you will be tempted to do

and this applies in other areas as well but there will be things you’re tempted to do that today you

can just decide that’s not me anymore. I’m not going to consider that and experience the freedom

that comes to walking in the Spirit in those moments. Well, we’ll next time begin in our

discussion of sourced and unsourced temptations as we get into this in a month. But in the meantime,

I appreciate you joining me on this journey to be less gratified and more satisfied with Jesus Christ.