When it comes to fighting, some might say that the eyes are the most vulnerable part of the body. But when it comes to spiritual warfare, Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church says it is the mind that is the most vulnerable.
"Your mind is your most spiritually vulnerable organ," he wrote on his website. "The more you think about something, the stronger it takes hold of you, which is why the Bible teaches that we should 'run from anything that gives you the evil thoughts.'"
Warren explains that temptation begins when people's attentions are caught. It then arouses emotions, activates behavior, and people act on what they feel. The more people try to reel in their emotions, the stronger the temptation draws them in, he says.
"Ignoring a temptation is far more effective than fighting it. Once your mind is on something else, the temptation loses its power. So when temptation calls you on the phone, don't argue with it — just hang up!" he says.
When people feel the itch to watch an inappropriate show, Warren suggests they get up and turn off the TV set. When people want to join a group that is gossiping, they should just walk away. If the compulsive need to smoke a joint or drink alcohol comes creeping in, they should try and place their focus somewhere else, Warren says.
"To reduce temptation, keep your mind occupied with God's Word and other good thoughts. You defeat bad thoughts by thinking of something better. This is the principle of replacement. You overcome evil with good," he says.
Satan might give people thoughts that fuel temptation, but God provides the opposite, since His thoughts promote inspiration. However, Warren says people's sinful nature will always clash with the new nature believers have obtained from Jesus Christ.
Instead of resisting these evil thoughts, Warren says the best thing to do would be to replace it. "When you start thinking about something positive instead of something negative, something good instead of something evil, the old will lose its appeal and won't have its allure anymore," he says.
