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Key Bible Verse: He faced all of the same temptations we do, yet he did not sin (Hebrews 4:15). Bonus Reading: Romans 8:1-17a

Any dark thought, such as envy, that crossed Josh's mind overwhelmed him with feelings of guilt. Each time, he confessed what he took to be sin. But when these flash thoughts returned, he became preoccupied with them, deepening his sense of guilt.

As Josh and I talked about his walk with the Lord, I sensed his commitment to resisting sin, including envy. So I stressed that a flash thought can suddenly pop into anyone's mind. Such random thoughts, I explained, aren't in themselves sinful. And sometimes Satan has orchestrated the temptation. Jesus was repeatedly struck with Satan's temptations, many of them no doubt extremely foul. Yet they never spelled sin or guilt.

All Satan needed to do was to tempt Josh for him to feel blame and spiral downward. But it's what Josh did with those uninvited thoughts that counted. Did he relish them, continue to entertain them, or act on them? If not, Josh learned, he'd been feeling a false guilt God didn't want him saddled with. All he needed to do was say "Stop" to such thoughts, then "mental switch," focusing on a God-honoring thought. One effective alternative focus, causing unwelcome thoughts to fade, is to read and center on a key Scripture, like today's Bonus Reading.

—James Hilt in Wisconsin

My Response: How can I shake off the bogus guilt Satan wants to pin on me?

Thought to Apply: FEAR = False Evidence Appearing Real—SOURCE UNKNOWN

Copyright © 2006 by the author or Christianity Today International/Men of Integrity magazine. Click here for reprint information on Men of Integrity.

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Prayer for the Week

Give me the resolve, Lord, to block Satan's accusations by citing my justification through Christ, and his deceptions and enticements by focusing on You.

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