Resisting Thoughts and Casting Them Out
Question:
It is good that I prevent an evil thought from entering my mind. But if the thought enters and settles, then how—how do I resist it and cast it out?
Answer:
† Occupy your mind with another thought stronger than it, which takes its place…
A superficial thought does not drive away thoughts that war against you; rather, they are driven away by other thoughts that can enter into the depth of your mind, or into the depth of your heart…
Such as thinking about an important family problem, or about a difficult question that is not easy to solve, or about a subject beloved to your heart that delights you to continue in…
† You can also cast out the thought by reading, as another method of replacement:
Provided that it is also deep reading that can occupy the mind, because superficial reading gives room for distraction, so the mind wanders at the same time in what is warring against it.
Therefore, a person may be fought by a thought of lust, and ordinary spiritual reading may not be suitable for him as much as reading about solving problems in the Holy Bible, or reading about doctrinal disputes and responses to them, or reading about a new subject he has not previously known, or about a scientific subject that requires concentration.
† The thought may also be driven away by prayers and prostrations:
For a person is ashamed of thinking wrongly at the time of addressing God, and he also receives help from prayer.
On the condition that the prayer be with warmth and emotion, and resistance to distraction. Prayer accompanied by prostrations is stronger…
† The thought may also be driven away by engaging in manual work:
Because this work also occupies the mind and distracts it from its warfare, insofar as it is work that requires attention and concentration.
† If the thought is not driven away by all this, it is better for the person to come out of his solitude and speak with another person:
Because it is difficult for him to speak on a certain subject while at the same time thinking about another subject.
Rather, any kind of recreation, whether individual or shared with others, also helps in casting out the thought.
† The important thing is that you do not leave the thought alone with you, nor be alone with it:
The process of distracting the thought, or replacing it with another thought, or occupying the mind away from it with work, or recreation, or conversation, or writing, or reading, or prayer—all of this weakens the thought, or drives it away, or makes you forget it.
† You should also know the cause of the thought and deal with it:
For example, a thought of anger or revenge may come to you because of a certain matter that needs to be resolved within your heart.
Because as long as the causes of anger remain inside you, the thoughts will inevitably return to you no matter how much you cast them out.
Likewise, if a thought of pride or vainglory comes to you for a certain reason that calls you to this, then you must fight this pride within your heart in a spiritual way. If you prevail over it, its thoughts will depart from you…
Thus you follow the method of spiritual resolution with every sin whose thoughts war against you.
† In all this, you need speed and not being lax with the thought:
If you cast out the thought quickly, it will weaken before you. But if you give it an opportunity, it will grow strong and you will grow weak in resisting it, as other thoughts may join it and its branches increase; moreover, it may move from the mind to the heart, turning into a desire or lust.
† Beware of the deception of curiosity:
A person may keep the thought, under the pretext that he wants to know what its end will be and to which path it leads, with a kind of curiosity!!
Many thoughts you know very well their end. And if you do not know, at least you can infer it from the way they begin. And what benefit is curiosity if it leads to your loss?!
† There is another method, which is responding to the thought:
Saint Mar Ogries laid down a method for responding to thoughts with verses from Scripture. For every sin that wars against a person, he places before it a verse that responds to it and silences it. And in the temptation on the mountain, the Lord responded to Satan with verses.
But there are thoughts that need quick casting out, not discussion.
For discussion may be a cause for further تثبيت of the thought, prolonging the duration of its stay, and may also cause the thought to branch out.
† Casting out thoughts requires wisdom, discernment, and help:
There are people experienced with thoughts and the way to fight them, as the Apostle Paul said, “For we are not ignorant of his devices.” And he who has no experience should ask a spiritual guide. And in general, the divine help that comes through prayer and supplication helps a person to get rid of thoughts.
The Lord is able to cast out Satan and all his evil thoughts.
An article by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III – Al-Keraza Magazine – Seventh Year (Issue Seven) – 13 February 1976.
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