Hello dear readers! Getting rid of obsessive thoughts is, in fact, a very important process, because they take energy, strength, time and human health. Life should be cherished and appreciated every minute, and not wasted. Therefore, today I will share with you the most effective methods that will help you get rid of heavy and unnecessary thoughts.

What it is?

Psychologists are inclined to believe that this is a neurotic disorder, most often arising on the basis of traumatic events. And it is not necessary to witness murders or unexpectedly lose loved ones. For some, the death of a pet may be decisive, as it will cause deep feelings with which the psyche, for some reason, this moment was unable to cope. But do not be afraid that now you are supposed to receive medical and inpatient treatment.

Exist various techniques, thanks to which a person has the opportunity to independently cope with this complexity. In extreme cases, you can enlist the support of loved ones, people who are significant to you or contact a psychotherapist. The only thing is to be willing to make an effort to heal and deliver.

Judge for yourself, obsession does not last a day or two, and if you decide to fight it, it means that a long time has passed during which you decided to look for help. BUT modern world too overloaded with information and events that can distract at any moment. And for one performance of the task you will not be cured, systematicity is needed here, at least in order not to fall into this exhausting state again in the future.

Top 10 technician

1. Refusal to fight

The very first rule in the fight against negative thoughts It's not about fighting them. Paradoxical, but true. They already take away energy, and if you consciously pay attention to them, exaggerating and immersing yourself in complex experiences, not finding any resource and way out in them, you will simply deplete your body. Do you know the expression: "To not think of a white cat, think of a purple dog"? It exists in different variations, but the meaning is the same.

Imagine that there is a “delete” button in your head, press it and switch your attention to more pressing matters and pleasant experiences. For example, remember the most pleasant event from childhood, what most of all causes a smile on your face, serenity and touching? You will not even notice how the anxiety will recede, giving space to other feelings.

2.Creativity

A great way to deal with your feelings. Take a sheet and write about what torments you and does not give you peace. If you want, draw, and your artistic abilities do not play a role at all, so you should not try to arrange it beautifully and correctly. You can simply mold from improvised materials, ordinary paper, plasticine, clay is perfect. After expressing the painful ideas in a convenient way, listen to yourself, did you write or draw exactly what you wanted? If so, now is the time to get rid of this obsession. Do not regret, but tear it into small pieces, throw it in the trash, or burn your creation.

3.Conversion

Changing tormenting fantasies and feelings into resources and new opportunities, a zone of proximal development. Yes, it can cause indignation, but think for yourself, if something bothers you for a long time, it means that your subconscious mind is trying to “break through” into your consciousness, and in such a not very pleasant and desirable way gives you a signal. What comes up most often in your head? Alarm about not turning off the iron or gas? Then start developing attention and memory. Then you will know exactly what you turned on or off, and what else you did.

Believe me, this skill will be very useful to you, both at work and in everyday life, relationships. And this article will help you.

4. Patterns

Try to pay attention to exactly at what moments disturbing thoughts begin to bother you, maybe there is some kind of pattern? For example, before going to bed, or an exciting event? Often our subconscious mind is looking for ways to get out of unwanted work, meetings and other things. Yes, at least from admitting to oneself that something is tired, that there is no desire to stay close to an already unloved person, to study in the specialty chosen by the parents and do something out of habit.

5.Distraction

We noticed that watching the fire, looking at the water, we think about what happy life and how good is it at the moment? As if everything is suspended around, and it seems that there is only you and the elements? Do you know why this happens? Because the brain, switching attention to all sorts of dynamic processes, considers that the rest is not so significant, so all sorts of sticky and tormenting emotions go away, and that is why you feel relaxed, energized and inspired.

The more often the brain is occupied, the less the likelihood of neurosis.

Therefore, I propose to adopt one technique, as soon as you begin to feel that bad thoughts are appearing in your head, proceed with the implementation:

• You need to sit comfortably, close your eyes and count each inhalation and exhalation. That is: "Inhale-one, exhale-two." When you count to 10, it counts as one cycle. It is necessary to do at least three, if you notice that it is not enough, you can continue. It is only important to breathe slowly, fully concentrating on the count, the movements of your chest and feelings.
• Then, when you feel that you have relaxed enough, getting rid of the tension in every part of your body, imagine an image that is exhausting, and give free rein to your imagination, destroying it by any invented means.

I also recommend reading an article about. There is a whole program of different methods for relaxation described, you can use any you like, adding a second part where you need to deal with a sticky obsession.

6. Physical activity

If you are mainly tormented by dissatisfaction with yourself, not ideality and echoes of low self-esteem, for example, that you do not look the way you would like, did not achieve what you wanted because of your character, and the like, then physical activity will help you. In principle, it helps in any cases when it is simply necessary to switch and give the brain a chance to rest.

Tired, exhausted - you simply won’t be able to torture yourself further, plus a clean apartment, a well-kept garden or a noticeably thinner and toned body will be a nice bonus.

As an option - enroll in courses, making your dream come true. For example, learn how to sew elegant dresses or climb rocks, skate beautifully or dance tango. When you begin to turn your desires into reality, which you usually didn’t care about, you will feel happy, and then the level of control of thoughts and, in general, claims to yourself will decrease.

7. Affirmations

To get rid of the so-called neurosis on your own, the method of positive affirmations will help you. To do this, first try to unravel the meaning of the ideas that prevent you from living, constantly spinning in your head, and then transform them into positive statements that you will begin to consciously repeat to yourself several times a day. Well, if we return to the example with the iron not turned off, it can be reformulated as follows: “I am attentive and notice all the details and nuances that surround me.”

You will find detailed instructions on how to compose and use them. Also, get rid of negative wording, and generally from using the “not” particle in your sentences. And for the success of this action, come up with a punishment, for example, 5 push-ups for each negative wording. You can make a bet with loved ones in order to increase motivation.

Any ways positive thinking will bring changes to your life, learn to notice the beautiful and pleasant in it, and then your consciousness will be rebuilt, ceasing to torment you with obsessive ideas.

8. Analysis of the reasons

If you want to “look deeper” in order not only to get rid of the consequences, but to find out the root cause of your condition, I suggest trying a paradoxical technique, which consists in a thorough and detailed analysis of each thought. Take a sheet and arrange the so-called brainstorming, that is, write down absolutely everything that is swarming in your head at the moment. It's not worth giving an assessment, just write until you feel that, so to speak, "zeroed out" and dried up a little, and you can stop there.

Reread what you have written, what feelings do you have about the text? Find scary phrases, and “play” with them, writing down at least 5 points for each, answering the question: “What if?”. Such exercises help to rationally approach the subject of tension and anxiety, since it often happens that emotions are so “overwhelming”, and a person is not able to realize that he is sometimes worried about something that does not really coincide with reality, and if you look more closely, then you can see it.

9. Bringing to the point of absurdity

Laughter is the best therapy and an opportunity to relieve accumulated energy, cope with anxiety, so why not resort to it? Here, for example, you constantly scroll through the situation in your head that the girl will not like you on the first date. Now imagine how much she grimaces at the sight of you and tries to run away, but falls, this scares her even more, and so on. Continue until you feel that this situation is really fun for you.

This technique can be hard for serious people who have forgotten what it is to play and have fun. But if you overcome your resistance, believe me, the result will not be long in coming. I do not call you to frivolity and irresponsibility, it's just sometimes important to add lightness to your being, and even more so, humor.

10. Save for later

Remember Scarlett O'Hara's immortal phrase: "I won't think about it now, I'll think about it tomorrow"? It's from the movie Gone with the Wind. So, this really works. We do not reject any idea, we simply postpone its consideration until later. And then it ceases to be intrusive, because the mind is calm, you will definitely return to it, only later. And then, perhaps, the level of tension will begin to fall, other pressing matters will appear that require your attention. But in this method, it is important to be honest with yourself, otherwise you will cease to trust yourself, so be sure to take time later to realize exactly those fantasies that poison your life.

1. Prayer is suitable for believers, because even scientists have found that when a person prays, sound vibrations make the space harmonious, calm. And if you feel peace and quiet joy, then it will the best treatment not only for the soul, but also for the body.
2. If you have very different views on religion, you can try meditation. You may have noticed from previous articles how often I recommend using it, and for good reason, because these methods really work, both on a physical level and on a mental one. You can read more.
3. Start the fight with bad habits, especially those that destroy health and kill time. With their help, you will not get rid of obsession, but, on the contrary, increase it, up to the onset of prolonged depression, affective disorders, insomnia and panic attacks.

Conclusion

By changing the way you think, you will attract other changes into your life. So why not make it high quality and rich? Time passes, and it is impossible to return it, and neuroses only accelerate this process. So take care and appreciate every minute, take care of your health and everything will be fine with you! Subscribe to updates and join groups in social networks, the buttons are at the top right. And that’s all for today, dear readers! See you soon.

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It turns out that there are a number of methods that will help block the appearance of bad thoughts or deal with them if they have already come. Most of these methods are offered by the American psychologist Danielle Wegner, who has devoted decades of her life to the problem.

1. Switch

Don't try not to think of a white monkey - think of a black one. And better - about the purple flamingo. Try to switch your mind to some other subject that you also like to think about very much, but which at the same time has positive connotations.

Get yourself a few “continued” thoughts that raise more and more questions and the need for answers to them - which means they draw you into a completely different stream of thoughts. Is it true that Brad Pitt has silicone muscles? I read about it somewhere. But if so, how does he use them? After all, silicone is not able to contract like real muscles - or is there some way to make it do it?

The more you shake up your emotions, the weaker the brain is before the "alien invasion" of uninvited thoughts.

And there is also a conspiracy theory, according to which our Earth is really flat, and only a group of evil scientists have been convincing us for several centuries that it is spherical. Wait, what about satellite images and records from space? And they are falsified by the same scientists. But what about the poles? There is only one pole - the North one, it is in the center of the Earth, which is flat like a disk, and along the edges of the disk there are glaciers, which scientists pass off as Antarctica.

2. Avoid stress

Some people believe that a strong impression will help them cope with intrusive thoughts - for example, a scandal with neighbors or a naked run through a winter city at night. However, studies show that the more you shake up your emotions, the weaker the brain is before the "alien invasion" of uninvited thoughts. On the contrary, try to calm down and rest - the more strength you have and the better your brain is, the more chances you have to repel an attack.

3. Set aside bad thoughts

Agree with an obsessive thought - you will definitely pay attention to it, but only later. Include in your daily schedule "half an hour for painful thoughts" - but not before bedtime, but, for example, at the height of the working day. Thinking about what is bothering you during your lunch break will quickly take your mind off your problems and plunge back into work.

Sooner or later, the subconscious mind will get used to the fact that obsessive thoughts have their own time with strictly defined limits, and will stop pestering you at other times. Now you can think about how to exterminate annoying thoughts at this time.

4. Focus on the obsession

Once upon a time, a patient came to the great physician Abu Ali ibn Sina, who complained that his eyelid was twitching. Ibn Sina prescribed him an extremely dubious remedy: every hour to begin to blink on purpose with an obstinate eyelid. The patient grinned - but promised to strictly comply with the prescribed.

Meditation is a great way to organize your mind by bringing your thoughts under control.

A few days later he came to thank the doctor. Like the remedy prescribed by Ibn Sina, this method works on the principle of "by the contrary": when an obsessive thought comes to you, try to force yourself to think it over from all sides, turn it this way and that, make yourself afraid that it will slip away from you - and you will soon feel that her grip is weakening and she herself would be glad to escape from you.

5. Recognize the inevitability of a bad thought

Another way, somewhat similar to the previous one, is to replace the fear of the appearance of an indestructible thought with complete indifference to it. Learn to think of it as something external: for example, if it is the thought that a loved one left you, get used to the idea that this thought has nothing to do with him (or her), but exists on its own: here now I will go to bed, and my number one Thought will come to me again.

Accustom yourself to the fact that this thought does not develop and does not tell you anything new - it just comes and goes, as twelve o'clock at night or winter come and go. And very soon you will feel that she is really leaving.

6. Meditate

Meditation is a great way to organize your mind by bringing your thoughts under control. Practice it daily, trying to achieve a state of complete thoughtlessness. It is not easy, but if you learn how to do it, you will be able to induce this state at will, including it at the time of the day when you are most prone to bad thoughts, or in the situation when you become most defenseless against them.

Obsessive thoughts are especially fond of people who have neither a major lifelong goal nor an interesting hobby.

If a bad thought is not positively reinforced in the form of your willingness to devote your brain resources to it, it begins to wane - and soon fades away.

7. Think about your goals

How is a bad thought different from gas? Gas, as we know from a physics textbook, occupies the entire volume provided, and a bad thought is not yet provided ... It teaches us to concentrate on it, forgetting that there is so much good in the world that it is much more pleasant to think about.

Obsessive thoughts are especially fond of people who have neither a major lifelong goal nor an interesting hobby. Take yourself out of the state of sad thoughts, thinking about the path to success, about what will bring you satisfaction. If you make an effort, you will gradually be able to accustom yourself to positive dreams.

Intrusive thoughts are very well known to everyone. Adults and children, the educated and the illiterate, the rich and the poor, believers and non-believers, are all subject to attack of intrusive thoughts to one degree or another. These thoughts can have different expressions:

• The thought came to you that you forgot to close the garage or the door. If you are not far away, then you will return to check, but if you do not have the opportunity, then until you return home, these thoughts will not leave you alone.

• You are afraid of illness. When something hurts you, it seems to you that you are suffering from a terrible disease. In this case, if possible, you constantly check your health. You become the most frequent visitors to your family doctor.

• The thought came to you that you might lose consciousness. This thought attacks so much that your blood pressure rises and it becomes difficult to breathe, which leads to more panic.

• You are afraid of pollution. You feel like your hands are constantly dirty.

• You are afraid of attack by germs, and therefore often wash your hands and other things that you often come into contact with.

• You are attacked by the thought that happiness is not for you, and you will never have it.

• You are afraid that someone might hurt you physically. You have to constantly check the door, you constantly suspect people, it is very difficult for you to stay at home alone, etc.

Obsessive thoughts can attack you not only in the physical, but also in the spiritual life.

• After a person is confronted with the doctrine of God's sovereign election, he is attacked by the thought that suddenly he is not elected. As a person does not try to drive it away, it attacks his mind more and more strongly, which leads to the loss of Christian joy. He tries in every possible way to refute this teaching, but this does not solve his problem.

• After a person was confronted with Christ's warning about the danger of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, obsessive blasphemous thoughts began to attack him. They so strongly attack his consciousness that sometimes it seems that they fly off his tongue. As a person does not try to get rid of them, they attack him stronger and stronger, plunging him into despondency and fear.

I think many of you have experienced or are experiencing something similar. At first glance, it seems that this is a very simple and insignificant problem, but it is not. Intrusive thoughts permeate our consciousness. They don't let us go for a second. We want to forget, to be distracted, but we are powerless. They make us suffer, there is a feeling of anxiety and sometimes plunges into a deep depression.

Many psychologists try to define this and offer a method of treatment, but all their efforts do not bring the intended result. Some doctors prescribe medications to help a person cope with intrusive thoughts. Drugs can in some cases relieve acute tension, calm, create the effect of temporary relief, but they do not solve the problem. Others argue that intrusive thoughts can be overcome with willpower. They claim that a person can make sure that these thoughts do not come to them. But the fact is that the power of obsessive thoughts is that they can appear in our minds without our will. Still others suggest, just don't think about it, but think about something good. To some extent, they are right, but the fact is that they themselves have not wanted to think about it for a long time. The power of obsessive thoughts is that the more we try to get rid of them, the more they attack our consciousness. These thoughts try to take power over us. The question arises, how to find freedom from obsessive thoughts?

In 2 Corinthians 10, Paul gives some very valuable principles that will help you gain freedom from obsessive thoughts.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

Freedom from intrusive thoughts begins with understanding the nature of those thoughts. We need to determine where they come from and why they are constantly viciously attacking us at certain times.

I. The nature of intrusive thoughts

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 The weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but are powerful in God to destroy strongholds: [with them] we cast down thoughts 5 and every high thing that rises up against the knowledge of God

In this text, the Apostle Paul describes the reality of spiritual warfare in the Christian life. This war is connected not as with the devil and demons, but as with the thinking of man. In the life of every person there is a constant war in the field of thinking. That's why Paul talks about the fact that we live in the flesh, we fight. This war has not bypassed a single person yet, and it is aimed at destruction” strongholds". Greek word translated as " stronghold” means “fortress” or “fortified place”. This metaphor suggests that powerful spiritual fortresses appear in a person’s thinking, which are strengthened by the forces of hell. These fortresses can be: thoughts, ideas, views, philosophies, false teachings - rebelling against the pleasure in the knowledge of God. Obsessive thoughts also belong to these fortresses.

These fortresses do not appear immediately. As you know, any fortress is built gradually, stone by stone. The more time is spent building a fortress, the more powerful it becomes, and the more powerful the fortress, the more difficult it is to defeat it. The nature of obsessive thoughts is that if we do not react to them immediately, then they have the power to build the strongest fortresses.

Also in this text, the Apostle Paul reveals the nature of these fortresses. Greek word translated as " plans” means “reasoning”, “reflection” or “thought”. This word speaks of the human mind. Greek word translated as " exaltation” means “elevation”, which means a high tower that serves as a fortification. Verb " rebellious” means “raise” or “raise”. This metaphor comes from the word for the elevation of a tower. Those. here Paul speaks of the exaltation of strength in the mind of man. The middle voice of the verb “ rebellious” says that this tower is being built without the influence of man himself. We may not notice how obsessive thoughts build strong fortresses in our minds. Everything starts simple. The first stone is laid, and if a person does not destroy it, he begins to build a fortress in our minds. And the longer a person is inactive, the stronger the fortress becomes, and sometimes it seems to a person that he becomes completely powerless against these thoughts.

If we imagine the process of building a fortress with obsessive thoughts schematically, then it will look something like this:

Basically, all obsessive thoughts are connected with objective reality. For example: an open garage, physical pain, sleep, a strange feeling, the presence of germs, or even a Biblical truth. Objective reality itself does not always say something. It can be interpreted in different ways. For example: abdominal pain does not necessarily mean the dreaded disease of cancer, it can be due to acidity.

Every day we are confronted with various kinds of objective reality, but the problem is that one day a thought came to a certain circumstance. For example: you are reading the Bible, and your eyes fall on the text: "Whoever blasphemes the Holy Spirit, he will not have forgiveness." You have a question, what if I once blasphemed the Holy Spirit in my thoughts? While you are remembering, a blasphemous thought suddenly appears in your mind. You are trying to get rid of it, but it is useless. Or another example: you heard that in a nearby church a man had died of stomach cancer. At one moment you feel pain in your stomach, and suddenly the thought comes that this pain is also associated with this terrible disease.

Where do these intrusive thoughts come from? Where does a person who wants to live a godly life get ungodly thoughts? Psychologists cannot answer this question because of the rejection of the spiritual world.

Spurgeon answers this question in this way: “There are thoughts in our mind that were not born in it, but were, like some kind of curiosity, brought from heaven by the spirit. Angels whisper to us, and demons do the same. This is not a fantasy! Both good and evil spirits talk to people, and some of us have experienced this. Sometimes we are visited by strange thoughts - not the fruit of the activity of our soul, but traces of angelic visits; at other times, we are overwhelmed by temptations and evil thoughts that have not matured in our head, but by visitors from hell thrown into it.

The main problem of obsessive thoughts is not connected with the circumstance and not with the thought that visited our mind, but with our interpretation of it. This objective reality can be interpreted in different ways. For example: you read a text and a blasphemous thought came to you. You can interpret that this is a temptation from the devil, or you can interpret that you have blasphemed the Holy Spirit. Or you have a headache, you can interpret it as an increase in pressure or as the presence of a terrible disease, brain cancer.

It is the interpretation that determines your reaction. We always react based on our interpretation of reality. For example: you have a blasphemous thought. If you interpret it as a temptation from the devil, then you will ignore it. If you interpret it as blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, then you will begin to condemn yourself. You will try to get rid of it, but it will be useless. Constantly condemning yourself and trying to shield the mind from attack will lead to discouragement, and for some, depression. The same thing happens with the interpretation headache. You can interpret it as tired and go to rest, or as having a terrible illness and fearfully running to the doctors.

There is one more block in our scheme, which is called a skill. When this happens all the time, you develop the skill of interpreting and reacting. It is in this block that the pebbles are laid, from which the fortress is built. For example: a blasphemous thought attacked you more than once, and in each case you condemned yourself. In this case, you have developed the habit that every time you encounter objective reality, in this case with this text, whether reading the Bible, or in memory, or in a sermon, you will be attacked by obsessive thoughts that condemn you. . It becomes a habit in your mind.

That is why we must constantly fight in our minds, not allowing obsessive thoughts to build fortresses. We must destroy these fortresses when the first stones are still being laid.

One might ask why it is very important not to allow intrusive thoughts to build fortresses? Why do we have to constantly fight in our thinking? The fact is that obsessive thoughts have their consequences.

II. The problem of intrusive thoughts

Firstly, obsessive thoughts do not define, but distort reality. They make you look at external factors not through the prism of God's Omnipotence, but through the prism of these thoughts. These thoughts force us to focus on the "imaginary" reality. For example: a person begins to think that he has blasphemed the Holy Spirit, or a person begins to condemn himself for what he is not guilty of. The problem is that a person begins to define his relationship with God not through the prism of God's truth, but through the prism of obsessive thoughts. Sometimes, he condemns himself for what is not sin, but justifies in himself what is sin.

Secondly, obsessive thoughts control a person. When a person incorrectly defines reality, he begins to act on the basis of a lie. A person is afraid when there is no need to be afraid. He is constantly in fear of the attacks of these thoughts. He cannot calmly relax with his family in the park, he is constantly tormented by the thought that all of a sudden the garage is not closed. He cannot easily read the Bible. He is afraid of the attack of obsessive thoughts. He constantly tries to refute them, constantly proving something in his mind. This person becomes a slave to obsessive thoughts. The more he tries to get rid of them, the more they become. And then there is a sense of their violence.

Thirdly obsessive thoughts lead to depression. Very often, an obsessive state is accompanied by depressive emotions. It is difficult for a person to do something. He constantly lives in fear. He is afraid to be alone somewhere. He is discouraged by the unholy thoughts swirling in his head.

Fourth, all this leads to an obstacle to enjoyment in the knowledge of God. The fact is that in this state a person concentrates more on himself than on God. He is more trying to take control of the whole situation than to learn to live by trusting God and His Word. He can and wants to enjoy God, but this strong fortress does not give him this. This is the central reason for the need for enmity with obsessive thoughts. Paul says these fortresses are built against the enjoyment of knowing God.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 The weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty in God for the destruction of strongholds; rebelling against the knowledge of God and we bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.”

So, we come to the important question, how to practically deal with obsessive thoughts? In our study text, there are some very important lessons.

III. Fighting intrusive thoughts

A. Recognize the reality of the spiritual battle

2 Corinthians 10:3"For we walking in the flesh, not according to the flesh we fight”

The battle for our thinking is constantly going on. There are so many enemies around us who are trying to build fortresses in our minds. Remember that if you are being attacked by obsessive thoughts, there is nothing strange. This is a spiritual reality. Stop being afraid of attacks of obsessive thoughts. Remember, they do not define your reality. What you are experiencing, many Christians have experienced and are experiencing.

Charles Spurgeon felt very strongly about these attacks: “Once, when I was in distress because of the attacks of the tempter, I went to see my old grandfather. I told him about my terrible experiences, and then concluded by saying: “Grandpa, I am sure that I cannot be a child of God, because if I were, I could not have such impure thoughts.” "Charles, that's nonsense," replied the kind old man. “You experience such temptations precisely because you are a Christian. These blasphemous thoughts are not yours, they are the thoughts of the devil, which he tries to put into the head of a Christian in order to sow in him a sense of guilt. Do not appropriate them for yourself, do not give them a place either in the house or in the heart.”

The Apostle Peter, comforting us, says that many Christians have experienced and are experiencing the attacks of the devil.

1 Peter 5:8,9 8 Be sober, watch, for your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him with firm faith, knowing that the same afflictions happen to your brethren in the world.”

So, recognizing the reality of the spiritual battle, we need to stop being afraid of intrusive thoughts. They do not define any reality of life, but are intended to deprive us of the enjoyment of knowing God.

B. Recognize the failure of human methods

2 Corinthians 10:3,4 3 For we, walking in the flesh, we do not fight according to the flesh. 4 Weapons of our war not carnal but mighty by God to destroy strongholds…”

Very often people try to fight these fortresses by simply bypassing them. Some begin to struggle with objective reality, trying to protect themselves from it. The problem is that most of the facts are completely beyond your control. You cannot cross out the texts of Holy Scripture about blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, you can very little influence the physiological processes in your body, you cannot protect yourself from bad information, etc.

Unable to change reality, some people resort to another method - they try to do everything possible so that these thoughts do not bother them. The problem is that you cannot prevent thoughts from visiting you. This is the reality of the spiritual life that every person faces. Moreover, the more you try to get rid of them, the stronger and more often they will attack you.

Not being able to forbid thoughts, people begin to influence their reaction. Man tries to get rid of fear. He tries to think about something else, but the problem is that this fortress is still standing the way it was. A person can somehow find relief, but it will be temporary. That is why the Apostle Paul says: the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh”.

C. Learn to Think According to God's Truth

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but strong by God for the destruction of strongholds: [by them] we cast down thoughts 5 and every lofty thing that rises up against the knowledge of God and we bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.”

The problem of intrusive thoughts is not related to circumstances or thoughts, but to our interpretation. Our goal is to destroy the fortresses of obsessive thoughts and prevent them from building new ones. The only weapon for this is the weapon of God's truth. It is with this weapon that we overthrow or destroy all thoughts that build fortresses against the enjoyment in the knowledge of God. There is only one the right remedy to combat intrusive thoughts is to learn to think in accordance with God's truth. If obsessive thoughts don't define reality, we need something that can.

First of all, our ability to correctly assess reality depends largely on our overall worldview, how we think about ourselves and how we think about God. We need to constantly remember that we are not primarily a Christian with intrusive thoughts, but a Christian struggling with these thoughts. We are first and foremost a Christian. We need to constantly interpret reality correctly, based on God's truth. A few examples:

• If you are discouraged by the fact that you are visited by blasphemous thoughts, then this is due to the fact that you are not correctly interpreting reality. The fact is that the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is in no way connected with blasphemous thoughts. Moreover, it is impossible for a Christian to blaspheme the Holy Spirit. These thoughts are lies attacking you.

• If in certain circumstances, due to obsessive thoughts, you are overcome by fear, then this fear is associated with a misinterpretation of reality. The true reality is that if you are a child of God, even if you go through the valley of the shadow of death, God will be with you (Psalm 22).

• If it seems to you that despite your desire for God, He will not accept you because you are not the chosen one, then this is a false reality. The true reality is that Christ said: “He who comes to me I will not cast out” (John 6:37).

We need to destroy every thought that hinders our enjoyment in the knowledge of Christ. Freedom from obsessive thoughts is directly related to how you think about God and about yourself. John Bunyan wrote about this in his book The Pilgrim's Progress. This happened to the Pilgrim in the “valley of the shadow of death”: “When he was passing by the terrible entrance to hell, the wicked crept up to him and began to whisper the most terrible blasphemy in his ear. It seemed to the Christian that they were coming from his own lips. This caused him a feeling of deep sorrow and sadness. He reproached himself that he could blaspheme the One whom he had loved so recently. “And if I could restrain myself, then obviously I wouldn’t sin like that,” he thought. But he didn't think to plug his ears. Then he would immediately understand where these terrible blasphemy comes from. Completely depressed and unable to utter a single word, he suddenly heard a human voice in the darkness: “If I go through the valley of the shadow of death, I will not fear evil, because You are with me” “These words” Lord is with me”, inspired Pilgrim and he realized he had nothing to fear.

D. Learn to obey Christ

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 We take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ”

We need not only to make a correct interpretation on the basis of the truth, but also to act on it, capturing every thought into obedience to Christ. Moreover, the Apostle Paul notes, not just any thought, but every thought that tries to build a fortress against enjoyment in the knowledge of God.

How might this look in our case with obsessive thoughts? Our response should reflect trust in divine truth. We don't need to prove anything, we don't need to justify ourselves to God in prayer, we don't need to try to get rid of them. If we know that on the basis of Biblical truth, these thoughts do not define the true reality, but try to distract us from the enjoyment of knowing God, then we just need to learn to ignore them.

Remember, the purpose of obsessive thoughts is not to make you vicious, but to deprive you of the enjoyment of knowing God. If you set a goal to get rid of them, you will experience frustration, because the more you get rid of them, the more they will attack you. If you make it your goal to subordinate your thinking to the obedience of Christ, you will learn to ignore them on the basis of your trust in God.

E. Discipline yourself

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God to destroy strongholds: [with them] we cast down thoughts 5 and every high thing that rises up against the knowledge of God, and captivate every thought in obedience to Christ”

The present tense of the verb captivate” indicates a constant struggle. Do this consistently so that the right response becomes an experience of your life. Discipline yourself so that with each attack of intrusive thoughts, you will feel not fear, but pleasure in knowing God and having a special relationship with Him.

Intrusive thoughts on the one hand can lead you to despondency, on the other hand they can contribute to a deeper enjoyment in God through trust in Him. It all depends on your relationship with them.

Charles Spurgeon, 12 sermons on the Holy Spirit, "Blagovest", Brest, 2004, p.31

Charles Spurgeon, My Conversion, p.62

John Bunyan, "The Pilgrim's Progress", publisher Kostykov, Moscow, 2005, p.70