Are intrusive thoughts sin? Are spontaneous violent, sexual, or blasphemous thoughts sin?

My feeling is that you have never yet enjoyed full deliverance from self and flesh. You are what scripture calls still "in the flesh," though a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. I believe if your soul were free you would find the simple yet profound truth of "reckoning yourself dead" (Rom. 6:2), would so act that the thought of turning aside to confess what would spring up unsought for in your soul, would be found to be really and only allowing the flesh a triumph, in leading you to be occupied with it.

When there is no will, such thoughts will be left, turned aside from, and treated as "not I." Of course when the soul is not free I could not say you could do so at all, but were freedom enjoyed you would not be the sufferer from such things. What I would simply say to you is, when evil thoughts are present to your soul, unsought for and hated, do not stop or cease from your measure of occupation with the Lord, to confess them. If will enters they must be confessed, but if not pass them by as you would avoid an evil person who is not yourself, and who you know is incorrigible, and with whom contact is only misery and defilement. "Avoid such, pass not by them," but leave them there. To own them at all, is but to give the flesh the place it seeks - a recognition in some way or another. This, even when it is only to abhor its workings, will be a satisfaction to the flesh.

Oh that you had grace to leave "the flesh" unrecognised and disowned, and to pass on conscious that it is always there and will be in you to the end. How blessed that we can by grace disown and refuse to hear its suggestions when it works, knowing through mercy that it is no more "I." Your case is one that has been and is common to most of the Lord's people, if not all. I refer to unsolicited, hated and wandering thoughts. You should simply go on and take no notice of them whatever, as by doing so you only give the flesh the place it seeks. Go on as not hearing the suggestions - be as it were deaf to them. Confess to God if you find will at work, but not so as to be occupied with the analysis of the evil: rather look up to Him, the sense of weakness and impotency filling your heart, and in the attitude of dependence of soul, pass on with your eye resting on Him, out of whom strength comes whenever there is conscious weakness.

My feeling is that you have never yet enjoyed full deliverance from self and flesh. You are what scripture calls still "in the flesh," though a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. I believe if your soul were free, you would find the simple yet profound truth of "reckoning yourself dead" (Rom. 6:11), would so act that the thought of turning aside to confess what would spring up unsought for, in your soul, would be found to be really and only allowing the flesh a triumph, in leading you to be occupied with it.

When there is no will, such thoughts will be left, turned aside from, and treated as "not I." Of course when the soul is not free I could not say you could do so at all, but were freedom enjoyed you would not be the sufferer from such things. What I would simply say to you is, when evil thoughts are present to your soul, unsought for and hated, do not stop or cease from your measure of occupation with the Lord, to confess them but, if will enters, they must be confessed, if not, pass them by as you would avoid an evil person who is not yourself, and who you know is incorrigible, and with whom contact is only misery and defilement. "Avoid such, pass not by them," but leave them there. To own them at all, is but to give the flesh the place it seeks — a recognition in some way or another. This, even when it is only to abhor its, workings, will be a satisfaction to the flesh.

How blessed that we can by grace disown and refuse to hear its suggestions when it works, knowing through mercy that it is no more "I." Your case is one that has been and is common to most of the Lord's people, if not all. I refer to unsolicited, hated and wandering thoughts. You should simply go on and take no notice of them whatever, as by so doing you only give the flesh the place it seeks. Go on as not hearing the suggestions — be as it were deaf to them.

My feeling is that you have never yet enjoyed full deliverance from self and flesh. You are what Scripture calls still "in the flesh," though a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. I believe if your soul were free you would find the simple, yet profound truth of "reckoning yourself dead" (Romans 6:2) would so act, that the thought of turning aside to confess what would spring up unsought for in your soul would be found to be really and only allowing the flesh a triumph, in leading you to be occupied with it. When there is no will, such thoughts will be left, turned aside from, and treated as "not I." Of course, when the soul is not free, I could not say you could do so at all; but were freedom enjoyed, you could not be the sufferer from such things. What I would simply say to you is, when evil thoughts are present to your soul, unsought for and hated, do not stop or cease from your measure of occupation with the Lord to confess them. If will enters, they must be confessed; but if not, pass by them as you would avoid an evil person who is not yourself, and who you know is incorrigible, and with whom contact is only misery and defilement. "Avoid such; pass not by them," but leave them there. To own them at all, is but to give the flesh the place it seeks - a recognition in some way or another. This, even when it is only to abhor its workings, will be a satisfaction to the flesh.

Oh, that you had grace to leave "the flesh" unrecognised and disowned, and to pass on, conscious that it is always there, and will be in you to the end! How blessed that we can, by grace, disown and refuse to hear its suggestions when it works, knowing, through mercy, that it is no more "I." Your case is one that has been, and is, common to most of the Lord's people, if not all. I refer to unsolicited, hated, and wandering thoughts. You should simply go on and take no notice of them whatever, as by doing so, you only give the flesh the place it seeks. Go on as not hearing the suggestions - be, as it were, deaf to them. Confess to God if you find will at work; but not so as to be occupied with the analysis of the evil; rather look up to Him, the sense of weakness and impotency filling your heart, and in the attitude of dependence of soul, pass on with your eye resting on Him, out of whom strength comes whenever there is conscious weakness. J. N. Darby.

"C. E. C." We deeply feel for you. We do not at all believe you have committed the unpardonable sin. It is quite right that your conscience should be exercised before God as to your very thoughts. You have only to give yourself to earnest prayer and waiting upon God for entire deliverance from those horrible thoughts which so afflict you. Ask Him so to fill your heart with Christ, that there may be no room for aught else. May He give you full victory, and bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. There is a very wide moral difference between a person who treats evil thoughts as intruders, and one who entertains them as guests — between one who only seeks to expel them, and one who provides them with furnished lodgings. But the most effectual safeguard against evil thoughts is to have the mind fully occupied with good. Some one has truly said, that "the secret of peace within, and power without, is to be only and always occupied with good."

The more casual and free contact between the sexes, especially with the younger generation and the negative example of most of their peers of the world, can lead to carelessness and great dangers. God-fearing Job said: "I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?" (Job 31: 1). However, there are also over-sensitive and over-anxious Christians whose consciences are heavily burdened by involuntary looks and thoughts. I would like to remind such of the well-known words of Martin Luther which he wrote on this verse: "I cannot prevent a bird flying over my head, but what I can prevent is it building a nest in my hair or biting off my nose."

First, as to our thoughts and the habitual government thereof. I suppose there are few Christians who have not suffered from evil thoughts — those troublesome intruders upon our most profound privacy, those constant disturbers of our mental repose that so frequently darken the atmosphere around us and prevent us from getting a full, clear view upward into the bright heaven above. The Psalmist could say, “I hate vain thoughts.” No wonder. They are truly hateful and should be judged, condemned and expelled. Someone, in speaking of the subject of evil thoughts, has said, “I cannot prevent birds from flying over me, but I can prevent their alighting upon me. In like manner, I cannot prevent evil thoughts being suggested to my mind, but I can refuse them a lodging therein.”

But how can we control our thoughts? No more than we could blot out our sins or create a world. What are we to do? Look to Christ. This is the true secret of self-control. He can keep us, not only from the lodging, but also from the suggestion of the evil thoughts. We could no more prevent the one than the other. He can prevent both. He can keep the vile intruders, not only from getting in, but even from knocking at the door. When the divine life is in energy — when the current of spiritual thought and feeling is deep and rapid, when the heart's affections are intensely occupied with the Person of Christ — vain thoughts do not trouble us. It is only when spiritual indolence creeps over us that evil thoughts — vile and horrible issue — come in upon us. Then our only resource is to look straight to Jesus. We might as well attempt to cope with the marshalled hosts of hell, as with a horde of evil thoughts. Our refuge is in Christ. He is made to us sanctification. We can do all things through Him. We have just to bring the name of Jesus to bear upon the flood of evil thoughts, and He will most assuredly give full and immediate deliverance.

However, the more excellent way is to be preserved from the suggestions of evil by the power of pre-occupation with good. When the channel of thought is decidedly upward, when it is deep and well formed, free from all curves and indentations, then the current of imagination and feeling, as it gushes up from the deep fountains of the soul, will naturally flow onward in the bed of that channel. This is unquestionably the more excellent way. May we prove it in our own experience. “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things which ye have both learned and received and heard and seen in me, do; and the God of peace shall be with you” (Phil. 4:8-9). When the heart is fully engrossed with Christ, the living embodiment of all those things enumerated in verse 8, we enjoy profound peace, unruffled by evil thoughts. This is true self-control.

Thoughts unbidden come into the mind that clearly are not of the Spirit of God, but of the flesh. We need not trouble about them, unless we are so foolish as to willingly give them a lodging place in our hearts. The wise man knew full well where the citadel of life is situated, when he wrote to his son, “Keep thy HEART with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life” (Prov. 4:23).

The priests washing their hands and feet signifies that they could not go about the things of God unless they were practically holy. (Ex. 30:19-21.) We shall never come into judgment, but there are defilements that every saint of God contracts. If you think an ungodly thought, though you may have resisted it, it is sin, for if you had been walking with God, the thought would not have got in. If we knew more of the character of God, and what holiness means, we should be very sensitive.

It is sometimes said that deliverance from sin is a matter of personal effort, and that evil habits can and should be overcome by one's own firm resolution and perseverance. But this advice overlooks the fact that although the wicked deed may be checked by will-power alone, the sinful desire fills the heart beforehand. And divine holiness uncovers the secret source of inward evil. In God's sight, the thought of foolishness is sin. Our Lord condemns alike the lustful look and the adulterous act (Matt. 5:28). The evil thought defiles the whole man, as well as the evil word and the evil act (Mark 7:21-23). We should habitually govern our words and our deeds, but who can govern the imagination of the heart which God beholds? If we are walking with God, we are with One Who knows our thoughts even before we recognise them ourselves. The holiness of God is very pure, infinitely above any human standard, and in order to act rightly with regard to that standard, we must attend to the words of scripture concerning the “sin which doth so easily beset us.”