“Can Satan read our thoughts?” It’s a question you’ve been asking on the blog lately and a question many Christians have asked in the past.
I can understand why the answer seems important. Admittedly, it is frightening to consider the possibility that anyone, especially an evil being bent on our destruction can have access to our inner thoughts. But it’s a tough question and tough questions rarely come with easy answers. I can’t give you a clear Bible verse as an answer. I can tell you that there aren’t any verses that say Satan knows everything and can read our thoughts. And there is nothing in the Bible that indicates that Satan is omniscient, or all knowing.
But we do know that he is crafty (Genesis 3:1), that he tempts (1 Thessalonians 3:5) and accuses us (Zechariah 3:1). And regardless of whether or not he has access to our thoughts, he surely can predict our behavior based on experience. He is likely great at predicting human behavior simply because he’s seen so much of it. I think it is safe to say that he can make educated guesses about our thinking and use that to his advantage. When I consider all of these factors in light of the question “can Satan read my thoughts,” I come to this conclusion: It really doesn’t matter. He is able to anticipate the choices I will make. He is actively seeking to do me harm (1 Peter 5:8) and he doesn’t need an all access pass to my brain in order to succeed. But there is a bigger reason why this question is moot.
Because though Satan is powerful, there is one who is far greater. “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world,” 1 John 4:4. Our God is greater than our foe. We don’t need to fear the attacks of the enemy, however they come, because of God’s power over him. Perhaps the better question is can God read our thoughts. I can give you plenty of specific scriptures to answer that question. Psalm 94:11a says, “The Lord knows the thoughts of man.” Psalm 139:2 says, “You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.” Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” My charge to you is not to live in fear of Satan but in a way that most glorifies God. That’s a strategy that even the craftiest enemy will struggle to oppose. “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” 2 Corinthians 10:5.