Cognitive Distortions: Satan’s Schemes Revealed

In Psychology cognitive distortions are patterns of negative thinking that can distort our perception of reality. These distortions often lead to feelings of anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues. 

“Cognitive distortions are biased thoughts that can distort the way a person sees themselves, their life, their specific day-to-day situations, their relationships, and other people. These thoughts can contribute to mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety.”   www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/cognitive-distortions Nov 29, 2023

Here are some examples of cognitive distortions:

• All-or-Nothing Thinking (Black-and-White Thinking):

• Viewing situations in extremes with no middle ground. For example, believing that if you’re not perfect, you’re a total failure.

• Overgeneralization:

• Making broad generalizations based on a single event or piece of evidence. For example, if something bad happens once, expecting it to happen repeatedly.

• Mental Filtering:

• Focusing exclusively on the negative aspects of a situation while ignoring the positive. For example, dwelling on a single criticism and overlooking praise.

• Disqualifying the Positive:

• Rejecting positive experiences by insisting they don’t count. For example, dismissing compliments by saying they’re just being nice.

• Jumping to Conclusions:

• Making assumptions without sufficient evidence. This includes:

• Mind Reading: Assuming you know what others are thinking (e.g., “They must think I’m stupid.”)

• Fortune Telling: Predicting negative outcomes without evidence (e.g., “I know I’ll fail this test.”)

• Magnification (Catastrophizing) or Minimization:

• Exaggerating the importance of negative events or downplaying the importance of positive events. For example, blowing a small mistake out of proportion or minimizing your achievements.

• Emotional Reasoning:

• Believing that your emotions reflect reality. For example, thinking “I feel worthless, so I must be worthless.”

• Should Statements:

• Using “should,” “must,” or “ought to” statements to pressure yourself or others. For example, “I should always be happy” or “People must treat me fairly.”

• Labeling and Mislabeling:

• Assigning labels to yourself or others based on a single event or behavior. For example, calling yourself “a loser” for failing a test or labeling someone “an idiot” for making a mistake.

• Personalization:

• Taking responsibility for events outside of your control or believing others' actions are directed at you personally. For example, thinking you’re to blame for someone else’s bad mood.

• Blaming:

• Blaming others for your problems and not taking responsibility for your own role in a situation. Conversely, blaming yourself for everything that goes wrong, even when it’s not your fault.

• Control Fallacies:

• Believing you have complete control over everything (internal control) or that you have no control over anything (external control). For example, feeling personally responsible for others' happiness or feeling completely helpless in the face of external events.

• Fallacy of Fairness:

• Believing that life should be fair and feeling resentful when things don’t work out that way. For example, thinking, “It’s not fair that I didn’t get the promotion.”

• Heaven’s Reward Fallacy:

• Expecting that self-sacrifice and hard work will automatically be rewarded, and feeling bitter when the reward doesn’t come. For example, thinking, “I’ve worked so hard; I deserve to be successful.”

The enemy of our souls, Satan, seeks to distort our thinking and undermine our understanding of our identity in Christ through various tactics that align with cognitive distortions. Here are some ways the enemy uses, and the truth found in scripture:

1. Lies and Deception:

• Genesis 3:1-5: Satan deceived Eve by distorting God’s words, making her doubt God’s goodness and intentions. He continues to plant lies in our minds about God’s character and our identity.

• John 8:44: Jesus calls Satan "a liar and the father of lies." He uses lies to make us question our worth and God’s promises.

2. Accusations and Condemnation:

• Revelation 12:10: Satan is described as "the accuser of our brothers and sisters," who accuses them before God day and night. He aims to make us feel unworthy and condemned, despite the forgiveness we have in Christ.

• Romans 8:1: "There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." The enemy distorts this truth to make us feel condemned and separated from God.

3. Fear and Doubt:

• 2 Timothy 1:7: "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." The enemy uses fear to make us doubt God’s power and love.

• James 1:6: Doubt can make us unstable in our faith, and the enemy exploits this to weaken our trust in God’s promises.

4. Discouragement and Despair:

• 1 Kings 19:4: Elijah felt so discouraged that he wanted to die. The enemy uses discouragement to make us feel like giving up on God’s plan for our lives.

• Psalm 42:11: "Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God." The enemy tries to keep us focused on our troubles rather than God’s faithfulness.

5. Distorting Self-Perception:

• Psalm 139:14: "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made." The enemy attacks our self-worth and tries to make us feel inadequate or inferior.

• Ephesians 2:10: "For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works." Satan distorts this truth to make us feel useless or purposeless.

6. Temptation and Sin:

• James 1:14-15: "Each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin." The enemy uses temptation to lead us into sin, which distorts our view of ourselves and our relationship with God.

• 1 John 1:9: Confession and forgiveness restore our fellowship with God, but Satan tries to keep us in guilt and shame.

7. Comparison and Envy:

• Galatians 6:4-5: "Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else." The enemy uses comparison to breed envy and dissatisfaction.

• 1 Corinthians 12:12-27: Paul emphasizes the unique role of each member of the body of Christ. The enemy distorts this truth to make us feel insignificant or envious of others.

8. Isolation:

• Hebrews 10:25: "Not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another." The enemy tries to isolate us from the community of believers, making us more vulnerable to his attacks.

• Ecclesiastes 4:9-12: Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. Isolation weakens us, and the enemy exploits this to attack our sense of belonging and support.

The enemy of our souls leverages these distortions to sow seeds of doubt, fear, insecurity, and isolation. By undermining our understanding of who we are in Christ, the enemy aims to hinder our effectiveness in God's kingdom and diminish our peace and joy. To combat this, it is crucial to be grounded in Scripture, allowing God's Word to continually renew our minds and affirm our identity as beloved children of God, fully equipped and empowered for His purposes.

In spiritual warfare, recognizing these tactics and countering them with the truth of God’s Word is crucial. By immersing ourselves in Scripture, prayer, and the fellowship of believers, we can fortify our minds against the enemy’s attacks and stand firm in our identity in Christ.

By recognizing these patterns, individuals can replace distorted thoughts with ones that align their thinking more closely with a biblical perspective and who they are in Christ. Practice these four disciplines.

 

1. Renewing the Mind:

• Romans 12:2: "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."

• The Bible calls believers to renew their minds, which involves recognizing and rejecting cognitive distortions and replacing them with God's truth.

2. Taking Thoughts Captive:

• 2 Corinthians 10:4-5: "The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 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."

• This passage encourages believers to take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ. Identifying and correcting cognitive distortions is part of this process of spiritual warfare, aligning our thoughts with the truth of God’s Word.

3. Guarding the Heart and Mind:

• Philippians 4:7-8: "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."

• Focusing on what is true and noble helps guard our minds against cognitive distortions. By meditating on God’s truth, we combat the enemy’s attempts to distort our thinking.

4. The Armor of God:

• Ephesians 6:10-18: This passage describes the armor of God, which includes the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, and the shield of faith. These elements are crucial for defending against the deceptive thoughts and lies that characterize cognitive distortions.

• For instance, the "helmet of salvation" protects our minds by reminding us of our identity in Christ, countering the distorted thoughts about our worth and purpose.

2 Corinthians 2:11 says…  "so that we may not be taken advantage of by Satan. For we are not ignorant of his schemes." highlights the importance of being aware of Satan's schemes so that he cannot outsmart or take advantage of us. Paul's advice to the Corinthians in this context is part of his larger discussion on forgiveness and reconciliation within the church. By understanding and forgiving, they would prevent Satan from exploiting divisions and discord among them.

This principle of awareness applies broadly to all believers in recognizing the various strategies the enemy uses, including those involving our thoughts and emotions. By understanding the ways in which Satan can distort our thinking and perceptions—such as through cognitive distortions and the undermining of our identity in Christ—we are better equipped to resist and counteract his attacks.

Scriptural teachings encourage us to guard our hearts and minds, use the armor of God, and stay connected with the body of Christ. These practices help us maintain a clear vision of truth and resist the deceptive and destructive influences of the enemy. In doing so, we affirm our faith in the truth of God’s Word and His promises, standing firm in our identity as redeemed and beloved children of God. This knowledge not only protects us but empowers us to live out our God-given purpose and calling.

In summary, cognitive distortions can be seen as manifestations of the enemy's attempt to wage spiritual warfare against believers by distorting their thinking. The Bible provides tools and instructions for combating these distortions through the renewal of the mind, taking thoughts captive, focusing on God's truth, and using the armor of God. By doing so, believers can resist the enemy's lies and align their thoughts with the reality of God's Word.

God's Thoughts

Isaiah 55:8-9 

 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways.”

This is the Lord’s declaration. 9 “For as heaven is higher than earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Psalm 33:11

The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations.

Proverbs 19:21

Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.

Isaiah 46:10

declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’

Job 23:13

But he is unchangeable, and who can turn him back? What he desires, that he does.

Daniel 4:37

Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

Psalm 92:5

How great are your works, O Lord! Your thoughts are very deep!

Think about our thoughts...

Check this out...

Second Guessing?

What's up with that? Second guessing decisions I'm trying to make, I mean when wanting to obey God's guidance. I seem to do it all the time.

Imagine. The Bible says "God told Abram to go to a land I will show you and then gave him a promise that He would make him a great nation".

Okay. I always wonder how God did that exactly. Did Abram know who God was before God told him to go to a land that He would show him? Was it a vision, was it a face-to-face conversation, was it with thundering and lightnings and earthquakes that God made his Will known to Abram?

No one knows.

But Abram obeyed! It seems he thought, that's a good idea. He packed up and left. That's all we know. Second guessing... Not so much.

Fast forward...

Abraham. The Bible tells us God told him to go and sacrifice his son, his only son with Sarah. The miracle child of their old age. On Mount Moriah, 3 days travel.

Was it a vision, was it a face-to-face conversation, was it with thundering and lightnings and earthquakes that God made his Will known to Abraham?

No one knows.

So Abraham set out. He had 3 days to think about what God had told him to do. Second guessing? I don't know. 

What do you think?

New Angle on Community

What is the foundation of community?

Your presuppositions with respect to what is community, might include, ie. a community of friends, an interest group, a small group, a life group, a home group, a Ministry group, a "circle the wagons with those of like mind" group. I hope you get my point as I ask the question...

What is the foundation of any community? I mean after all of the other issues have been dealt with. And we seek out fellowship within a designated, available and amiable group.

My Premise: All of us want to be... Recognized, Identified, and Known.

Here's a fun side note as you think about "What is the foundation of Community?". 

"Cheers" was a sitcom (late 80's early 90's) that had a Theme song

The battle for our Attention?

WIKIPEDIA: Attention is the behavioral and cognitive process of selectively concentrating on a discrete aspect of information, whether considered subjective or objective, while ignoring other perceivable information. William James (1890) wrote that "Attention is the taking possession by the mind, in clear and vivid form, of one out of what seem several simultaneously possible objects or trains of thought. Focalization, concentration, of consciousness are of its essence."^[1] Attention has also been described as the allocation of limited cognitive processing resources.^[2] 

Attention is manifested by an attentional bottleneck, in terms of the amount of data the brain can process each second

The weapon of spiritual warfare against attention is "distraction"...

Do you ever think about your thoughts? Have you ever wondered why you argue with yourself?

2 Cor. 10:3-5 MEV 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, 5 casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,

IDEA - noun.  any conception existing in the mind as a result of mental understanding, awareness, or activity.      a thought, conception, or notion:

Repentance for the Born again believer?

Re-engaging with God's perspective by aligning with His Heart and Mind.

In Prayer! In His Presence! I go to Him for the big things I think are important. They are! BUT, He speaks to me about the small steps. The little things that are weighty. Steps of obedience; essential to the transformation of my mind. And therefore, my actions.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; lean not on your own understanding. Recognize His guiding Voice in everything you are doing. And He will lead you in the way He created you to be!.

God's thoughts?

What if you only cared about what God thought of you, instead of what others thought about you?

What if you only cared about what God thought of others, instead of what you thought of others?

How would your life be different? 

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Never rely on what you think you know. 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Intimation? Inklings?

INTIMATION: the action of making something known, especially in an indirect way.

John 6:44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him...

 
INKLINGS: a slight knowledge or suspicion; a hint.

Have you ever thought "I think God is trying to tell me something"? If so, understand it is the Holy Spirit's way of drawing out those who are serious about their relationship with Him from those who aren't.

where do you put your hope?

Where you put your hope really reveals where you put your trust.

Hope reveals your thoughts for the future. What you trust in is the foundation of your hope. Are your thoughts based in the reality of your situation. I mean a clear understanding. Or are they based in wishful thinking?

If the foundation of your hope is sinking sand and not the "Solid Rock", then your hope is based on lies and delusions of who you "think" you are.

Play it by ear?

To play it by ear is to act according to the situation. Playing it by ear means you work with what you get.

The original meaning of this term was to play music without sheet music, meaning you improvised from what you heard and did your best to bring everything into harmony with a melody that everyone would appreciate.   Hmm?

Jesus said "I don't do anything except what I "see" (Present tense) my father doing.

I believe this is what it means when Paul said "All that are led by the spirit of God, they are the children of God"

Matthew 10:9 (Luke 12:12)When they bring you to trial, do not worry about what you are going to say or how you will say it; when the time comes, you will be given what you will say.

ADDICTIONS

Ad·dic·tion - noun: the fact or condition of being addicted to a particular substance, thing, or activity.

We are all addicts of something...

• Alcoholic: addicted to alcohol.
• Workaholic: addicted to work.
• Chocaholic: addicted chocolate.
• Spendaholic : addicted to spending money.
• Sportsaholic : lives to watch or play sport.
• Talkaholic : Incessant talking.
• Tweetaholic : Addicted to tweeting.

The one addiction that trumps them all is the “addiction to self-will”.

"I'm going to do what I want to do!"

It began in the garden of Eden and continues to this day. We are aware of Good and evil and seem to instinctively know when someone has trespassed against us. We don't pay heed to God's guidance and counsel and instead we "trust in our own understanding" as we respond/react to those who have done us wrong. Thus the cycle of self-will reaps ill-will in our hearts and our relationships. And we find all sorts of ways (other addictions) to ease our unhappiness for a moment!

All this happens because we listen to, and believe the lies the enemy of our Soul tells us. He speaks these lies in our thoughts and tries to convince us of "who" we are.

The enemy uses Pride or Condemnation.

1 Peter 5:8 Stay alert! Watch out for your enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

This spiritual battle manifests itself in our thought life. The enemy of your Soul can use your self-will addiction to make you believe you have it within yourself to be "happy" and encourage thoughts of self-confidence/righteousness. The enemy of your Soul would be content to leave you there. But…

This addiction to self-will manifests itself in an infinite number of ways. In our pride, most of us never come to realize the destructive consequences that self-will has in our lives. We "manage" the turmoil in our relationships by practicing "self-actualization" and make ourselves feel better by blaming others for our situation. But…

If you trust in your own understanding, sooner or later you will make mistakes. Then the enemy of your Soul changes his tactics. From thoughts of pride to thoughts of condemnation. These thoughts of pride or of condemnation, the enemy uses them with one goal in mind, your destruction.

Luke 5:31 Jesus answered them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. 32. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sick and need to change the way they think.

Stop believing lies about who you are and embrace the "Lover of your Soul" He created you and He has a better plan for your life.

Seek Him out with all your heart!

Proverbs 3:5 & 6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart don't lean on your own understanding, recognize God in all of your ways and he will direct your paths.

Read this...

https://www.gotquestions.org/seeking-God.html

"Mindfulness" the latest buzzword for self-actualization.

Usually attributed to Buddhist practice but the Bible calls every believer to be aware of and submit every thought to the Lordship of Christ

https://activechristianity.org/how-do-i-take-every-thought-captive

Remember "truth separated from God becomes deception."

2 Corinthians 10: 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,

Proverbs 23:7 For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.

https://activechristianity.org/is-it-even-possible-to-keep-my-thoughts-pure

Think about your thoughts

Do you ever think about your thoughts? Have you ever realized that you were arguing with yourself? I'm not talking about a debate on what movie you should go see. I'm talking about putting forth excuses as to why you should do something that you know you shouldn't do. Or trying to convince yourself you should not do something you know you should do. What's up with that?

Paul said it well when he explained "the things I want to do I don't do and the things I don't want to do that I do."

Realizing this is the first step in understanding the " Battle for your Mind".

The enemy is present in your thoughts. When you find yourself arguing with yourself realize you are under attack. The battlefield is your mind.

There are several verses that you need to understand.

Take every thought captive to the Lordship of Christ.  We do not wrestle against flesh and blood. Pray without ceasing.

THOSE WHO WAIT UPON THE LORD!...

Shall renew their strength!

The operative word here is "strength". It presupposes a strength already attained, that needs to be renewed, bolstered, made greater.

I am reminded of the scripture... "Be transformed by the renewal of your mind". Google it for now, It's speaks of a process of transformation by where your thinking is conformed by truth. This experiential truth, backed up by Biblical witness and refined in the Fire, has every answer to the accusations of condemnation and the perversion of truth that the "enemy" uses to lead us down the path of destruction.

Discerning my thoughts? Competing Voices!

Take every thought captive to the Lordship of Christ. WHY?

Because discerning my thoughts requires I understand that my mind is not a vault (Safe and secure from anyone else) where I bang around my thoughts and try to make sense of my life. But it is a "doorway" to the spiritual realm.

It's important to understand that I can be confused by "spiritual voices" because I think they are "my thoughts". But these voices originate in the spiritual realm from two sources. One voice, that "condemns" or "exalts",  and wants to lead me to destruction. And another voice that is the "Lover of my soul", that knows me intimately and wants to lead me in the way to "become" all that He created me to be.

OVERCOMER comes to mind. That is certainly God's "Will" for you! For all of us.

Discernment.

Discernment begins with thinking about your thoughts.

Understand that your thoughts have 3 origins*

• A Thought can originate from a man’s spirit (Self)
• A Thought can originate from God’s Spirit (Good)
• A Thought can originate from another spirit, either angel (good) or demon (Evil)

And then it continues with "taking every thought captive to the Lordship of Christ."

You consider a thought by, asking does it line up with the character of Jesus Christ and, is it in harmony with the full counsel of God's written word. But it is with the Lordship of Christ, as we ask Him what He thinks, that we have the opportunity to accept or reject the thought we are thinking.

Reading the Bible and praying without ceasing,  are essential activities for success in the spiritual war the enemy wages against us.

Deut. 11:18 “You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 

2 Cor. 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,

The battle takes place in our thoughts and we are to..

Battle of the minds.

Have you ever considered your thoughts? Do you ever think about your thoughts? Why are your thoughts like having a conversation?  Have you ever argued with yourself?

Your thoughts are an integral part of your life. They reside in the realm of your mind. Every choice and every decision you make is a result of the "thought processes" that go on within your mind. The Bible says "as a man thinks in his heart so is he."

What you believe has everything to do with what you think. What you think will be revealed in what you say and what you do. These choices and decisions have their consequence, good or bad! They become unalterable facts in the gist of your life. Will they be lessons for you today?

So what you believe affects what you think, what you think affects your decisions and choices, which creates unalterable facts about you.

This all takes place in your mind. A battleground of competing thoughts, where a conversation is carried on and sometimes even arguments happen.

How do you explain it all? VOICES?

Memory and the Holy Spirit's leading

John 14:26 (NKJV)  But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

Romans 8:14 (NKJV) For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons (children) of God.

Matthew 10:19 When they bring you to trial, do not worry about what you are going to say or how you will say it; when the time comes, you will be given what you will say.

Let this mind be in you?

The mind of Christ...

Let it be in you...

Think like He thought... Thinks!

How does He think?

He said to the Father "Not my will but yours be done."