Can Satan Hear Our Thoughts?
August 3rd, 2007
(By John MacArthur)
The following is adapted from a Grace Church Q&A session.
Can Satan hear what we say and know our thoughts? Should we avoid praying out loud because Satan might hear us?
There is nothing in the Bible to indicate that Satan is omniscient. There are no verses that say he knows everything or that he can read our thoughts. But he is very adept at predicting human behavior because he’s seen it operate for so long. He can anticipate what you might do in a given situation without knowing your thoughts because of his knowledge of humankind and because he has a supernatural mind.
But in terms of being omniscient and being able to read your thoughts (as God can), the Bible does not support that idea at all. It never tells us that angels are omniscient. And if a holy angel isn’t omniscient, neither is a fallen one. So, Satan can’t read our thoughts, even if he’s great at predicting human behavior because he’s seen so much of it.
I was speaking at a conference in Iowa about this problem. People were asking questions like “How do you deal with demons?” and “Do we need exorcism to get rid of demons?” Well, there are a lot of people today who say you do. I once read a book about deliverance in which the author described a doctor who was supposedly delivered from the demon of post-nasal drip. And in this approach, whenever you think you have a demon, there’s a certain magical formula you say or you run around or “plead the blood”—whatever that phrase means, since it’s not from the Scripture. The blood has already been pled in your behalf at the time of your salvation and that takes care of it.
There are people who advocate little formulas and séance-type practices with a Christian connotation, claiming that they can cast out demons and so forth. But when you get into the Bible, you find that dealing with the devil is really as simple as going to Ephesians 6 and putting on the armor of God. You see, in Ephesians 6, it says, “We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers,” right? We’re wrestling against demons and against Satan.
But what do we do about it? The best place to find out is to read right in that same chapter, isn’t it? Notice that it does not say, “Go get your demons exorcised with a Christian exorcism.” Nor does it say, “Go get somebody to cast your demon out.” It says, “Put on the whole armor of God,” and what that whole armor really consists of is righteousness. The heart of it is “the breastplate of righteousness.” The key then is to live a righteous, Spirit-filled life and to trust in the sovereign power of God.
So, there is nothing in the Bible that says Satan can read our thoughts. Certainly demons can hear what we say. They can understand what we say. And as I said before, they are very good at predicting the common responses of man because they’ve been at it for such a long time.
But don’t worry about that! A lady once said to me, “We whisper,” because she was afraid of demons hearing her prayers. My response was, “Well, that’s foolish!” You can go boldly before the throne of grace. In the Old Testament, it doesn’t say, “And David whispered to the Lord;” it says, “And David said unto the Lord”—and out it came. You never hear any time in the apostle Paul’s instruction to us about prayer when he says, “Don’t talk out loud.” When he wanted to pray, he just flat out prayed and it didn’t bother him whether Satan heard it because he was living in such a way that Satan couldn’t do anything about it anyway. That’s the issue.
Christians should be careful of ascribing attributes of deity to Satan. We tend to view Satan as God’s equal adversary rather than as part of the created order. Satan has his limitations and is not able to do anything beyond that which our sovereign Lord permits (Job 1). Let us take a cautious comfort in this, for God still does use him to draw us closer to himself.
I replied to this question on another blog by stating that angels and demons are created beings and are therefore neither omnipresent nor are they able to hear our thoughts. Paul wrote to the Corinthians “For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God” (I Cor.2:11).
Coming from a Pentecostal background I get this question a lot, and my response to them before I explain the Scriptures is, “Does it really matter?”
Depending on how they answer that question clues me in on how fruitful my discussion with them will be.
Thanks for another great post dealing with so many “real life” traps the church has fallen into. I hear this one rather frequently, and some of the most popular are the “demon of lust” the “demon of alcohol” and so on.
I think these started out in the old Warner Brothers Bugs Bunny cartoons!
My wife and I were actually discussing this topic earlier this week. It is timely that I have come across this thread. We are struggling with a job situation at this point in our lives, and she had been discussing it with her mother. My wife began to speak openly and honestly about some insecurities. I found it strange that her mother quickly told her to be quiet, because Satan could hear her.
I recognized that there is some truth to this in theory, he can’t hear our thoughts, but he can hear our speech. My response was pointed to the fact (as you’ve stated) that Satan is no dummy. He has been dealing with mankind for many years enough to anticipate how we are likely to respond to circumstances. This could be an interesting discussion.
(As a side note, when I refer to Satan, I do not necessarily mean him directly, for he is not omnipresent either. I refer more specifically to the hosts of demons that we “wrestle” with)
I too believe the demons can not hear out thoughts and to this matter it may behove us to pray out loud instead of siliently. Satan-deomons flee the name of the Lord and doing this will make our prayer life more intent rather than being distracted by worldly things.
I understand the reasoning behind the truth that Satan cannot hear our thoughts. I am trying searching to see Biblical reference to whether or not he can tempt us in our thoughts. I’m drawing a blank here, any suggestions?
This topic came up in our class recently and I completely understand that satan is not at all God’s equal and he is not omnipresent. My question is; as a child learns to read they read audible and as they grow they learn to read silently however they say the words in their head. Many adults read in the very same way. They say each word as they read it. Can satan hear this or is it our actions that clue him in as to our thoughts?
I am not as concerned with Satan hearing my thoughts as I am wondering if he can plant thoughts, or whisper suggestions in my ear.
I can be in a positive environment or even at Church and flash to something very unchristian for no apparent reason. Although the image or thought may come to me, I feel no personal connection.
Since satan is a created being and not omniscient or omnipotent, I don’t believe he is able to plant a thought in our head. The flesh however is very weak and prone to satans influence if we allow him opportunity.
I strongly believe that the enemy can hear our thoughts. But God Jesus and the Holy Spirit deliver us from the provocations that he inflates within someone. That person just need to stay in prayer and praise to Jesus,God, and Holy Spirit. For Jesus is the only deliverer for someone.
Remember that our main reason to be here is to worship God and our LORD Jesus and follow the Holy Spirit. Anything else is evil and not of God and hence a avenue the evil ones uses.