Bible verses about sinful thoughts
Many believers in Christ struggle with lustful thoughts and other sinful thoughts. You have to ask yourself, what is triggering these thoughts? As believers we must guard our hearts and minds from evil. You’re trying to stop those bad thoughts, but are you listening to bad music?
Are you watching shows and movies that you’re not supposed to be watching? Are you reading books that you’re not supposed to be reading?
It can even be what you see on social media Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, etc. You must keep your mind clean and fight. When a sinful thought pops up maybe it’s lust or evil towards someone do you immediately change it or just dwell on it?
Have you forgiven others who have hurt you? Do you practice keeping your mind on Christ? It is always good to have some verses memorized so whenever you get those pop-ups you fight it with those Scriptures.
Don’t just recite them, do what they say. Make sure you never dwell on evil. In this godless world there is sensuality everywhere so you must guard your eyes. Flee from sexual immorality don’t stay, flee!
There are probably even websites that you know you shouldn’t be going on, but you do anyway.
You must not trust in your mind and harden your heart to the convictions of the Holy Spirit. Don’t go on them. Do not love what God hates. When we struggle with sin Christ’s sacrifice becomes more of a treasure to us. I know how it is when those thoughts keep attacking you and you start to think, “am I saved? I don’t want these thoughts anymore. Why do I struggle?”
If this is you, always remember in Christ there is hope. Christ paid the price for you in full. God will work in those who have put their trust in Christ alone for salvation to make them more like Christ. Lastly, what is your prayer life? How much do you pray? When you’re not praying and reading Scripture that is an easy recipe for disaster.
You must pray to the Holy Spirit daily. I can’t express this enough. This has helped my walk with Christ tremendously. It is God who is living inside of believers. Many Christians have nothing to do with the Holy Spirit and this should not be.
You should humble yourself, and say, “Holy Spirit help me. I need your help! Help my mind. Help me with ungodly thoughts. Holy Spirit strengthen me. I will fall without you.” Every time you feel that ungodly thoughts are coming, run to the Spirit in prayer. Rely on the Spirit. It is essential for strugglers. Cry out to the Holy Spirit for help daily.
Quotes
- “If your mind is filled with the Word of God, then it can’t be filled with impure thoughts.” David Jeremiah
- “Great thoughts of your sin alone will drive you to despair; but great thoughts of Christ will pilot you into the haven of peace.” Charles Spurgeon
Guard your heart
1. Proverbs 4:23 Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.
2. Mark 7:20-23 Then he continued, “It’s what comes out of a person that makes a person unclean, because it’s from within, from the human heart, that evil thoughts come, as well as sexual immorality, stealing, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, cheating, shameless lust, envy, slander, arrogance, and foolishness. All these things come from inside and make a person unclean.”
Anything that is causing you to sin turn away from it.
3. Psalm 119:37 Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity, And revive me in Your ways.
4. Proverbs 1:10 My child, if sinners entice you, turn your back on them!
Run from sexual immorality
5. 1 Corinthians 6:18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.
6. Matthew 5:28 But I say to you, anyone who stares at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
7. Job 31:1 I made a covenant with my eyes; how, then, can I focus my attention on a virgin?
Envious thoughts
8. Proverbs 14:30 A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.
Hateful thoughts
9. Hebrews 12:15 See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.
Advice
10. Philippians 4:8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
11. Romans 13:14 Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to arouse its desires.
12. 1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
The power of the Holy Spirit
13. Galatians 5:16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
14. Romans 8:26 At the same time the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we don’t know how to pray for what we need. But the Spirit intercedes along with our groans that cannot be expressed in words.
15. John 14:16-17 I will ask the Father to give you another Helper, to be with you always. He is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor recognizes him. But you recognize him, because he lives with you and will be in you.
Pray
16. Matthew 26:41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
17. Philippians 4:6-7 Never worry about anything. But in every situation let God know what you need in prayers and requests while giving thanks. Then God’s peace, which goes beyond anything we can imagine, will guard your thoughts and emotions through Christ Jesus.
Peace
18. Isaiah 26:3 With perfect peace you will protect those whose minds cannot be changed, because they trust you.
19. Psalm 119:165 Great peace have those who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble.
Put on the new
20. Ephesians 4:22-24 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
21. 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.
Reminder
22. Isaiah 55:7 let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
Bonus
Luke 11:11-13 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
