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[Big Ed]

Can someone help me understand the "mechanism" by which God and Satan are involved/connected with our thoughts?

I wish I could be clearer here. Perhaps through discussion I can pinpoint my question better.

Trying to understand the ways/means by which Satan is able to "tempt" us - and I'm assuming that means he's influencing our thoughts....or the way our prayers connect with God.....

What is the vehicle or mode of transmission for these things?

Does Satan have access to my thoughts? Does God allow him to listen in on people in the very same manner as He does?

[PJs]

We aren't given too much detail into certain things, especially the demonic. I'll give my answer with two different sections, one focusing on God, the other on Satan (and by extension the demonic realm as a whole, I'll be conflating Satan with the demonic for brevity's sake, though normally I wouldn't).

Mechanisms by which God is involved with/ connected to our thoughts

God is omniscient and knows our thoughts and our desires.

God works through internal and external means. He works in the very core of our being, our heart of hearts as well as through the natural world and society at large. He gives us new hearts and affections.

God is omnipresent and omnipotent so he is therefore accessible to anyone anywhere.

God has all authority and can do anything he wishes

Mechanisms by which Satan is involved with/ connected to our thoughts

Satan is not omniscient and does not know our thoughts and our desires. He can make assumptions based on human nature and observation, but he is not a mind-reader.

Satan works by external means primarily. He uses things in the physical and spiritual world but those are usually outside of us. He may "whisper" thoughts to us, but he does not have the power to change our hearts (I'm using the term 'whisper' more as an analogy, unfortunately, I'm limited by language to communicate really complex ideas that we know little about).

Satan does have the power to "possess" people, and this is the only instance by which anything "internal" cold be said about interaction with humans.

Satan can work alongside people. For example, witchdoctors or mediums may have an actual connection to something real, but they are drawing their knowledge from a source of evil. This isn't so much a possession as it is a partnership (though it can lead to that).

Satan is not omnipresent and omnipotent so he has limitation in regards to how much he can do, who he can do it to, and where he can be.

Satan has a very limited authority and that is subservient to God, and even God's people.

Though Satan is a spiritual being, he can take a physical form.

Hope this was helpful

[jimwalton]

There are different ideas in the Bible about whether we are souls, have souls, or have spirits and souls (monism, bipartite, tripartite). It's impossible to know, but the idea is that we as human beings were created with a spiritual component, and it is through that spiritual component that spiritual beings and forces are able to interact with us. In the same way that the physical aspects of nature have some interaction with our physical selves, there are spiritual beings and forces that function on the level of spirituality.

God is a spirit (Jn. 4.24) and also omnipresent and omniscient. He knows our thoughts (Mk. 2.8) and can read our minds. Satan is neither omnipresent nor omniscient, but he is a spirit being. The Bible doesn't say that Satan is able to enter our heads and affect our thoughts. We are tempted by our own desires (James 1.14). Satan is also able to deceive us, but we surmise that is mostly through our circumstances and the events of our lives. I'm not aware off the top of my head of any text that tells about Satan being in anyone's thoughts.