Does Satan have the power to read the thoughts that are in our minds?

As the “prince of the power of the air” (Eph. 2:2), Satan can broadcast certain attitudes into our minds. But Proverbs 16:2 states that “the Lord weighs the spirits.” And chapter 21, verse 2 states, “…the Lord ponders the hearts.” In Psalm 44:21, we read, “Shall not God search this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart.” These verses plainly show that God can read our minds and know our thoughts. But nothing in Scripture indicates Satan has this ability. I Peter 1:12 shows that there are things that angels do not even know.

Satan is a highly intelligent being, and very crafty (Gen. 3:1-5; Matt. 4:3-9; Job 1-2; Eph. 6:11). Six thousand years of studying and observing human nature (which is really his own nature, acquired by human beings [John 8:44; II Cor. 11:2-3]) has given Satan insight into how the human mind works. This does give him the ability to know our general weaknesses and exploit them. Also, Christ stated, “…out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matt. 12:34). Satan can ascertain the general flow of our thoughts by the words that we speak.

You may wish to read our booklet Did God Create Human Nature? It explains the connection between human nature and Satan’s influence on the human mind.