How to Overcome Intrusive Thoughts as a Christian

By Lauren Rose Correa, December 17, 2024

Are you struggling with or wondering how to overcome intrusive thoughts? Intrusive thoughts are unwanted thoughts or impulses that can sometimes cause great distress to the person having them. They can range from an anxious thought about something bad happening to the urge to crash your car while driving. Lately, I’ve been hearing a lot of people mention that they struggle with intrusive thoughts, and it’s been a topic of discussion at my Bible study.

Most people have intrusive thoughts at one time or another, but some people have had a more intense or more frequent experience with them. I myself have struggled from time to time with intrusive thoughts. I have bipolar disorder and have been hospitalized three times, and while I was recovering from these experiences, I found myself struggling with intrusive thoughts. Lately, I’ve had another brush with them. For me, the intrusive thoughts are scary thoughts of my daughter being hurt because of me having another bipolar episode. I worry about the different things that could happen if I get sick again and accidentally put her in danger.

In the past, my intrusive thoughts were easy to ignore. I would just let them pass through my mind, and after a few days they would always go away. The intrusive thoughts about my daughter have been harder to ignore, because thinking about my daughter getting hurt distresses me. The more distressing the thoughts are, I think they become a bit harder to overcome.

How to Overcome Intrusive Thoughts

I’m happy to report, however, that I haven’t been struggling with these thoughts as much as when they first presented themselves. I have some advice for anyone who is struggling with intrusive thoughts that I hope is helpful and encouraging. Read on to learn some of my tips for how to overcome intrusive thoughts as a Christian.

Don’t judge yourself for having the thought.

If you have a thought about doing something wrong, it’s easy to feel like you’re a bad person for having that thought. But having a thought doesn’t mean that you are necessarily in danger of taking that action. If your thoughts are anxious thoughts, you might judge yourself and think you aren’t trusting God enough. But the measure of your character lies more in how you respond to these thoughts than the fact that you are having them. Let go of any judgment that you have toward yourself for having these thoughts. Instead, focus on how you’ll react to them.

Treat the thought as if it’s coming as a suggestion from outside of yourself.

For me, part of reacting to these thoughts is to treat them as if they are coming from the outside, rather than the inside. If someone came up to you and told you, “Drive your car into traffic,” you would probably say, “No, I don’t want to do that! I value my life.” When you have a thought, respond to it as you would if someone else were saying it to you. If your thought stems from anxiety, you could say, “I’m not going to ruin the present by worrying about the possibility of this happening.”

Use scripture to formulate a response to your intrusive thoughts.

“We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5b NIV

In the Bible, we are told to take every thought captive. Whenever you have a thought, you need to see what the Bible says about it and change that thought to be in obedience to God’s word. Look for verses that speak to the specific thoughts that you are having. Write them down on index cards and hang them where you can see them. Memorize them so that you can recite them by heart whenever those thoughts come up.

Give the thought as little attention as you possibly can.

The more you think about something, the bigger it will become. I like to prepare my response, use that response, and then tune my mind into something else. I think that having idle time is something that can put us more in danger of having intrusive thoughts. Put your mental energy into a task that requires your focus. For me, this is baking or a creative outlet like decorating or writing. For you, it could be exercise, reading, or crafting. Whatever you enjoy!

How to Overcome Intrusive Thoughts: Believe in Your Victory

“But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:57 NIV

When it comes to intrusive thoughts, victory is ours in Christ Jesus. It’s important that you believe that! Believe that Jesus died on the cross to give you victory over everything. You CAN control your thoughts and you CAN find freedom! Have confidence in what Jesus did for you and trust that he wants you to win.