Spiritual Warfare

How do I know when the devil is behind my thoughts?

Diagnosis comes first: agitation, anger, unease, lack of peace are always the byproduct of demonic energy, since God does not want the soul tormented and is not the one tormenting it. He explains St Silouan the Athonite's counsel 'never talk to demons' as referring not to apparitions but to dialoguing with the thoughts coming into the mind — the person thinks they are playing checkers while the devil plays chess, always several moves ahead, answering every reply with a thought they didn't see coming. St Silouan's companion counsel completes it: if a thought causes agitation, we are free to leave it and find a new thought at any time.