For follow-up discussion and general commentary on the topic. Comments are sorted chronologically.
While I agree satan attacks our thoughts, deceives us, and convinces us by twisting the Word of God I do believe we have to take responsibility for our actions as well. Not all sin is from satan. Our very nature since the fall is doomed to sin and will be at war with the Holy Spirit. Paul states that in Acts how his heart is willing but his body does what it pleases. Jesus says if you lust for a woman with your eyes gouge them out. He doesn't say rebuke Satan. As we meditate on the Word of God, go through trials growing our faith, and learning to distinguish the voice of the Holy Spirit we become sanctified so that on the day we are called home we are perfected by seeing Jesus. Wow...what love is this!
God knows the hearts of all men from above (Ps 139:4; Acts 1:24). However the Counterfeit spirit (satan) enters into our body in order to know our minds. That is when Satan tempts our minds and then force us to yield to his own temptations. Even in the garden of Eden both Satan and the serpent agreed on the best method to cause the fall of man. Nothing was said at first to awaken suspicion or shock the moral sense; merely a sly insinuation calculated to excite natural curiosity. Then there was a direct lie combined with just enough truth to give it plausibility (Gen 3:4-5). Note the three steps leading to transgression in the outline of Gen 3:1-4 (Gen 3:6; Jn 8:44; 2 Cor 11:3; Tim. 2:14).
The attack to Eve was 2 folded:
1. Crafty Serpent spoke to Eve tangibly
2. Satan was present in the mind of Eve (in spirit form) in order to yield to the temptations
Normally men do not aware when and how devil enters our human mind. He always strikes our minds and our thoughts in order to live in contrary to the written word of God, His entry into our minds are generally unnoticeable.
Mature believers only who can discern this as "they have even their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. (Heb 5:14).
As we grow in the Lord our eyes, ears, nose, tongue, palate, fingers and even the nervous system in general should be properly exercised and our faculty of mind should aware of the source or origin of such sight, hearing, taste, smelling, and all feelings through our consciousnesses. We should train our mind to stop such inner cravings how we strip of our clothes, as in gymnastic exercises (Heb 5:14; 12:11; 1 Tim 4:7; Pet. 2:14).
There is something in the soul that corresponds with all these senses and through them the soul is blessed and perfected.
Apostle Paul vehemently refuted against us operating with the spurious (means fake or counterfeit) spirit aka satan. When our own thought level process going against WORD of God, that is when children of God recognize the devil is trying to control their mind.
The knowledge of truth is the first essential in warfare against satan and error. Great is the danger when believers accept anything and everything in the realm of the supernatural as being from the Lord. The fact that the believer is a child of God does not stop the devil from trying in every conceivable way to imitate God to deceive him. Believers are the ones Satan concentrates on and wars against.
For example
1.When Satan intensifies my thirstiness at times and if i immediately sense that it comes from devil and will stop drinking water for days.
2. Satan sometimes intensifies my hunger when i see mouth-watering or finger licking food and i would initiate hunger strike for days
3. Whenever a cute or handsome teenager pass by, satan intensify smell of the fragrance from that person to double-whammy, and sometimes triple-whammy, effect.
4.Sometimes, when i listen to the false prophets narrating sugar-coated, heart-touching stories i would sense tears in my eyes even though i do not weep.