The technical term for shooing the birds is “deflection and redirection.” God expects us to put up a fight. We’re not helpless. When our gates are attacked, we need to have a plan to turn back the Enemy. God will meet us there. Isaiah 28:6 says,
He (God) will be a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, a source of strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.
Anytime Satan or your flesh launches one of those impure thoughts at you, deflect it and redirect your thoughts to something godly. Here are some deflection and/or redirection strategies and from whom I borrowed them:
• Pray for the woman who caught your eye. (Steve Farrar)
• Say to yourself, “That’s not God’s will for me.” (Kenny Luck)
• Say to yourself, “That’s none of my business.” (Me)
• Say, “Go away, Satan. It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’ (Luke 4:8)” (Mike Epstein)
• Bounce your eyes off the temptation and onto something else. (Stephen Arterburn & Fred Stoeker)
• Ask God to show you her flaws. (Stephen Arterburn & Fred Stoeker)
• Remember that she is someone’s daughter, sister, mother… (Steve Farrar)
• Distract yourself with other thoughts, e.g. “How ‘bout them Cowboys!” (Jimmy Johnson)
Use the combination of strategies that works best for you. I’ve found that deflection alone isn’t good enough. You need redirection, too. When you get rid of the impure thought, replace it with a pure one (like thinking about the Cowboys). Otherwise, the impure thought will be back.
