This is probably the most important book you will ever read, besides the scriptures. I know it’s hard to read the title on the cover, but the image from Goodreads.com was even worse. It is called Putting on the Armor of God by Steven Cramer. This book is the best book to read outside the scriptures because it helps you see how much satan wants to take you down, and how sneaky and unfair he is. He never sleeps. He is always plotting against you and everyone else. He does things to mess with your mind, and is so sneaky about it that if you aren’t educated about his tricks you never know.

He puts feelings in your heart and thoughts into your mind and unless you learn how he works, you won’t realize that it’s him, not you, that is the source of the ickies. You might give in to these bad feelings and thoughts and let them keep you from accomplishing all the good and wonderful acts of love, nobility, forgiveness, kindness, heroism, and generosity that Heavenly Father wants you to do. If you know how he works you can immediately shoo him away, saying, go away, I’m on to you! when he starts whispering bad things to your heart and head, instead of dwelling on the thoughts and feelings and spiraling downwards. What helps me with this is to remember what Oliver DeMille teaches in his book the Student Whisperer: the four negative voices are the Inner Critic, the Inner Judge, the Inner Rebel, and the Inner Victim. When I am feeling yucky, sometimes I remember to ask myself if I am fitting into one of those categories. If I am, then I know the feeling is from satan and I tell him to scram, that I am not listening any more.

When you know how subtle and sneaky satan is you will be motivated to know how to put on the full armor of God to protect yourself from his sinister and slimy ways. Another great resource is the interactive online book from Sons of Helamam that teaches you the brain chemistry that happens when satan puts bad feelings and thoughts in you. This book is by Maurice Harker, my friend Aneladee’s new boss. Maurice is an incredibly gifted man and mental health therapist who started The Sons of Helaman program to help LDS young men deal with pornography addictions. But the information is valuable to everyone, because all of us face battles with satan out to deceive us. 

My friend Michelle and I spent two hours last week discussing the first six chapters of the Putting on the Armor book. Maurice Harker recommends that his clients read it. It is written by an LDS man who I thank tremendously for taking the time to write this. It complements the online book that Maurice wrote very well. He connects scriptures and quotes from LDS Church leaders in a powerful, convincing way. He also tells stories of people who tell of hearing voices in their head or feelings and what they did about it, and what the consequence was. It is very helpful to read these stories and see documentation of satan whispering to people and the Holy Spirit and other righteous spirits whispering to people. ! I really liked the story of Elder Brigham Smoot, a missionary in the late 1800s who died and then came back to life because of a priesthood blessing. He remembers his spirit, outside his body, looking at the other missionaries around him trying to resuscitate his body. His spirit then spoke to one of the missionaries, telling him to administer a priesthood blessing on him. This other missionary remembers having the impression that he should administer the blessing. This story is given to illustrate that a spirit can speak to your spirit. satan is a spirit and he can speak to your spirit.

Everyone should know how to tell the difference between feelings that come from satan and his minions and those that come from God and his good, loyal helper spirits . I used to have a hard time accepting that satan can make someone feel some way. But even the scriptures show, as the author Steven Cramer demonstrates, that satan puts bad feelings and thoughts in people’s hearts and minds.

Michelle and I are going to return to a discussion of this book over the phone in a few weeks. Anyone want to join us? We can do it as a conference call on a summer weekday afternoon. If interested, please put comment below and indicate what day of the week would be best for you.