Technology: Satan's Devise of This Age

Ephesians 6:10-20 tells us to “be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might” by putting on the armor of God, so we will “be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.’  Once we accept Christ into our hearts and follow Christ, we become targets for Satan.  Our battle is with Satan and he knows how to get the best of us.  He uses our weaknesses to pull us down.  It is not “flesh and blood” battle, but it is a spiritual battle for your soul.  This battle can be lost in small steps over a period of time when we take our focus away from God and give in to the “rulers of darkness of this world.”

Satan uses your weaknesses to get you down and to pull you away from Christ.  How well do you know yourself and your weak spots?  Believe me, the old devil knows them if you don’t and will sneak in when you least expect it.  When reading “of this world” in Ephesians 6:12, it occurred to me that this is of this Age.  What is it of this Age in the world that pulls us from time with God?  What consumes us?  Technology, it consumes people’s lives to the point of causing them to lose their lives.  People can’t take their eyes off Facebook, Twitter, texts, and video games to the point of walking in front of cars or driving into something.  They are consumed with it, and I see it every day.  I’ve seen drivers sit at green lights or run red lights while looking at their smart phones, not too smart.  I have coworkers that play games at work or Facebook all day. When you aren’t productive at work, you lose your job.  However, I’m looking at what we lose spiritually.   Our ego or sensitivity can draw us to Facebook or Twitter to create drama and build ourselves up.  You post something and have to constantly look to see if anyone reads it or “likes it.”  Then, there is the internet where you can find anything from porn to terrorist recruiters.  There is a lot in between that can get your attention and keep you distracted from following God.   Then, there are network and cable programs that draw us in and affect how we see things in society.  I’m sorry if you don’t agree, but watching the same thing over a period of time changes your view on life.  Through the programs they watch, families are inviting the contents of the show into their home to become a part of their lifestyle.   While we are consumed with Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, Pinterest, Craig’s list, video games, reality shows, lives of celebrities, or television shows, we are losing our spiritual battle with Satan as we drift away from our faith and walk with Christ.

 By this time if you are still reading, you are saying “not me, because we have it all scheduled out.”    Some may be saying, “We go to church and have devotions most days, because we do get busy.”   

 For me, it is about addiction.  My mother put the fear of addiction in me and my siblings.  Her father was an alcoholic, and she convinced us that we would be doomed if we took one sip.  With my first computer, a game called Tetris was on it.  It was a challenge and I could not put it away.   After realizing that I played while I should have been doing something else, I felt like I was addicted and remembered my mother’s warning.   I realized that a game can keep me from cooking a meal on time for my family, helping my child with homework, preparing Sunday School lesson, working out, or my time of prayer.   After this, I remove all games from my computer.  I didn’t want anything that would take away time with my family.   Believe me.  I was not the perfect wife, mother, or Bible teacher, but I learned along the way.   I can easily become addicted to a sitcom, computer game, talk show, or Food Network, but I chose to start each day on my knees asking God to help me to be what he wants me to be.

 I challenge you to “be renewed in the spirit of your mind” (Ephesians 4:23) by taking up daily the “the whole armor of God, so you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” (Ephesians 6: 13)   Stand wearing the belt of truth to fight the lies of Satan, the breastplate of righteousness to protect your heart, emotions, self-worth and trust from Satan, the gospel of peace to share, the shield of faith giving you knowledge of victory, the helmet of salvation giving you assurance of God’s love and protection, and the sword of the Spirit to study and know the truth of the gospel, so you can win with Jesus by choosing to say no to the things that will separate you from God.  Be strong, break free, and have victory over the devises of Satan.