I woke up early the other morning as my son woke me and told me that he threw up. After doing the dad things, I found myself wide awake at 4:30am and started mindlessly cruising the reels on different social media platforms. One thing I noticed was such an overwhelming level of information—much of it conflicting. I wondered then, how in such a sea of information could one in search of truth in any matter find it? I remember life before the Internet, and while I had two sets of encyclopedias in my home, as well as countless books, most of my peers did not. What about before the printing press? Truth had to be a bit harder to find, perhaps? This led me on a bit of a theological rabbit hole as I considered the ever-shifting tactics of the enemy of truth, the old Deceiver himself: Satan.

In Christian theology, Satan is often portrayed as a malevolent being who seeks to undermine the work of God by perverting and corrupting what is good. This includes taking things that are meant to be blessings and turning them into sources of sin and destruction. One example of this is the way Satan twists the gift of sex for his own evil purposes. I recall as a high school student a pastor once describing sex as a wonderful thing that sex was a good gift from God meant to be enjoyed within the context of marriage between a husband and wife. But Satan seeks to pervert this divine gift in a number of ways. One way is through promiscuity, which is the practice of engaging in sexual activity outside of marriage. Another way Satan perverts the gift of sex is by stigmatizing it to the point where even married couples feel guilty or “dirty” for engaging in it. Satan is clever-enough to work in both extremes: license and legalism.

Though there are many in Christianity who may disagree, I think technological advancement is evidence of God’s common grace and benevolence on humanity. He’s granted mankind with curiosity and ingenuity in such a way that we seek to better our stations and so doing, reduce the miseries of a fallen creation on our fellow humans. But then, as with any good gift from God, the common grace of technology and human ingenuity can also be perverted and twisted by Satan. The printing press is a prime example of this. While it facilitated the Protestant Reformation and the widespread printing of the Bible, theological treatises, and other Christian literature, and countless other secular goods, it was also used to create propaganda, incite rebellions and mobs, and support cultural revolutions that sought to replace God and the Church with the sovereignty of the state.

Similarly, the Internet, which has the potential to facilitate the spread of the Gospel and promote truth (both religious and secular) on a global scale, is also prey to this Satanic tactic. The ease with which information can be shared online means that every foolish idea, deceit, propaganda, and obscenity imaginable is readily available to anyone with an Internet connection—and such things need not be sought after to be found. Satan uses the Internet to spread lies and deception, to undermine the truth of God’s Word, and to promote sin and evil. Pornography, which is easily accessible online, is a perversion of God’s good gift of human sexuality. The Internet is also used to promote false teachings, cults, and other forms of spiritual deception that can lead people away from the truth of the Gospel.

Moreover, the Internet has been used to create echo chambers, where people are only exposed to ideas and perspectives that confirm their own biases and prejudices. This can lead to a lack of critical thinking and an unwillingness to engage with opposing viewpoints, which can ultimately lead to division and conflict.

As Christians, we need to be aware of Satan’s tactics and be discerning in our use of technology and the Internet. We need to guard our hearts and minds against the lies and deceptions that are so readily available online, and we need to be intentional about seeking out and promoting truth, goodness, and beauty in all areas of life. At the same time, we must also use technology and the Internet to advance the cause of the Gospel, sharing the truth of God’s Word and promoting justice, mercy, and compassion in a world that desperately needs it. I think there is an idea that we should take after the Amish when seeing how twisted some technology can become—that we can as Christians somehow say with validity “stop the world! I want to get off!” But I don’t think this is the case. The world, humanity, truth, and all things belong under the dominion of the One True and Living God. Invention and other products of human endeavor are not to be fled because there are evils in them that reflect our own sinful natures, but rather like our natural selves, our products should be consecrated to God—just as the produce of agriculture and shepherding once was commanded in Scripture.