Facebook: The Devil's Mixing Bowl

Facebook is a two-edged sword. On one hand, it has benefits such as advertising churches and legitimately keeping touch with friends. On the other hand, it is one of the greatest tools of the devil to foster spiritual compromise. It has great potential to corrupt through evil communications (1 Corinthians 15:33). Facebook is the devil’s mixing bowl. It tends to mix everything together, the holy and the unholy, the spiritual and the worldly. The following observation is from Brian Snider, “Most people in our circles do not have the discernment, discretion or courage to stand against things that are wrong. For instance, when someone leaves a good church and goes down a worldly or wicked road, many people continue to remain friends with them and ‘Like’ everything they do. They will approve of things on Facebook that their church and pastor plainly stand against including immodest attire, worldly activities, wrong relationships, wrong marriages, rebellion against church, bad doctrine…you name it. They hear these things preached against on Sunday, but Monday morning they approve of them on Facebook. They will not clearly and plainly separate from folks who are going in a direction that contradicts the doctrine of their own church. This encourages the one who is doing wrong, weakens those who would stand against that behavior, and signals to others that these wrong activities are okay. In doing this, they seem to care more about the feelings of rebels than they do the feelings and concerns of a pastor who loves and cares for them. From that standpoint, I believe that Facebook has done untold damage to churches. I have friends in independent, fundamental churches around the world and I have observed that this takes place everywhere.”

CONCLUDING NOTE: Spiritual victory in the age of social media is the same as it has been since the days of Job, who loved God and wanted to honor Him and therefore made a covenant with his eyes (Job 31:1). The victory is in being born again (not just a sinner’s prayer), abiding in Christ in my everyday life, having a pilgrim mindset so that I am aware that I presently live in a strange land filled with spiritual and moral dangers, and having a testing mindset to guard against those dangers and keep them out of my life. It is a continual and daily battle. It is a mindset whereby I refuse to be manipulated by the world system and its technology. It is the mindset whereby I will use the technology for the glory of God within biblical boundaries, but I will not be controlled by it and negatively influenced by it, whatever that entails, even if it means having no Internet and no smartphone and no social media. If I can use a technology for the glory of God without being harmed by it, then I can use it. If not, then I don’t need it. I am in a spiritual war, and I am fighting to win. “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).

(Friday Church News Notes, November 16, 2018, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143)

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