How Social Media and the Internet have changed Spiritual Warfare

We felt it was important to address this subject as it’s very important to our mental and emotional well being as Christians.

A few years ago we received our news from the newspaper, which were generally a reputable source, like the Sun Sentinel, the Herald, New York Times, etc. And also television played a big part in how we found out what was happening around the world.

For the most part, we could rely on these sources to give us the truth.  Though it may be biased, based on political views, it would be facts sprinkled with some opinions.

Nowadays the news is being delivered to us from social media sites.  We find out about what’s happening around us through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. BEFORE we see it on the evening news or read it in a newspaper.  Then again, does anyone read the newspapers anymore?  Very few.

With this said, the rise in satirical websites have become a true nuisance.  What is this?  FAKE NEWS!

These websites exist just to make money out of you visiting the site which in turn drives up their website traffic.  This website traffic allows them to garner huge fees from advertisers on their websites.

Now you may be asking yourself, what does this have to do with spiritual warfare?  Well, the way they get you to go to their website is by creating the most ludicrous headline or a gossip filled headline that makes you want to get the scoop on things.

Have you ever read a headline that makes you think “the world is coming to an end” or “I always knew that preacher was a false prophet”  or  “I knew all republicans are racist bigots” or “I always knew that the government was going to find a facility big enough to lock us all away and take our guns”.  Whatever it is to feed into your fear, or reaffirm your negative attitudes towards an individual, groups, ministry, business or government they will construct a story to fit the bill.

They know what buttons to push and they push them through the headline. Whatever your motivation was for clicking on that headline, we are pretty sure that you leave the site feeling depressed, nasty, hopeless, doomed thinking the worse of the person you just read about.

Then, you may or may not, find out later that it was actually a fake news story!

Well, guess what?  By then this insect (here comes the enemy) has just laid a bunch of his eggs in your brain waiting to be hatched. So if you find out that it was not true you try to get that out of your mind…But, it’s still there planted in your sub conscious.  So the next time you read another negative story about that person will you believe it?  Of course you do!  Because that negative thought has already been planted and now the eggs hatched.

What is worse is that you commented on the story online, which then encouraged your other friends to read it, which then laid several enemy eggs into their brains as well. Congratulations! You’ve just been used by the enemy to spread the lies.

You see the more you comment on these stories, is the more you raise their ranking on social media by passing it around so they stay in business online.  And when one person sees the success of this satirical website, they create one too.  Why?  To make money!

When these website notice that you like reading stories about _____  they just continue to print more fake news on that subject. You keep reading it, you keep believing, you keep passing it along.  And all those enemy eggs are being hatched in your brain.  At this point you officially believe the lie. And not just one lie, several lies.

Now you’re off the computer and you go out in public and start repeating these stories to other people.  Except they know the truth and you sound like some crazy conspiracy theorist looney tune!  In the same sentence you try to introduce them to Jesus. Not good.

Something within us just inherently want to believe the bad report. We’ve got to do better as Christians on this.

This is spiritual warfare in 2015!  The enemy found another way to get to us.

So what are we going to do about this?  God’s way still works:

1. Repent, for believing the worse about others.

2. Put on the armor of God

2. Pray and ask the Lord to wash your brain, your mind and your soul from all the eggs and maggots of lies that are there.

3. Protect your “Eye Gate” this is all going into your soul. Stop reading it.

(Luke 11:34) “The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness.”

Practical steps to Protecting your soul from these attacks:social media and spiritual warfare

1.  There is a general rule of thumb with these stories – They are never good news.  It is never a good report or something positive.  The headline is your first red flag.

 (Philippians 4:8) “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”

2. If you find out it is a satirical website, DON’T FORWARD IT!

3.  If you must comment, write something like “this is fake news, don’t bother reading it”

4.  How do you know it is a satirical website?  Funny enough, they tell you!  If you visit the website, BEFORE reading the story find the About section.  If you read the About Us it will tell you “this is a fake news site”  “this is a satirical website”  Once you find this out, leave.  Don’t read it!  You do this BEFORE you read the story.

5.  If there was no About section and you’re not sure, don’t read it.  Any reputable website will have an About section so if it doesn’t exist, this should be a red flag to you.

6. Do you have some of these stories on your page?  Delete them.  Why keep them up?  Don’t bother saying it’s a fake story, just delete it.

These 6 points can be narrowed down to 1:

If the headline is negative don’t read it.




The enemy will have no way of trapping you if you don’t read it.  It is that simple.  If you have people on your friends list that constantly read and post these fake news sites then you may want to tell them.

Most people don’t know this.  They read these stories online and they actually believe it.  Forming opinions of people based on false stories, lies.

If they keep posting these types of stories even after you’ve told them, unfriend them!  Do you want to constantly read these headlines in your Facebook news feed? No.

Let’s stop each other from making these deadly mistakes and allowing social media to lead to depression.

For some bible verses on spiritual warfare click here

For information on how to put on the Armor of God click here

For information on how to cope with depression click here

Lastly, here is a list of satire website as of October 2014, remember these sites are growing daily so there are many that may not be on this list.

Let’s Pray!  Heavenly Father, we thank you for your truth, protect us by your truth.  Take the water of your word and wash away all the negativity, the lies and the deceptions that the enemy has left in our minds that have found its way into our heart and our soul.  Give us a fresh start today.  Help us to be more discerning in what we read and what we allow into our soul.  Forgive us for being drawn to the negative report.  Prompt us by your Holy Spirit when we are falling into these traps.  Focus our hearts and mind on things that are pure, true, noble and praise worthy.  Put a Holy Spirit filter on our eye gate and may we glorify you in all that we read, in Jesus Name, Amen.

God Bless!

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