A weapon of mass distraction

April 1, 2021

FROM FLAGS ON the battlefield to cyberspace, communication has always been important in wartime. Soldiers need to know where to go and what to do. That’s why military experts spend so much time trying to keep those on the frontlines hearing clearly from headquarters.

It’s no different in the spiritual realm. If we want to be clear about what God requires of us, we need to be able to tune in effectively. Thus, we shouldn’t be surprised if the enemy does all he can to stir up a lot of interference.

In the old days, the opposition would try to jam radio frequencies and blow up lines of cable to keep the orders from coming through. For many Christians these days (me included), it seems to be less about destruction and more about distraction. Hey, have you seen that funny cat video?

Rather than launch a full-frontal assault, which just may be brazen enough to alert us to the fact that something is amiss, the devil has initiated a campaign of co-option. He’s taken something that could be used for good and gotten us focused on the wrong thing—and not for the first time.

Think back to when the Israelites got bored waiting for Moses to come down the mountain from his encounter with God and made a golden calf to worship.

Where did all that gold come from? After all, they had been slaves for centuries. Well, it came from their Egyptian slavemasters; in Exodus 12, God told His people to go and ask for jewelry before they left the country of their bondage. What was intended to be a blessing, they soon turned into an idol.

I can’t help feeling the same is true for many of us when it comes to technology—especially our cellphones. What was intended to be a source of blessing has turned us away from God, or at least aside. How can we hope to hear if we never give Him a chance to speak? How can we, if we are constantly looking for something new and novel? Something bright and shiny? Something just like a golden calf.

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