The older a movement, the further it drifts from its founding principles. Among Evangelicals of our generation, this process appears to be occurring much more rapidly than among those of generations. Among the major reasons of this rapid deterioration is the hypnotic influence of the modern media. Television, films and the much of the paper media are being employed by Satan as weapons to brainwash spirituality from the minds of the children of God. Most believers are totally unaware of these devices and have therefore become ensnared in this trap; moreover, most Christian leaders are not sounding the alarm. The warning must be sounded; Christians must be awakened to the danger.

Governments - most especially the dictatorial regimes - understand that controlling the minds of their citizenry constitutes control of an entire nation. Hitler's Nazis, Stalin's henchmen, Castro's Cuba, Iraq's Saddam Hussein all utilized mind control over their people by censoring that which they read and heard. It is for this reason that the Radio Free media was organized by the free nations.

In his frenzy to defeat God's purposes and to establish his own hellish empire, Satan also is following this same propaganda ploy, but on an infinitely enlarged scale. Offering in the comfortable environment of the home, the enticing delights of the flesh, spiced with anti-God and anti-Biblical propaganda, he is efficiently introducing his own subtle doctrines. Which Bible-believer can honestly deny that much that is dispensed by television executives, movie moguls and the paper media - even the internet web-sites - should be labeled "doctrines of devils?"

It is amazing to this writer that sights that only a few decades past caused Christians to shudder with shame today are joyfully admitted into their homes by a simple flick of the switch. How much easier it is to flick the switch then to open the Bible. How much more comfortable it is for to relax before the television, than to bend their knees in prayer. How much less strenuous it is for to passively view the "tube" than to actively think on the Lord.

The Bible provides a spiritual formula as an antidote to Satan's brain-washing techniques. Christians are to:

1. Abstain from all appearance of evil. (1 Thess. 5:22).

Who among us will dare say that the vast percentage of the sights and sounds propagated by our modern media do not even appear to be evil?

2. Be aware that our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19).

We must ask ourselves, "Would Christ allow the caliber of entertainment we view, read and hear, to be found in the temple of God?"

3. Think only on that which is holy (Phil. 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."

The third rule alone should be enough to show any sincere Christian believer that what is being piped into the home today via the airwaves and other media, is diametrically opposed to the standard God sets for His people. Satan is waging a campaign for control of the minds of humanity. Utilizing propaganda media unexcelled in human history, he has unleashed an end-time assault that, if Christians do not cooperate fully with God's Word and rely totally on the power of the Holy Spirit, is certain to bring them down. Nevertheless, we are beyond defeat if we abide by God's Word and its standards. We will be aware of Satan's devices if we imbibe God's Word and are controlled by the Holy Spirit, who alone supplies the "Whole armor of God."

Satan cannot succeed if the Holy Spirit leads us.

Josprel (Joseph Perrello)

josprel@verizon.net