Spiritual Disinformation

“Disinformation.”

If you tuned into political TV shows during the 2020 U.S. Presidential election, you may have gotten a headache; and, you may have heard the word “disinformation”. It was used in an accusatory manner by some political talking-heads. The goal? Label an opponent’s position as “disinformation” to discredit them. Giving an opinion on whether these accusations are true or not, is not the purpose of this blog – rather to consider how disinformation pertains to spiritual truth.

What does disinformation mean? I found the answer to be a little surprising, as it's not simply wrong information.

According to Merriam-Webster.com, disinformation involves a deliberate effort to spread false information, frequently in a covert manner.[1]

Dictionary.com offered a clear distinction between misinformation and disinformation. I’ll paraphrase what I found: “Misinformation” pertains to wrong information, but not necessarily intent to mislead, while “disinformation” is wrong information with intent to deliberately mislead.[2] In other words, disinformation has a malicious purpose.

How does this pertain to religion?

Is there misinformation about God? Sure. I think there are people who are genuinely mistaken. But the focus of this blog is on disinformation – an intent to mislead.

Is spiritual disinformation happening? Is there a deliberate effort to spread false information about God and His creation? Yes! The Bible is clear that the devil is a liar and seeks to lead people astray.

Some people may sneer at this claim; but, consider that Jesus Christ, who proved He is God (see Jesus-Proof), was not only tempted by the devil, but Jesus also spoke about the devil in the account below:

"You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44 NASB, emphasis added).

Jesus is clear that the devil is real and is a liar. Before we discuss what we should do, let’s elaborate on this threat. In one of Peter’s letters, he gives Christians a clear warning:

“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8 ESV, emphasis added)

Peter explicitly identifies the devil as our enemy and advises us to be sober-minded. The Greek word for sober-minded (nepsate), can be understood as being of clear judgment.[3] Paul is saying we should be clear-minded and rational in order to repel the devil. In other words, repelling the devil’s schemes is not just avoiding emotional temptation, but also resisting false information. These lies can be about God or about us; and, they may come to us through culture (movies, music, books, internet videos, etc.).

What are some examples of lies about God? (God does not exist. All truth is relative; therefore we decide what is true about God. In order to go to heaven, we just need to try to be a good person). All of this is contrary to Christian doctrine. God does exist (see Evidence-for-God). Spiritual truth is absolute and determined by God. We cannot go to heaven by being a good person, rather through the sacrifice of Jesus (see how-to-go-to-heaven).

What are some examples of lies about us? Generally, Satan (the devil) wants us to think too highly or too lowly about ourselves. In other words, you are better than other people; or, you are not intelligent or attractive or valuable in some way. All of this is based on earthly comparisons and are wrong. We are inherently valuable because we are made in the image of God.

Let’s look at another verse by the Apostle Paul that further supports the point that the devil engages in spiritual disinformation. In one of the letters to the church of Corinth, Paul warned Christians about being led astray by false teaching, reminding us thatthe devil deceived Eve:

“But I fear that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your minds may be corrupted from a complete and pure devotion to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 11:3 NASB, emphasis added).

Those are powerful words, having our minds corrupted by the devil and robbing us from being fully devoted to God.

What should we do? There are multiple ways to respond, including putting on the full armor of God (see Ephesians 6:11-18); but let me focus on just two simple steps.

First, recognize that we really are at war with a real enemy. This is not a boogeyman hiding in the middle of the earth. The devil is actively at war with God’s creation. Satan (the devil) not only seeks to tempt us with sinful activities, but also corrupt our mind with false ideas. Satan is spreading disinformation, wanting us to believe falsehoods about ourselves as well as God. We should not take this lightly. This enemy wants us to believe lies and ruin our spiritual health. Our fight starts with recognizing our enemy.

Second, we need to read the Bible on a routine basis. Scripture is our authoritative source for spiritual truth. When we suspect false claims about God or ourselves (spiritual disinformation), we should check the idea against the Bible. But it is not enough to only check-in periodically. We must be reading daily, whether a new or seasoned Christian. This is because many of us, most of us, perhaps all of us, at times are not always aware of these spiritual attacks on our beliefs. If we are not staying connected with the source for truth, we may not recognize spiritual lies. Powerful messages come at us in many ways, as we consume entertainment and information. Ultimately, the Bible keeps us grounded in truth. Finally, prayer for spiritual wisdom and correct interpretation of the Bible is also very important.

Disinformation in politics can be dangerous; but disinformation regarding God can have eternal consequences. As 1 Peter 5:8 stated – be sober-minded and watchful!

Summary Point:

• Christians must recognize that we at war with a real spiritual enemy (Satan) spreading disinformation, and then be diligent about getting spiritual truth daily from the Bible.
  

[1] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disinformation (article reviewed 12/12/2020).

[2] https://www.dictionary.com/e/misinformation-vs-disinformation-get-informed-on-the-difference/ (article reviewed on 12/11/2020).

[3] https://biblehub.com/greek/3525.htm (article reviewed on 12/13/2020).