Have you ever read through a post on social media that says something like, “Let’s see how many of my friends will comment on this post,” or, “Can you figure this out?” Or what about, “Like or share this post if you can do . . . whatever”? How about, “Only those who 'care' will share this post”? We often breeze past such listings, but sometimes there is that little tug at our hearts or a moment of second guessing. It’s a feeling inside that if we don’t react others will think we aren’t caring, smart or whatever. Maybe it’s a post put out by a website that shows some funny joke or a photo we can’t help but share because it’s so beautiful.

Satan works so hard against us that we are warned, “Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil”. We need God’s armor. An armor that protects us physically, spiritually and mentally.

It’s something that advertisers and those who want us to link with them know all too well. With one click we’re on someone’s list or have given into peer pressure by addressing a post, which made us feel we had to submit to. It’s also sometimes how people get hacked or get spammed on their page. We wonder how did this person/company get that information, but we have freely and possibly unwittingly given it by simply accepting their post. It sounds invasive, doesn’t it? It seems unfair that someone could so easily get to us.

When I have accepted such things myself or passed by others that were obvious shams, I am reminded that we have an adversary that attacks us in a similar way. Satan plots and schemes against us. He knows our weaknesses and does all he can to work on us through them. He shows us what may look exciting, desirable or will incite us to anger. Often Satan isn’t blatant in his attacks against us. He does it all very subtly (2 Corinthians 11:3).

Satan can have such influence over our minds that he can blind us from the gospel. We may be exposed to it and not actually hear it, or we will turn away from it, not wanting to hear the truth (2 Corinthians 4:4).

It may all start with the click of our mouse, which then takes us to some shady website. Maybe it’s the click of our remote, that takes us to a program or movie that doesn’t have a very good storyline. Today we have other devices as well. We can now visit many websites and apps with our phones, tablets and even our watches. All can be used for good, but just as easily they can lead us down the wide path to destruction (Matthew 7:13-14).

In a column called Ask Hank, this subject was addressed: 

“It is crucial to note that if we open the door to Satan by failing to put on the full armor of God, he does, as it were, sit on our shoulders and whisper into our ears. The whisper cannot be discerned with the physical ear; it can, however, penetrate 'the ear' of the mind. We cannot explain how such communication takes place any more than we can explain how our immaterial minds can cause the physical synapses of the brain to fire; but that such mind-to-mind communication takes place is indisputable. If it were not so, the Devil could not have tempted Judas to betray his Master, seduced Ananias and Sapphira to deceive Peter, or incited David to take a census” (Christian Research Journal, vol. 27, num. 5, 2004).

We are told, “Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established” (Proverbs 4:26, King James Version). Satan works so hard against us that we are warned, “Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11, KJV). Do you understand that? We need God’s armor. An armor that protects us physically, spiritually and mentally. Because if we are spiritually protected, we won’t let Satan attack our minds, which in turn usually protects us from doing things that might also be physically detrimental.

John tells us, “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4, New International Version). We can be protected; we need Jesus Christ in us. We must have the Holy Spirit in us in order to have that full-armor protection. With that armor we will think twice before we move forward and can avoid being one click away from calamity.