This is Part II in a 2-part series. To read Part I, click here.
Freed from Digital Restraints
In Part 1 of this article series, we examined the ways in which the digital algorithms on our devices can open the door to temptation. When we become aware of how the engagement factor on social media can affect our hearts and minds, God can use this newfound mindfulness for his glory and our personal good. There are practical steps we can take so our minds and thoughts do not become trained and shaped by misinformation, sensationalized content, and tailored media. 2 Peter 2:19 poignantly describes our bondage to sin: “…For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved.”
God is sufficient in his strength to help us from being overcome and enslaved to sin and false teaching. With the Lord’s help, we can resist spiralling into the envy, anger, maliciousness, and addictions that are cultivated in the digital world. God also grants Christians the desire for their bodies to become shaped and moulded as instruments of worship. As with any instrument, however, this process can require careful fine-tuning.
Awareness
The good news meets us in our disordered desires, offering us a lifeline when we are drowning in overwhelming temptation.
When trying to set boundaries for ourselves, we must first begin with the knowledge that we are in need of a Savior. Ephesians 1:7 shows us the incredible freedom we find in acknowledging Jesus as Lord of our life. “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight…” This good news meets us in our disordered desires, offering us a lifeline when we are drowning in overwhelming temptation. Confessing Christ’s kingship and seeking God’s forgiveness from our stubborn rebellion against him is the most crucial step in finding eternal freedom from bondage. Christ died for our sins so that we didn’t have to, offering full pardon and a joy-filled eternity for those who proclaim him as their Lord and Savior.
When we are in Christ, we have the Holy Spirit’s help in asking God to lovingly and somewhat painfully reveal where we are stumbling. Psalm 69:5 tells us, “O God, you know my folly; the wrongs I have done are not hidden from you.” Because he has created our inmost being (Psalm 139:13), he knows us inside and out.
It takes humility and courage to submit ourselves to the Lord, praying for him to reveal our shortcomings. Our own awareness can firstly begin with crying out to the Lord, asking him for wisdom and knowledge of our frailty. Even fasting for a period of time can sharpen our hunger to know more about what God would reveal to us about our sin. Searching scripture and reading accounts of how Christ responded to temptation can further embolden us to take our weaknesses more seriously.
Becoming convicted to change our response about these things is the first step.
Perhaps it is seething anger that rests in our hearts, aimed towards an individual or cause to which we have no personal connection. Perhaps we struggle with secret addiction, or we simply spend too much time engrossed with our device. Perhaps we are allowing ourselves to wallow in anxiety about the state of the world, inviting an onslaught of bad news to take precedence in our thoughts. Becoming convicted to change our response about these things is the first step. This is ultimately the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, shining a light on the secret places within ourselves where we have allowed sin to take root.
Accountability
The second step in this process is pursuing accountability. This effort can take many forms and by God’s grace, there are a surprising number of resources available to this end. The first layer of accountability that is most valuable is allowing people into our life who are willing to come alongside us. Galatians 6:1-5 speaks on this issue, perfectly illustrating the crucial bonds of fellowship and transparency amongst believers: “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbour. For each will have to bear his own load.”
There are now seemingly endless salves out there to assuage the near-constant digital friction we encounter.
Perhaps this requires us to share our weaknesses with our spouse or brothers and sisters within the church. We can seek out an elder from our local church for wisdom and prayer. When the Lord has rightly convicted our hearts towards repentance, let the next step be to seek out those who would share our burdens. Once again, this takes humility and painful transparency. However, if we broach the topic of digital idolatry and how we can be lured by the temptations our personal devices hold, we may be surprised to know how many people are struggling with the same thing. Raising the alarm about this struggle can bring others to a greater degree of self-awareness as well.
A second layer of practical accountability that we can avail ourselves of is to lean into functions available on our phones. Deleting applications and blocking certain websites can greatly reduce the lure of stepping into digital traffic. Turning off non-essential notifications and disabling alerts will diminish distraction, allowing us to focus on what is happening in front of us. Utilizing online accountability services (of which there are many!) will also limit the content we have access to and flag the very things we are trying to avoid. Using minimalist phone apps can alter the settings on our phone to create a less distracting environment. There is always the option to turn on Do Not Disturb during the timeframes that we should be focused on more important things. There are now seemingly endless salves out there to assuage the near-constant digital friction we encounter. Being creative and accessing the God-given resources at our disposal can greatly unencumber us from temptations.
Fleeing
Fleeing from sin is a third and final step that may sound extreme to some but necessary for others. Proverbs 4:23 admonishes readers to, “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” Here, we are charged with a solemn responsibility to stand guard over what we allow within our well. What we possess in this well, when drawn out from us, will either be nourishing or tainting in its composition. Just as Joseph ran from the temptation that Potiphar’s wife tried to lure him into (Genesis 39), so too should we look for a hasty exit when we recognize a pitfall.
We have the option to prune and train, shape and mould our content in ways that help us to resist the temptation of falling into anger, envy, anxiety, idolatry, etc.
Practically, this could involve taking lengthy periods of time away from our personal devices. An extended break can allow our brains and bodies the chance to rely on healthier and more rewarding pursuits. A pause can allow us time to reconnect with our families, focus on the delights God has placed all around us or provide more time for personal devotions. If we still find the siren call of upgraded technology to be too alluring, there is the option to transition to simple tech from yesteryear. Although this may seem unimaginable in a world that relies so heavily on smart technology, there is a small revival of simple feature phones!
We can look at it this way: if we are the proud owner of a canine companion, going for a walk with them can go one of two ways. If our dog is well-trained, we can stroll alongside them in a leisurely fashion, trusting they will not take advantage of a slack lead. However, if our companion is frenetic and untrained, it will be very unclear as to who is walking whom. They will strain and tug, leading us to where it best suits them, not us.
So too, our phone can be a friendly and benign assistant to us. We have the option to prune and train, shape and mould our content in ways that help us to resist the temptation of falling into anger, envy, anxiety, idolatry, etc. However, if we allow this device to run unchecked with no safeguards in place, it is rather we who are being led along by our phone’s calculated algorithm. Ultimately, our decision boils down to: who is walking whom?
Freedom in Christ
The good news imparted to us in 1 Corinthians 10:13 is this: “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”
If we choose to erect safeguards, establish healthy accountability, and root out unhealthy seeds that are being sown in our minds and hearts, our personal devices can become life-altering tools for our benefit.
The Lord, in his goodness, has provided us ways in which we can be more intentional about how our time is spent. God is ultimately faithful and has made provisions for us to endure the shaky ground of a fallen world. If we choose to erect safeguards, establish healthy accountability, and root out unhealthy seeds that are being sown in our minds and hearts, our personal devices can become life-altering tools for our benefit.
Romans 8:5-7 tells us, “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.”
We are left with a choice: we can feed ourselves with brief and fleeting moments of satisfaction. These moments fill us up for a time but soon create the hunger and craving for further sustenance. Alternatively, we can choose things that will nourish our hearts and minds forever, setting our focus on Christ and pursuing peace. Will we allow our social media algorithms to tempt us along or will we seek the Lord’s help and God-given resources to keep us from straying into temptation? It is good news indeed that we are not alone in this endeavour. The Holy Spirit is able to convict and empower us to pursue Christ first. Let us lean into the Lord’s strength when we are feeling tossed about in the tides of temptation, for he alone has the power to provide us the strength to withstand.
