The same knife a surgeon uses to save a life can be a weapon of murder in the hands of a thug. So it is with many things in life, including social media. The same platforms used to communicate truth can also propagate error and division. At a more personal level, our social media engagements can facilitate helpful relationships. Of course, there is nothing wrong with family updates, sharing prayer requests, or fun photos from a special memory. Yet, even the most tame of posts can also prove to be a significant time-waster and a major distraction from more meaningful commitments.

The same knife a surgeon uses to save a life can be a weapon of murder in the hands of a thug. So it is with many things in life, including social media. The same platforms used to communicate truth can also propagate error and division.

John Piper has noted, “One of the great uses of Twitter and Facebook will be to prove at the Last Day that prayerlessness was not from lack of time.” Insightful and convicting words. Recently, I have been contemplating another subtle but spiritually devastating function of social media that can actually be a ploy of Satan.

“One of the great uses of Twitter and Facebook will be to prove at the Last Day that prayerlessness was not from lack of time.” John Piper

The Motive Behind the Message

Jesus warned His disciples in Matthew 6:1, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.” Later, in Matthew 23:5, Jesus called out the Pharisees, stating, “They do all their deeds to be seen by others.” Jesus observed that whether one was a humble disciple or a notable religious leader, the temptation toward creating a “platform” to showcase one’s spiritually notable deeds was a major motivational mistake with eternal consequences.

Jesus observed that whether one was a humble disciple or a notable religious leader, the temptation toward creating a “platform” to showcase one’s spiritually notable deeds was a major motivational mistake with eternal consequences.

Why Would it Matter?

Let’s be honest. We’ve all seen it and been tempted to do it. The posts that seem to communicate more braggadocio than blessing are common. Truthfully, we do not know the motivation of others, and sometimes are even unsure of our own (1 Corinthians 4:3-4). Yet, Paul gives a riveting warning about the final score on our motives: “Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God” (1 Corinthians 4:5-6). God knows the spiritual motive behind every social media post and will someday disclose those things that were for self-glory and reward those things that were for His.

In a similar vein, Paul wrote about doing all things on the foundation of, and focus on, the person and glory of Jesus alone. He warned, ”Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—Each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire” (1 Corinthians 3: 12-15).

In Matthew 12:35–37 Jesus revealed that our words (and in today’s context — our posts) reflect a heart issue: “The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” Again, the consequences of these matters are eternal. They are not just significant for the few minutes our Twitter posts fly past the smartphone screen of a casual observer.

“I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” Jesus

Why Would Satan Care?

Clearly, for the sake of the health of our own soul and in the interest of eternal reward we should be very careful about our use of social media. But, why would this be a matter of spiritual warfare? Why drag Satan into this topic?

Of course, I am not saying that any social media post that fails to mention Jesus is motivated by Satan. That would be extreme. But Satan’s ultimate target is the glory and wonder of Jesus Christ – not just here on earth, but in eternity.

Here is what I have come to understand: If Satan cannot ruin our Christian testimony here on earth he will seek to rob us of our reward in eternity by tempting us toward skewed motives. The devil’s ultimate aim is to diminish the glory of Jesus Christ – both now and forever. If our selfish intentions and glory-seeking hearts can rob us of eternal reward, then our ultimate honor of Jesus in heaven is diminished.

If Satan cannot ruin our Christian testimony here on earth he will seek to rob us of our reward in eternity by tempting us toward skewed motives.

Someday, when this brief life is over and all social media is annihilated, our participation in heaven will look like this: “They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, ^‘Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created’” (Revelation 4:10–11). Our crowns of reward will represent our capacity to bring glory to Jesus Christ.

Reflecting with Eternal Reward and Glory in View

With this in mind, we are wise to ask ourselves some hard questions about our attraction to use social media as a platform to communicate to an endless audience of potential followers – and admirers.

• Am I truly content with my life events and ministry efforts if no one on social media knows about them?
• Am I deeply satisfied with doing what I do for an “Audience of One” and His glory — not for the approval of others?
• Am I posting for the “likes” of people or out of my love for Jesus?
• Am I seeking to communicate truth that will edify others and honor the Lord or am I showcasing deeds and events that bring attention to me?

There are more diagnostic questions, I am sure, but just this handful is convicting enough — at least for me.

Connecting the Dots

First Corinthians 10:31 guides all of our motives and “messages” with these words: ”So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” John Piper clarifies, “If we think that what we do makes God glorious, we blaspheme. If we aim in what we do to display God’s glory, we worship…. We must join the Bible in saying that the goal is to glorify him by seeing and savoring and showing him as the greatest beauty and treasure in the universe.” [i]

We are ultimately wise to connect the dots between all that we do on earth and the eternal glory of Jesus in eternity, which is our ultimate calling in life (1 Peter 5:10). This applies even to our social media habits.

We are ultimately wise to connect the dots between all that we do on earth and the eternal glory of Jesus in eternity, which is our ultimate calling in life (1 Peter 5:10). This applies even to our social media habits.

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If you want to learn more about your calling to Christ’s eternal glory, the motives in life that honor Him, and the various aspects of your eternal reward — get your copy of our helpful book Glorious Finish. It is especially helpful to those in ministry leadership but expressly beneficial for every Christian desiring to finish well for the glory of Jesus.

Find out more HERE.

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Here is wisdom from some trusted voices. A.W. Tozer challenges us, “I can only hope that you are wise enough, desirous enough, and spiritual enough to face up to the truth that every day is another day of spiritual preparation, another day of testing and discipline with our heavenly destination in mind.”[ii] D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones affirmed, “This life of ours on earth is but a preparatory one…. Go back and look at your life and put it into the context of eternity. Stop and ask yourself what it all means. It is nothing but a preparatory school. This life is but the antechamber of eternity and all we do in this world is but anticipatory of that.” [iii]

Perhaps the bottom-line lesson is this:

Oh, be careful little heart what you post,

Oh, be careful little heart what you post,

For the Father up above

Is looking down in love

So be careful little heart what you post.

Copyright ©2021 Daniel Henderson. All rights reserved.

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[i] John Piper, Expository Exultation: Christian Preaching as Worship (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2018), 206–208.

[ii] W. Tozer, Tozer for the Christian Leaders: A 365-Day Devotional (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2001), December 26 entry.

[iii] Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Its Cure (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1965), 200–201.