Genesis 11:4a
They said, “Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name…”
There’s no better place on earth than an airport to get a feel for the culture. Right before Christmas, I traveled via air to the East Coast to see my parents. I did not think it would be possible for humans to become more addicted to their smartphones, but I was mistaken. As I was checking in with security at the airport, the young lady in line ahead of me was transfixed with TikTok, and she was holding up the line behind her. Finally, a TSA agent told her she should view TikTok later. Once I got on board the plane, ninety percent of the passengers were looking at handheld screens. I felt the living were not living; most had become slaves to their technology.
Residing in Austin, I routinely see people drive cars while scrolling on their smartphones. In the past month, I have witnessed a hospital nurse in an intensive care unit distracted by her smartphone. As a teacher in high school, I witness daily how technology has negatively impacted social skills. I am sure most of the readers of this blog post can share the same stories. As a society, we are losing our ability to thrive in the way God created us.
Forfeiting God-Given Abilities
The irony of this blog is that the website platform, Wix, now uses Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) to suggest titles for posts. The feature is new this month, and it was not lost on me as I began to write on this subject of A.I. It seems we have arrived in an era when men no longer have to think. We are happy to be mindless drones. Creative writing and artistic abilities are up for grabs.
But God created man in His Own image (Genesis 1:26-27). This means that our intellectual nature and reasoning abilities are derived from Him. Sadly, we seem more than content to give up God-given talents to technology and the perceived promise of A.I. This action is engaged under the umbrella of “human progress” and pride. Men are excited as they turn to sloth while allowing A.I. to perform work and think for them. This conditioning began long ago, and tragically, we are more than willing to call this creation a god and become slaves to it.
Technology (internet, social media applications, and now AI) has generated a preoccupation that takes eyes off the Creator and redirects focus on self. Consequently, this focus has dumbed us down. However, people are enthralled with the world’s new capabilities. Some “entrepreneurial minds” even point to the salvation of humanity through technology.
The Antichrist Spirit and the Tower of A.I.
Historically, human progress is rarely engaged to glorify Yahweh. Conversely, many of our technological accomplishments are conducted in a rebellious spirit. The pride of life has men elevate themselves and not the Creator.
For example, the misuse of man’s abilities harkens back to the Tower of Babel. Genesis 11:4a states, “They said, ‘Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name.’” God had restated His command to populate the earth after the flood (Genesis 9:7). Instead, men took it upon themselves to congregate and build for their name, not God’s glory.
In 2023, A.I. development has led to somewhat of an electronic ouija board, fascinating people of all ages. It can give answers to questions and even give opinions based on secular input. In short, the machine is being trained by the antichrist spirit of the world. I believe it is appropriate to call it demonic.
Tech leaders who deny Christ lead the way in displaying this “new magic” to the public. These men are not setting forth to glorify Christ but to advance their own ambitions. In turn, many hope to create an artificial intelligence that cannot be contained, an all-knowing god built on secular ideologies. And many will be more than willing to submit themselves to this latest false god. Some are predicting an event called the singularity in which A.I. will become unstoppable and self-contained. A few have updated their
The obvious tragedy for countless souls is the rejection of God and His Son, Jesus. While fallen men reject an eternal, all-knowing, pre-existing God, they will actually believe in a supposed limitless intelligence that they create. See the contradiction and rebellion here?
Do Not Admire the World, Proceed with Caution
It may ring harsh to many, but the world and its systems are definitively antichrist. How can I come to such a concrete conclusion? Is this my opinion? No. Scripture tells us the world and its programs are opposed to God. Jesus Himself acknowledged Satan as ruler of this world (John 12:30-31). Furthermore, Satan claimed his delegated authority over the world when tempting Christ (Luke 4:5-7).
Beyond the temptation of Christ, Jesus and His disciples described the dark reality of the world system (John 12:30-31; Ephesians 2:1-2; 1 John 2:15-18). The mindset, hopes, and dreams of society belong to darkness. The satanic spirit encompasses our educational, economic, and technological systems. God is indeed sovereign, but Satan possesses control of the hearts and minds of nonbelievers, which make up the vast majority of people. However, this life is a definitive test, and it will meet God’s purposes with the world’s final destruction. It is impossible to circumvent Yaweh!
With respect to the world’s technology, I know my own limitations. I can spend too much time online and lose focus on the things of God. That aspect governs how much I post here; I limit myself to one blog post per month.
In closing, I desire that I and my readers live life outside of the internet. Go fellowship with other believers and find ways to serve! Get to know others and find needs. Doing the things of God are mostly not found in cyberspace and in artificial intelligence. Life is in Christ only, it does not flourish in man’s contrived realities or temporal achievements.
1 John 5:21
Little children, guard yourselves from idols.
Jeremiah 17:5
Thus says the LORD, “Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind
And makes flesh his strength,
And whose heart turns away from the LORD.”
Luke 4:5-7
And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, "I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours.”
John 12:30-31
Jesus answered and said, "This voice has not come for My sake, but for your sakes. Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.”
2 Corinthians 4:3-6
And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
Ephesians 2:1-2
And you were a dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.
Ephesians 5:15-16
Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.
1 Peter 5:6-8
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
2 Peter 3:10
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.
1 John 2:15-18
Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever. Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour.
1 John 5:18-21
We know that no one who is born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him. We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. Little children, guard yourselves from idols.