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The Spiritual Dangers of Digital Propaganda: A Biblical Defense Against False Teachers

This week, I added my voice to an ongoing and vital conversation. Drawing on two decades of engineering experience, as well as my work on the Technology Influence Board for the BCS—a global organization across 150 countries committed to using tech for societal good—I recognize a severe crisis of discernment.

I am writing to authoritatively address how digital platforms are being weaponized by influencers. As a Christian Zionist, I see an urgent need to expose the spiritual dangers of clickbait and propaganda. In an age when social media algorithms and viral outrage shape what many believe, modern digital propaganda—characterized by astroturfing, hyper-partisan echo chambers, and weaponized disinformation—is increasingly fracturing Christian unity.

Promoted by figures such as Candace Owens, Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, and Alex Jones, the use of computational propaganda degrades shared objective realities, leading believers astray from foundational truths. While these commentators often wrap their political agendas in theological phrases to appeal to a conservative Christian audience, a closer look at Scripture reveals that their tactics are thousands of years old. They closely mirror the biblical pathology of false teachers, whom the Apostle Peter warned would use “feigned words” and fabricated stories to exploit their followers for personal gain.

Part I: The Four Pillars of Modern False Teaching

The rhetoric used by these pundits is deeply fracturing the church. By creating an “us vs. them” mentality, this clickbait is designed to agitate the sinful nature and impact the bonds of Christian unity. Scripture identifies four defining traits of this deception:

1. The Rejection of Objective Truth

John 8:44: “Ye are of your father the devil… He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”

The spread of baseless conspiracy theories is not just “alternative media”; it aligns with the “father of lies.” When influencers use their platforms to promote Holocaust distortion or accuse Israeli rabbis of bribing Christian pastors with bitcoin, they are bearing false witness to generate outrage. This replaces objective truth with “wicked thoughts” and conflict.

2. Covetousness and “Feigned Words”

2 Peter 2:3: “And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you…”

The overarching trait of false teachers is a greedy desire for more. They treat their followers as commercial goods to be traded for profit, relying on a form of modern “delusional mysticism.” Acting as modern-day Gnostics who claim to possess the “secret truth” about the government or global events, they weaponize anxieties to convert trust into third-rate, low-quality podcast downloads, merchandise sales, and subscription revenue.

3. The Destruction of Sound Doctrine

Colossians 3:9: “Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;”

Lying is a defining characteristic of the unregenerate human nature. Deceit within the church is utterly destructive. Tucker Carlson, for example, has used his platform to attack evangelical pastors who support Israel, declaring their theology “deranged” and labeling them “false prophets.” Similarly, Candace Owens has suggested that Calvary Chapel churches are “infiltrated” by military operatives running psychological operations.

4. Pride, Arrogance, and Sowing Discord

Proverbs 6:16-19: “These six things doth the Lord hate… A proud look, a lying tongue… and he that soweth discord among brethren.”

The clickbait generated by these influencers thrives on arrogance and the destruction of reputations. They act as “false witnesses” when they weaponize theological phrases—like twisting “Christ is King” into an antisemitic whistle—to sow discord. Because their business model requires constant controversy to stay relevant, they prioritize viral outrage over the peace, truth, and humility required of the Christian walk.

The Divine Verdict on Ill-Gotten Wealth

Monetizing fabricated stories to persecute honest Christians who live a consecrated life, or twisting the Gospel into a political weapon, is a spiritual dead end. Wealth accumulated through deceit carries a divine curse. God views this prosperity as entirely hollow:

• Proverbs 10:2: “Ill-gotten treasures have no lasting value, but righteousness delivers from death.”
• Proverbs 13:11: “Wealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished…”
• Jeremiah 17:11: “Like the partridge that gathers a brood that she did not hatch, so is he who gets riches but not by justice; in the midst of his days they will leave him, and at his end he will be a fool.”

Part II: The Apostolic Warning ( 2 Peter 2)

The Second Epistle of Peter stands as one of the New Testament’s most fervent warnings against ecclesiastical heresy. Moving from the exaltation of “true prophets,” Peter establishes a fundamental biblical paradigm: wherever God establishes authentic revelation, adversarial forces will inevitably introduce counterfeit doctrines to subvert the truth.

2 Peter 2:1-3: “But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them… And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words…”

• Verse 1: Secret Infiltration: False teachers are prophesied to emerge directly from within the Christian congregation. They do not attack as hostile outsiders; they operate covertly (“privily”). This explains our initial familiarity with figures like Candace and Tucker—they originated as trusted insiders. Their end goal is to create schismatic factions, ultimately leading to a total repudiation of the Savior.
• Verse 2: Blasphemy of Orthodox Truth: Doctrinal error rarely remains intellectual; it descends into behavioral falsehood. When false teachers lead believers into sensationalism and fleshly indulgence, the inevitable sociological result is that the “way of truth” is blasphemed and brought into disrepute among the secular world.

• Verse 3: The Commodification of Saints: Possessed by the same demonic spirit as Simon Magus (who sought to purchase the Holy Spirit’s power for personal glory), these false teachers view the church not as a flock requiring sacrificial shepherding, but as a lucrative commodity. Yet, their judgment is not “idle.” God’s destruction is awake and rapidly approaching.

Simon Magus, the sorcerer, was cursed when he attempted to merchandise the power of the Holy Spirit

Part III: The Unchanging Covenants

The Bible reveals several unchanging, structural characteristics of those who falsely claim to speak for God. This pathology has remained identical across millennia:

1. Origin Within the Community: Like the New Testament warnings, Old Testament false prophets arose “among the people” (Deut. 13:1-4), acting as internal saboteurs.
2. Motivations of Greed: Jeremiah noted that false prophets “from the least of them to the greatest, all are greedy for gain” (Jeremiah 6:13), perfectly mirroring New Testament swindlers (1 Timothy 6:5).
3. The Promise of False Peace: False prophets continuously promised “Peace, peace; when there is no peace” (Jeremiah 6:14), assuring rebels that disaster would not strike. Modern influencers create a partial, empty gospel that flatters the flesh, tickles itching ears (2 Timothy 4:3-4), and removes all warnings of divine judgment.
4. Delusions of Their Own Minds: True prophets speak strictly from God’s Word. False teachers rely on subjective emotions, fabricated clickbait, and misinformation, claiming extra-biblical revelation rather than anchoring their teaching in objective Scripture (Jeremiah 14:14).

Case Studies of Divine Judgment

The Scriptures provide immutable precedents of God’s vengeance against false teachers who usurp by becoming impostors and twist the truth:

• Balaam (The Archetype of Compromise): Commissioned to curse Israel, Balaam’s heart was consumed by the love of money. Unable to prophesy a curse, he subversively counseled the enemy to use women to seduce Israelite men into immorality. His greed-fueled madness was famously rebuked by his own donkey, and he was ultimately executed by the sword (Numbers 22-24)
• (2 Peter 2:15 They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man’s voice restrained the madness of the prophet.)

• Korah (The Imposter & Usurper): Masking personal ambition with spiritual egalitarianism, Korah mobilized a rebellion against Moses, asking, “Why then do you set yourselves above the Lord’s assembly?” God’s judgment was swift: the earth swallowed Korah alive, permanently authenticating divine leadership (Numbers 16).

• Elymas (The Agent of Spiritual Blindness): In Acts 13, Elymas the sorcerer aggressively sought to turn a Roman proconsul away from the faith. The Apostle Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, publicly rebuked him as a “son of the devil,” striking him with temporary blindness.

• Hymenaeus, Philetus, and Alexander (The Blasphemous Heretics): Teaching the deadly heresy that the resurrection had already taken place, these men were destroying the faith of many. Paul utilized the ultimate form of ecclesiastical discipline, “handing them over to the devil” so they would be taught not to blaspheme (1 Timothy 1:19-20).
• The phrase “handed over to the devil” (paradidomi) is a solemn judicial act of excommunication, mirroring the discipline commanded in 1 Corinthians 5 I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. 10 Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person.12 For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? 
• Turn away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery, they deceive the hearts of the naive.” — Romans 16:18    

• Jezebel of Thyatira (The Prophetess of Compromise): In Revelation 2, Yeshua fiercely condemns the church for tolerating a self-appointed prophetess who seduced believers into sexual immorality and idolatry. Because she arrogantly refused to repent, Christ promised a terrifying physical judgment, proving that divine tolerance has an absolute, unyielding limit.

Revelation 2:18 -23 These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass: “I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first. Nevertheless, I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. Indeed, I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.

Part IV: The Consequences of Unshielded Exposure

Allowing false doctrine to take root, even passively, carries devastating, compounding consequences:

• Individual Spiritual Infection: The Apostle Paul compares false teaching to gangrene (2 Timothy 2:17). If a believer entertains false teachers—even under the guise of intellectual curiosity—the devil nourishes those seeds into bitter, faith-destroying fruit. Believers become spiritual infants, “tossed back and forth by the waves” (Ephesians 4:14), leading to a destabilized walk devoid of joy and power.
• Institutional Discord & Eternal Consequence: At the corporate level, false teaching is the primary engine of schism. By smooth talk and flattery, they deceive the naive (Romans 16:18). Paying attention to them inadvertently gives them a platform to infect other homes. Ultimately, the severest echelons of hell are reserved for those who intentionally subvert the truth and trample the Son of God underfoot
• (Hebrews 10: ²⁶ For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, ²⁷ but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. ²⁸ Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. ²⁹ Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? ³⁰ For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. And again, “The Lord will judge His people.” ³¹ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.)

Part V: How Do We Live in a World of Deception?

Given the insidious nature of false teaching, discernment is no longer an optional luxury; it is an absolute requirement for spiritual survival. When countering modern lies—specifically those seeking to sever the Christian faith from its roots—you must develop robust defenses:

1. Acknowledge the Unbreakable Covenant with Israel

Countering the lies of modern clickbait requires recognizing that aligning against Israel carries severe spiritual consequences. God’s covenant with Abraham is unconditional (Genesis 12:3). In an ecosystem driven by outrage, the believer’s mandated posture is intercession (Psalm 122:6). As Paul confirms in Romans 11, God’s gifts and call are irrevocable; the Church has not replaced Israel. Gentile believers must remember they are grafted into the heritage of Israel, not the other way around.

2. Reliance on the Canon of Scripture

The primary shield against false doctrine is an exhaustive, daily knowledge of the Scriptures. Be like the “noble-minded Bereans” (Acts 17:10-11), who searched the Scriptures daily to verify apostolic claims. Refuse to automatically accept everything you hear, regardless of a communicator’s charisma or animated stunts. Evaluate whether a teacher respects historical context, or if they shift the standard of truth to their own emotions and cultural norms.

3. Testing the Spirits and Evaluating Fruit

We are explicitly commanded not to exhibit gullibility: “Test the spirits to see whether they are from God” (1 John 4:1). False prophets operate in sheep’s clothing, but they are inwardly ravenous wolves (harpax—swindlers/extortioners). Their true fruit inevitably manifests as greed, moral compromise, and exploitation (Matthew 7:15-16). The clearest litmus test is how they portray God; if the Almighty is reduced to a cosmic butler or a facilitator of human outrage, the teaching is unequivocally false.

4. The Ministry of the Holy Spirit and Accountability

The Holy Spirit acts as the internal guardian of truth (1 John 2:26-27). When you experience a sudden lack of peace regarding a media presentation, the Holy Spirit is issuing a warning to move away. Furthermore, God has appointed pastors to guard the flock. A critical element of pastoral protection is actively refuting error and ‘naming names.’ A shepherd who prioritizes a reputation for being ‘nice’ over the truth acts as a hireling. In this same spirit, corporate faith chapters must boldly identify those operating as false teachers.

Prayer

Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, I come before You asking for forgiveness. I repent for elevating the opinions of political and cultural pundits above the authority of Scripture. Forgive me for allowing clickbait, manufactured outrage, and digital demagoguery to harden my heart and fracture my unity with the believers in my faith community. Holy Spirit, equip me with a robust defense against false teachings. Protect my mind from spiritual manipulation and help me to recognize those who use Your name for earthly gain. Cleanse my heart, renew my focus, and keep me faithfully walking in Your truth alone. In Yeshua’s holy name, Amen