“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.” Colossians 2:8

When my friend spoke to the television the first time I was startled.  But, when he did it the second and third time, I started to notice.       

Scott was a friend a couple of years older.  He was one of my spiritual heroes.  His love for the Lord was visible, and his commitment to serve Him made him different.  I loved spending time with him and was so honored whenever he would make time for me in his busy schedule. 

This particular day we were not out running around, we were just sitting around watching a football game (Go Seahawks!), but whenever a commercial would come on that emphasized sex, alcohol, or something vain and shallow, he would literally talk to the TV:  “That is a lie.” 

In effect, what he was doing was verbally rejecting the philosophies of the world that were based in attitudes contrary to scripture.  He knew scripture taught dating relationships were not the ultimate goal of life so when a commercial implied that, he would whisper, “That is a lie.” 

When a beer commercial boldly stated that if you drank their beer you would have a better quality of life, be more popular, or be happier, he would say, “That is a lie.” 

See, Scott had already determined that he was not going to be taken captive by hollow and deceptive philosophies based in human tradition, so rather than just accept the lies floating around, he rejected them.   

The next time you are sitting down watching television with your parents, I want you to do the same thing.  When a commercial comes on indicating that you need something other than Jesus to be truly happy, peaceful, or free, take your index finger, point it at the television and say, “That is a lie.”

Actually, you don’t have to say the words out loud.  Most of you wouldn’t anyway.  But, my prayer for you is that your antennae for deception would go up. Whenever anyone tries to sell you something that is not based in scripture, I pray an alarm would go off in your heart that would remind you that you know the truth and that everything else is a lie.

Talk to your TV

What would life look like if you reacted to all of the messages that were contrary to scripture by immediately recognizing that they were lies?  Would your faith be stronger? Would you be seduced by those lies as often?  How can you work to implement these things into your life?     

Make a list of the most common lies that you see, hear, and tend to believe on one side of a page.  On the other side find a scripture that shares the truth about these things.  This exercise will give you some ammunition as you seek to protect your heart and belief system.