Humans are creatures of propaganda.
In 2 Peter 3:1, the apostle tells his audience that he is intentionally writing to them again with the purpose of "stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder." When God formed us from the dust of the ground, He made us as creatures that were meant to be shaped. In the Westminster Shorter Catechism (Question 88), we are introduced to what are commonly called the means of grace: prayer, scripture, and the sacraments. These are meant to be the regular tools of daily life that God uses as He works in us and conforms us into the image of Christ.
Paul, in Philippians 4:8, commands the following: "whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." Scripture recognizes that, left to our own devices and natural state, "our heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick" (Jeremiah 17:9). The common refrain of modern times - "follow your heart" - stems from the oldest temptation in the Book (Genesis 3). We need the truth of God's word and the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives on a regular basis to teach and remind us of what is true and shape our heart, soul, strength, and minds.
However, our Adversary knows this truth all too well. A general principle is that the forces of evil tend to corrupt what is good, rather than create de novo. This is true of our created purpose to be shaped by something outside of ourselves. Recognizing that we are malleable creatures, the Devil has wasted no effort in creating His own legions of opposing forces that are intended to shape us. But instead of pointing us towards Christ, these forces shape and harden us deeper into our own sinful nature and unto the ends of Satan himself.
The current political, media, and entertainment landscape has not been spared. After all, though both God and the Devil use fleshly tools at times and as secondary means, the ultimate battle is a spiritual one (Ephesians 6:12). It should not surprise us that our Enemy has intentionally tried to capture institutions and common means to shape our hearts and minds against our Creator.
Edward Bernays (1881-1995) was, as his obituary states, the "father of public relations." He worked closely in public relations with various governmental and corporate entities over the course of his storied career with the explicit end of shaping public opinion and action. He even wrote a book aptly entitled Propaganda, in which he explains the following:
"The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country... We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of... In almost every act of our daily lives, whether in the sphere of politics or business, in our social conduct or our ethical thinking, we are dominated by the relatively small number of persons... who understand the mental processes and social patterns of the masses. It is they who pull the wires which control the public mind.”
In a world where history is written by the victors, and yet conveniently the good guys always seem to win, thinking critically and from first principles is hardly encouraged. But an important part of being "wise as serpents" (Matthew 16:10) and understanding the times (1 Chronicles 12:32) is dividing truth from deception and being mindful that being shaped is inevitable - we are programmable creatures, after all - but we should be intentional about what forces we are allowing into our lives, and particularly mindful of the reactions that are stirred in us by the various forces to which we are exposed.
I have written previously about the power of social media, both in its potential usefulness and also in its ability algorithmically shape us. But this truth extends to many domains - the news we consume, the shows we watch, the books we read, the music we listen to - the list goes on. Music is a particularly interesting rabbit trail - as malleable creatures, different frequencies and keys have measurable effects on our cognition, our nervous system, and ultimately our ability to think clearly. The lyrics catechize us, whether we are aware of it or not. It would not be much of an exaggeration to say that much of modern music is overt warfare on the soul. But we understand the broader spiritual battle, we should not be surprised.
Therefore, brothers - be wise and understanding men. Be self-controlled, and discipline yourselves and train your hearts and minds (1 Corinthians 9:24-27). Be intentional in what you allow into your life, understanding that everything you interact with is shaping you in some way. Expose yourselves regularly to the means of grace, choose your friends carefully (Proverbs 27:17), and be particularly mindful of what you choose to occupy your mind and time. Do not let your guard down if you choose to use tools like social media, and be intentional even with the entertainment you regularly consume when it comes to shows, music, and books. Be mindful of the reactions that are elicited from you by various means and question the intentions of those providing that stimulus. Information warfare is a powerful tool of our enemy, but remember that even in this the Devil is only corrupting what God intended for sanctification, for our good, and for His glory.
