“The Great Deception” in Real Time
The Bible tells us that, before the Great Tribulation, there will be other “greats”; even though they are not termed exactly that way, they are great events indeed.
There is what is called the Great Apostasy (II Thess. 2:3) and the Great Expansion of Knowledge (Dan. 12:4). There will be great earthquakes (Rev. 6:12), as well as great “signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, the very elect,” performed by “false christs and false prophets” (Matt. 24:24).
The greatest of “the greats” is the sum total of several greats, and what I call the Great Deception, and it’s in full swing right now. And the kingdom of Christendom in the world is not excluded. As a matter of fact, the Christian world has always been a hotbed for deception.
Daily headlines often give the impression that the world is spinning out of control, but, of course, it is not; the world, and all that is in it, is under the absolute sovereign hand of our Creator, God.
Yet, between “wars and rumors of wars” around the globe, domestic cultural classes far and wide, and the relentless flood of information about it all, nearly all of humanity feels overwhelmed. I pray that this late hour of insanity, running wild, is also serving for good, and not only for evil. I pray that it is driving multitudes to their knees, where they will say along with me, “I would have lost heart, unless I had believed,” and find rest in Him.
So, lay aside for a moment the two major wars going on, a fresh series of major earthquakes, steadily-increasing Christian persecutions, and the recent surrender of the United Kingdom and most of Europe to Islam –– and for just a moment consider the mental fatigue and brain damage done by the flood of information at our fingertips that we are saturating as if there’s no tomorrow. That alone is a cause for major alarm!
It’s as if the whole world, every tribe, nation, and tongue, is in the same room and all are talking at the same time – sharing everything from how to make cornbread in Bangladesh to how to create a social revolution in America! Egad!
Social media has already become the go-to source for billions of people, and that number is increasing every second!
Sqmagazine.co.uk reports the following:
Key 2026 Daily Usage Stats
- Total Users: ~5.79 billion
- Global Population Usage: ~69.9%
- Average Daily Time Spent: ~2 hrs. and 21 min.
- Gen Z Daily Time Spent: ~3.2 hrs. (2.0 billion)
- New Users per Second: ~9.3
- Platforms used: ~6-7 per person
And while everyone on social media is not in bondage to it (and many benefit from it, even using it for good), just imagine, if you can, the fog of mind warfare that’s going on in the heads of billions of people today who are hypnotized by it! Again, 70% of humanity spends almost 2.5 hours a day on it, and of that 70%, nearly half, or ~32%, spend between 3 – 5 hours per day in a digital reality.
Couple those stats with the fact that, according to U. S. PIRG, a consumer watchdog, a whopping 74% of users have trouble distinguishing between human and AI-generated content! And the perfection of AI-generated material has only just begun!
Estimated 2026 (technologychecker.io)
- Total Internet Traffic (Bots): 51% – 57.4%
- Social Media Engagement: 40% – 50%
- Business Social Media Content (AI): ~48%
- Overall Online Content (AI/Synthetic): Up to 90%
And we thought regional wars were the worst thing going on! Boy, is that ever a wrong assumption! And none of these stats take into account the increase in suicides due to social media, the millions of hours absorbed in online games, etc.
Of course, wars are horrific! It’s unimaginable that people would mercilessly slaughter other people for territory, money, and power; thank God, He’s given superior military power to some, especially to these United States of America, to defend against and even to roll back maniacal despots.
But more than a quarter of a century ago, I began saying what I believe to be true today – the greatest disaster happening right now is not war, it’s not famine, it’s not Christian persecution, or whole continents surrendering to the barbarianism of Islam – it is deception!
Speaking about the end times in His Olivet Discourse, Jesus warned of deception more than anything else; more than wars, famines, or earthquakes (Matt. 24; Mark 13; Luke 21).
Livingchurch.org puts it like this: “‘It is not overstating it to say that there is an aspect of the demonic in how our modern, algorithmic technology seeks out spiritual and moral weaknesses… It erodes truth, undermines virtues, manipulates our wills, and surrounds us with false idols to worship,’ notes a 2026 theological reflection on digital life.”
Chris Martin, tech commentator and author, says, “Social media acts as a spiritual and cognitive distortion machine that warps our view of reality and bends our will away from God… It’s the systematic, corporately incentivized inversion of Romans 12:1–2…” There, the Apostle Paul writes that we should be “transformed by the renewing of our minds,” – but transformed by the knowledge of God, not by the knowledge of man.
The Assemblies of God reports what is even more alarming (ag.org):
- Only 3% of evangelical Christians in America directly label social media as a tool of Satan, demonic, or from the devil. (That means 97% DO NOT see it as a tool of the enemy! Talk about deception!)
- A whopping 86% of evangelicals ARE NOT concerned about the spread of false doctrine, bad teaching, and outright lies/gossip on these platforms.
- And 85% of Christians DO NOT fear that social media has a negative, deceptive influence on people’s faith.
Pew Research concludes that “A median of 72% of adults across 25 nations consider the spread of false information online to be a ‘major threat’ to their country.”
Sounds like the “sons of this world are more shrewd [wiser] in their generation than the sons of light” (Luke 16:8).
Thousands more statistics reveal similar or the same findings. And social media is but one deadly avenue where deception runs rampant, but it is the greatest, as it is the modern purveyor of most all forms of deception.
Psalm 27:13
“I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the LORD
In the land of the living.”
PS There are many faithful followers of Jesus Christ who are actively posting “things that are true, that are lovely, and of good report” on social media. Thank God that we still have the freedom to do that! Make no mistake about it. It is only because of His mercy that we are still able to engage in social media.
Sharing those kinds of things can serve as a lighthouse on the shore of a restless sea where billions are tossed to and fro, and where millions are searching for safe harbor. By sharing authentic truths grounded in the One who is the Truth, thoughtful Christians throw a lifeline to countless misguided people, giving them hope in Jesus Christ – the only hope for humanity – a sure hope!
