“We are not fighting against humans. We are fighting
against forces and authorities and against rulers of darkness and powers in the
spiritual world.” (Ephesians 6:12, CEV)
When the apostle Paul addressed these words to the believers at Ephesus,
he was undoubtedly warning them of the unseen but very present forces that
sought to attack them and undermine their faith. The modern world has taken the battle with
the unseen into a new arena.
In an NPR broadcast this week,
listeners learned that in the spring the Pentagon suffered large losses of
sensitive data from its computers due to a cyberattack by a foreign government. The report also stated:
At his Senate confirmation hearing last
month, new Defense Secretary Leon Panetta cited "a strong likelihood that
the next Pearl Harbor" could well be a cyberattack that cripples the U.S.
power grid and financial and government systems. He said last weekend that
cybersecurity will be one of the main focuses of his tenure at the Pentagon.
In an age so dependent on computer
systems and digital technology, our nation must not only be prepared to defend
itself on the ground, on the sea, in the air and in space but in cyberspace as
well. There are those who would take
advantage of our dependence on our machines not only to steal from us but to
threaten us physically as well.
We are reminded once again that the
things we create are neither good nor evil.
These are moral standards that apply to how our creations are used. The most beneficial devices can be used for
evil intent. A gun can be used to bring
home food for the family or to kill a person.
We make the choice about its use.
The same is true of our digital devices.
They may be benign in and of themselves, but we must be careful that
they are not used in malicious ways.
For a couple of decades, we have been
aware that there are those who would use the Internet and our computers for
their own purposes—pornography, theft, destruction of reputations, and gambling
among other things. While most of us use
these devices for constructive personal and professional use, others find ways
to turn them to other purposes and are usually the first to benefit financially
from the abuse of new technology. The
choice is a human one with moral implications.
I am not suggesting that we wean
ourselves off the Internet and our digital devices. I am saying that parents,
homeowners, business people, educators, and church leaders must learn how to
protect themselves, their loved ones, and their institutions from those who
would use these conveniences to attack us.
There are “rulers of darkness and powers” who will use their digital knowledge
to take advantage of us, so we must we wise, responsible and proficient as we
live and work in this new world.
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