This should have been common sense. This should have been known as the most fundamental rule of online security. Sadly, one man decided to post all of his passwords online. He was trying to prove that “all this online security stuff is overrated and overhyped.” So, he posted the passwords for his Facebook, Twitter, CNN, and other accounts on a national news website. He mockingly told people to go post for him, change his profile pictures, and whatever else they would like to do. People did just this. All of his accounts were hacked. All of his personal information was found. He later discovered that hackers with some skill could even use his basic information to gain access to his bank account, credit cards, and pretty much anything else they wanted. A short time later, the man admitted this was a terrible idea and now seems to be a believer in online security (Washington Post).

There is no telling what consequences he is now reaping because of his severe lack of common sense. Hopefully, for his sake, it won’t lead to lifelong problems. Whether it is in our homes, cars, or online, it’s never a good idea to drop our security. This seems like common sense, and yet there are times when we drop our security and let threats walk right into our homes.

For people who are so security-minded, sometimes we are surprisingly relaxed when it comes to our spiritual security. We would feel extremely uncomfortable, maybe even outraged, if people were using foul language around us, yet we drop our security measures when the TV comes on. We would take steps to avoid and look away from a person who is dressed immodestly, yet some are willing to sit through movies with much more revealing content. We would be quite upset if someone was using mature, crude, and sexual words in front of our children, and yet many parents have turned a blind eye to the content their children are accessing on TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, etc.

For some reason, entertainment has blurred the lines between what we see as good and bad. Something that is obscene in public has become commonplace when it’s shining through the plasma screen or on our iPhones. We would do well to adopt David’s mindset when he said, “…I will walk within my house in the integrity of my heart. I will set no worthless thing before my eyes…” (Psalm 101:2-3).

Let’s keep our spiritual security systems on high alert. It would be unsafe to allow people to access our homes, cars, and computers. It’s far more dangerous to allow Satan access into our lives through the disguise of entertainment (Ephesians 4:7). In all of the entertainment we place before ourselves, let’s follow the great advice of Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”

Brett Petrillo