“…The Devil’s best trick is to persuade you that he doesn’t exist.” -Charles Baudelaire, The Generous Gambler

The last time I went to go pay my phone bill, I observed something interesting. While I was waiting in line, I took notice of the two TVs on the wall next to me. On one TV there was a fun, childlike documentary on arctic animals in comparison to human beings. On the other TV was a typical soap opera full of sex, drama, and violence. One of the TVs had sound, the other didn’t.  Want to take a guess at what show they thought everyone would be more interested in?  The soap opera, naturally.

In reading this line from the story The Generous Gambler by Charles Baudelaire, I immediately thought of the hold the media’s view of sexuality and relationships has on society. Dramas, soap operas, sit-coms, and reality shows have seemed to influence what society claims to be okay when it comes to relationships and sex.

It’s almost as if we look to these shows to define our morals. No longer does the Bible define sin, but we do. We decide based on what we watch, who we know, and our own logic what is and isn’t sin, and then we go out into the world and destroy our relationships and our lives.

In watching that soap opera for ten minutes I learned these common media lessons: wear as little clothing as possible to be attractive, treating someone you love like dirt is okay if you’re having a bad day or they deserve it, sex has no other value then entertainment and personal satisfaction, and self-control gets in the way of really living. All these lessons ruin our marriages, our relationships, and our families.

What really defines our morals? What defines our sexual sins? It’s almost as if we erase the devil to justify destroying ourselves and the relationships around us. Our families don’t matter. Our marriages don’t matter. The purity of our sexuality doesn’t matter. All that matters is doing what we feel is right and giving in to any temptation we come across. And in doing such, Satan wins his game and we know nothing better of it.

If we want to really live, we have to stop justifying destroying our lives. How can we enjoy life after tearing apart our relationships because of our logic influenced by the media and society around us? We need to remember who Satan is and how he influences the world around us: he taints our sexuality, he feeds our selfishness, and he works at making our marriages and relationships to fall apart. We need to remember what defines our morals and stick to that source in order to save our marriages, our families, and ourselves.

Verses to Think About:
Ephesians 4:19
They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.

Proverbs 14:12
There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.

Proverbs 14:9
Fools make fun of guilt, but the godly acknowledge it and seek reconciliation.

Colossians 3:5
Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.