“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2, ESV).
The world we live in is not neutral. Every culture throughout history has shaped its people, whether through its traditions, values, or ways of thinking. The digital age is no different. It is shaping what people love, desire, and believe, often without them realizing it.
“But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers” (Psalm 1:2–3, ESV).
The psalmist speaks of the person who delights in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. That person, the psalmist says, is like a tree planted by streams of water, bearing fruit in its season. That image is striking because it is not just about what the person does but where they are planted. A tree does not choose where it grows, but people do. What they meditate on, consume, and dwell on will form them into something.
The digital world is shaping minds through repetition. Every algorithm is designed to show more of what has already been engaged with, reinforcing ideas, opinions, and emotions. The more a person watches, the more they are shown. The more they click, the more they are drawn in. Over time, these patterns begin to shape what seems normal, what seems right, and what seems true. A person does not have to seek out a particular worldview to be influenced by one. The shaping is often silent, gradual, and unnoticed until what once seemed foreign now feels obvious.
Paul warns the Colossians not to be taken captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition and not according to Christ (Colossians 2:8). The language of captivity is significant. He does not say that false ideas will appear. He says they will take hold, bind, and keep a person from walking in the freedom of Christ. Ideas are not just intellectual positions. They are formative forces. They shape habits, emotions, and decisions. The digital world is not just feeding information. It is disciplining people into particular ways of seeing the world.
Many of the most powerful cultural shifts do not happen through direct arguments but passive acceptance. The normalization of behaviors, the celebration of certain lifestyles, the gradual softening toward what was once rejected—all of these changes happen through exposure. What a person sees often enough starts to seem acceptable. What is celebrated loudly enough starts to seem good. The culture of the internet does not need to convince anyone of anything outright. It only needs to shape what people see as normal (Isaiah 5:20).
The biblical pattern of renewal does not happen passively. Paul calls believers to be transformed by the renewal of their minds, not to be conformed to the world around them (Romans 12:2). The contrast is clear. Either the world is shaping the person, or God is. Either habits form a person into the likeness of the culture, or they form a person into the likeness of Christ. There is no neutral ground. The call to discipleship in the digital age is a call to active renewal, to resist being formed by the world’s patterns, and to take every thought captive to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).
The renewal of the mind requires intention. A person does not drift toward godliness. A life shaped by Christ requires habits that go against the grain of the culture. The heart follows what the mind meditates on, and the mind is shaped by what it repeatedly engages. Setting boundaries, cultivating silence, and replacing unhealthy consumption with scripture and prayer are not outdated. They are necessary safeguards against a world that seeks to mold without asking.
Technology is not evil, but it is not neutral either. It has the power to shape minds toward wisdom or folly. It can be a tool for growth or a source of distraction. Without wisdom, it will form a person into something unrecognizable from the call of Christ. With wisdom, it can be harnessed for truth, goodness, and the glory of God.
The question is not whether a person is being shaped but what they are being shaped into. The habits of the digital world are strong, but they are not sovereign. The believer is not at the mercy of the culture. The Spirit of God is still at work, calling disciples not to be conformed but to be transformed. What fills the mind will shape the heart, and what shapes the heart will determine the path forward. Renewal is possible, but it will not happen by accident.