Should You Be Worried About Conspiracies?

A 2014 study from the University of Chicago found that 50 percent of Americans believed at least one of numerous conspiracy theories to be true.

Wikipedia lists hundreds of conspiracy theories. For example, many Americans believed and still believe that Lee Harvey Oswald did not act alone in killing President John F. Kennedy.

Are conspiracy theories becoming more prevalent? 

According to a 2022 study, the majority of Americans think so. For example, 73 percent of Americans believe that conspiracy theories are currently “out of control” and 59 percent agree that people today are more likely to believe conspiracy theories “compared to 25 years ago.”

Of course, sometimes it seems like anyone who goes against the popular narratives is called a conspiracy theorist. Even believing the Bible may cause you to be labeled as a conspiracy theorist.

What is a conspiracy?

A conspiracy is defined as a secret plan made by two or more people to do something bad, illegal or against someone’s wishes (Cambridge Dictionary).

By this definition, there could be thousands or millions of conspiracies each day.

A conspiracy theory is a theory that attributes an event or situation to a secret plan orchestrated by powerful people or groups (The Britannica Dictionary). In today’s world, many events don’t seem to have clear or satisfying explanations, which can fuel conspiracy theories as a way to make sense of what’s happening. 

What should a Christian think about conspiracies?

Does the Bible mention conspiracies? What should a Christian’s attitude be about conspiracy theories? Do we need to worry about them? Should we accept them, try to expose them or just ignore them?

But, first, where did conspiracies start?

The Bible tells us conspiracies began before man’s creation. Ezekiel 28:12-16 records the earliest conspiracy mentioned in the Bible. Speaking of the powerful angel who became Satan—God says:

“By the abundance of your trading you became filled with violence within, and you sinned; therefore I cast you as a profane thing out of the mountain of God; and I destroyed you, O covering cherub, from the midst of the fiery stones” (verse 16).

Isaiah also describes this first conspiracy and calls this angel Lucifer (Heylel in Hebrew):

“How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! . . . For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars [angels] of God . . . I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High’” (Isaiah 14:12-14, emphasis added throughout).

Lucifer was one of the cherubs whose wings covered the throne of God (Ezekiel 28:14; Exodus 25:20). He conspired against God, thinking he could be like God. He let pride and vanity cause him to sin. Perhaps he became upset about God’s plan to bring children into His family through physical humans who would eventually judge the angels (1 Corinthians 6:3).

Lucifer rejected God’s plan and became known as Satan. This is not a theory; God tells us about this conspiracy, recording Satan’s own words in the Bible.

(To learn more, read our article “God vs. Satan: The Battle of the Ages.”)

The serpent twists the truth

So, what did Satan do next? In the Garden of Eden, he lied to Eve: “You will not surely die” (Genesis 3:4). He claimed she and Adam could be like God, knowing good and evil if they ate of the forbidden tree (verse 5). In effect, Satan claimed God was engaged in a conspiracy to deny them their rights. 

Why did Satan lie? 

He was attempting to disrupt the plan of God by causing Adam and Eve to sin and suffer the death penalty. Adam and Eve followed him and chose to decide what was right and wrong themselves, apart from God.

Many years later, Paul explained humanity’s choice and God’s response: “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting” (Romans 1:28).

Deceptions and evil thoughts

After Adam and Eve were removed from the garden, Satan influenced Cain to feel jealousy and hate, which led him to kill his brother Abel.

Mankind continued on this evil path. 

Satan has deceived the whole world. Only those God has called to Himself have been freed from that deception. Genesis 6:5 tells us, “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Because of their evil conduct, God was ready to destroy man from the face of the earth.

How did humanity reach this level of wickedness? John tells us, “So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world” (Revelation 12:9).

Satan has deceived the whole world. Only those God has called to Himself (John 6:44) have been freed from that deception. From the time mankind rejected Him, God has allowed humanity to go its own way. 

(See the video “Why Does God Allow Evil and Suffering?” for further explanation.)

The days of Noah today?

How do the days of Noah relate to today’s world? 

Luke 17:26 tells us that the time before the return of Christ will be like the days of Noah. That means the thoughts of men’s hearts will become only evil continually. Men will be conspiring to do evil, but Satan will deceive many people into thinking they are doing good. 

He can blind their eyes to facts that don’t agree with their narratives.

If you don’t let God guide your mind, you will, in effect, let Satan. 

Spending our time trying to prove or disprove conspiracy theories is often an exercise in futility and a waste of time.  Satan is the ultimate cause of all evil and sin. Since Satan is a spiritual being, there is a spiritual component the world cannot see. Paul explains this in Ephesians 2:2. We all have walked “according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience.”

Because of Satan’s influence, people don’t need to communicate and conspire with each other to bring about evil events. Satan can influence people in many places around the world to protest and riot over events far distant from them. He broadcasts evil attitudes and ideas around the globe.

There is an ultimate conspirator in the spirit world, but that doesn’t tell us whether the human beings implicated by different conspiracy theories are truly involved or aware. 

Ultimately, there’s no personal benefit to trying to figure out whether every possible conspiracy theory is true or false. Spending our time trying to prove or disprove conspiracy theories is often an exercise in futility and a waste of time. 

Whether they are true or false, there is little we can do about them. Christians can, however, trust that God knows everything and has the power to act. 

How does God deal with conspiracies?

Consider the example of Joseph. His jealous brothers conspired to kill him (Genesis 37:18), but eventually they sold him into slavery instead (verses 26-28).

Through God’s intervention, this conspiracy allowed the dreams God had given Joseph (the dreams that had angered his brothers so much) to be fulfilled in Egypt. This allowed his whole family—and many others—to be saved from famine.

Satan does have great power and authority in this evil world. Satan is called the “god of this age” (2 Corinthians 4:4). Still, God is ultimately in charge. He can bring conspiracies to naught, or He can use them to fulfill His plan.

God is in charge. He called Nebuchadnezzar “My servant” in Jeremiah 27:6, even though he was a tyrant. God used him to carry out his punishment on Judah. 

God knew Lucifer was planning a rebellion, even if Lucifer thought it was a secret. God allowed Satan to test the angels and see who would remain loyal.

God knows all the conspiracies happening today. He allows them to show that man does not know how to rule himself. 

The book of Revelation details many trials that will fall on the earth because of Satan. Matthew 24:22 says, “And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved.” The Moffat translation adds “alive.”

God allows all of the suffering at the end of time to show man that his way does not work. Ultimately, He will give everyone the chance to repent and live. (See the article “God’s Plan” for further details.)

No need to worry

So, a Christian does not need to worry about conspiracy theories. 

Christ told us tribulations would come. Nothing is secret to God, so there are no conspiracies hidden from Him. He places rulers in power by various means and allows coups and assassinations, but He doesn’t let anything thwart His plan.

No matter how bleak events may seem, Christians can know God is in charge and will work things out according to His plan. An individual does not need to expose a conspiracy or organize against it.

A Christian needs to have faith and patience through the trials of this world, knowing that God will work all things out for good in the end (Romans 8:28).

Photo credit: iStock/com/nicoletaionescu 

Date Posted: September 9, 2024