Disarming Discernment: The AI Trap

Alyssa Fernandez

devotional, liturgy

Oct 22, 2026

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. -2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NIV)

The word discern in Greek is anakrino, meaning: to distinguish, to separate out by diligent search, to examine.1 I like this definition because of the word diligent, which relates to perseverance in action. Here, a diligent search is an intentional one.

Discernment is a big deal. With discernment, we distinguish what is righteous from what is sin. Discernment is a discipline that brings God into every equation. It is how we lean into the Holy Spirit and do the good works prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10) Now, more than ever, discernment is the shield from being led away from the Good Shepherd’s arms.

When we think of numbness, we tend to think of when our foot starts to feel heavy. Then comes the prickly sensation, and the shake routine you do to get rid of that feeling. Numb feet happens from a circulatory problem.2 Spiritual numbness comes from the absence of discernment. AI poses the same effect as the numb feeling in your foot.

In my previous devotional, Patience: When Pause is Undesirable, I talked about how instant gratification is a strain on patience, and how it is a pattern of the world.3 The rise of artificial intelligence is another loudspeaker spoken into the world. How many times have you heard these phrases: “why don’t you just let AI handle that for you?” or “it’s not going away,” or “you need it or you’ll be left behind”. There are now “AI ad agencies.” These agencies let AI be the steam locomotive chugging on through, leaving human creativity in the dust.

The problem with AI is the feedback loop. When you ask an AI something, it always ends in a question. This might seem like it’s inquisitive: it must want to keep digging because of it.

But it’s not. It’s a machine. It’s programmed that way.

This type of algorithm is the same as the recommendations on a store page, the kind that float under the item you’re currently viewing. In fact, that’s what it’s called: a recommendation algorithm.4

In a large language model, it uses the conversation history to bring up a follow-up question. It does this so that the conversation chain continues.

And continues. And continues.

If that is not enabling addictive behavior, I don’t know what is. This kind of dependence weakens your relationship with God.

Your heart is vulnerable to the powers of the enemy. With the world’s deceitful agendas, confidence in sin, and spurning God, anxiety is an easy feeling to slip into. In Paul’s letter, he offered a prayer in his letter to the church in Philippi:

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ – to the glory and praise of God. -Philippians 1:9-11

We can find the same reassurance in the love that Jesus Christ gave willingly. It’s hard to feel love and anxiety at the same time; Paul’s prayer is a reminder of that. Paul’s use of the word ‘discern’ is not a mere suggestion: it’s followed by intention. So that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ. This is a call to pursue discernment in preparation for Jesus’s return. He is the king eternally (1 Chronicles 17:12-24) and the Light of the World (John 8:12). He gives us strength in anxiety and determination to not fall into spiritual numbness.

We should not model the people of Judah and their unwillingness to walk on the good way.

This is what the LORD says:

“Stand at the crossroads and look;

ask for the ancient paths,

ask where the good way is, and walk in it,

and you will find rest for your souls.

But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’

-Jeremiah 6:16 (NIV)

The good way is Jesus! (John 14: 1-7) The good news is God’s Word offers the strength you need to seek the truth in a world that lies. The verse:

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. -2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV)

Taking every thought captive is living in faithfulness. It’s seeking God’s Word to speak over your life. And like in Paul’s prayer, you’ll reap in the righteousness that comes from Jesus Christ.

Lastly, you won’t fail when faith shelters you. James 4:7 says: Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

A verse for anxiety:

I will listen to what God the LORD says;

he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants -

but let them not turn to folly.

Surely his salvation is near those who fear him,

that his glory may dwell in our land.

-Psalm 85:8-9

Liturgy
Lord Jesus, I ask for your strength in my life

Deliver me from anxiety and weariness

For You promise peace to Your people

Give me the discernment to walk away from the world and closer to You