Today’s devotional serves as a PSA as well as supplying a springboard for the devotional. First of all, the PSA. If you are still running Windows 10, you are behind the technological eight ball! Support for Windows 10, which launched in 2015, runs out October 14, 2025. This coincides with the potential launch of Windows 12 in October 2025. Windows 11 was launched in 2021.
Perhaps you are digging in your heels and refusing to budge. It’s hard to let go of something you’ve used for years. However, you may be forced to change and have a lot more complications than if you had made the change willingly.
“Cyfirma, a Singapore-based cybersecurity firm, recently issued a warning regarding the malware, which has spread across platforms such as GitHub, Telegram, and YouTube. The malware is often marketed as the “Most Advanced RAT (Remote Access Trojan,” according to Cyfirma.
“Cyfrima describes Neptune RAT as a “sophisticated and highly dangerous” piece of malware capable of bypassing traditional security measures, stealing passwords, and even destroying Windows operating systems. The RAT can compromise over 270 applications, including browsers, and features both ransomware capabilities and live desktop monitoring.
“Designed to disrupt and steal sensitive data, Neptune RAT applies high-level anti-analysis techniques to maintain a presence on the victim’s system for a long period of time.
“Once established, it can fully take control of a device, extracting sensitive information and receiving further instructions from its handlers.
“The worst part: the developer suggests that there is an even more powerful version of this malware.”1
For those who have no idea what a trojan is, trojan viruses are malicious programs that disguise themselves as legitimate files to gain access to your device. Once access has been gained, the damage that can be done is incalculable.
The spiritual segue is easy to make. Trojan “viruses” infiltrate the church through false teachers. 2 Peter 2:1 warns, “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.” Those viruses can gain access through a variety of means. They can come directly from individuals within the church or they can come from books we read, music we listen to,
preachers we watch online, or any other avenue.
Jude 1:3-4 supplies another warning. “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. (4) For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.”
It seems like a lot of the epistles and the messages to seven churches of the Revelation address this issue of false teachers. And Paul gives many warnings in his writings. He wrote in Acts 20:29-30, “For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. (30) Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.”
Our “virus protection software” is the Word of God. We have to know the truth and put up the guards, protecting ourselves against false teachers. Jesus said in John 17:17, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”
We’ve been warned about Windows 10 and the impending danger. We can heed the warning or do nothing about it. Seems like it would make sense to take the warning to heart. Same is true – and a 1000x more so – concerning the spiritual trojans.
“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” (1 John 4:1)
1https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/technologyinvesting/microsoft-windows-users-face-a-dangerous-threat/ar-AA1CCqVt?ocid=msedgntp&pc=LCTS&cvid=d5b505d45b154f539d9072164ca25a6d&ei=7
Images are taken from https://pixabay.com/, https://www.pexels.com/, or https://unsplash.com/images or created in Windows Copilot. According to the websites, they are Royalty Free and free to be used for our purposes.
