The Supreme Court recently ruled that states can ban biological males from participating in female sports. First, praise God! But it made me think…how did we become a culture that needed that? Even the fact that the term biological male has become commonplace is absurd. It’s evidence that delusional thinking is widespread in American culture.
What do I mean by delusional thinking? The transgender movement is one of today’s clearest examples. For those who accept Scripture, it’s both biblical truth and common sense that gender is determined at birth, not something a person can choose by preference or change with surgery. But delusional thinking is more widespread than you think.
Delusional Thinking Doesn’t Just Happen
A delusional mind—or a delusional culture—doesn’t just happen. It begins with rejecting God’s love and God’s truth. Biblically speaking, it’s willingly exchanging God’s truth for lies until deception becomes your reality.
Scripture makes this clear. Delusion is not ignorance; it’s choosing to replace known truth with a lie. “For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen” (Romans 1:25). We see this in today’s “my truth” movement, where personal feelings are elevated above God’s absolute truth.
Delusional Thinking Is Progressive
The reality is that delusional thinking isn’t static—it’s progressive. When a society rejects God’s design in one area of life, it becomes easier to reject His design in others. The legalization of abortion normalized the rejection of God’s authority over life itself. Later, the redefinition of marriage normalized rejecting God’s design for sexuality. Those cultural shifts helped prepare the way for even greater confusion about human identity.
Scripture tells us that those who actively reject truth become progressively more susceptible to falsehood. Read 2 Thessalonians 2:10–11 slowly: “…and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false.”
Think about that.
When someone willfully and continually rejects God’s truth, He eventually gives them over to the deception they have chosen. The lie becomes easier to believe than the truth. That makes them increasingly susceptible to any and all other deceptions the world offers.
Delusional Thinking Isn’t Just in Lost People
But it’s not just those outside of Christ who become delusional in their thinking—Christians can do it too. Scripture clearly says that God created two genders—male and female. So truth and common sense tell us it’s delusional for a boy to become a girl.
I would argue that it’s just as delusional to rationalize any sinful behavior while claiming fellowship with a holy God. Let’s get specific. Claiming to follow Christ while practicing homosexual behavior is delusional. Saying you follow Jesus while having sex outside of marriage is delusional. Professing Jesus as Lord while holding a grudge is delusional.
Some believers even cultivate their delusion. Rather than allowing Scripture to correct them, they seek teachers who will affirm them. As Paul warned Timothy, they accumulate teachers who tell them exactly what they want to hear so they can continue doing what they want to do (2 Timothy 4:3–4).
The more tolerant believers become of sinful attitudes and behaviors, the more delusional unbelieving culture becomes. If holiness, righteousness, and obedience to God’s Word aren’t evident in those who claim Christ, why would an unbeliever even consider Christianity? To them, Christians are the delusional ones—claiming a faith they don’t actually practice.
Guarding Against Delusional Thinking
Every one of us is capable of self-deception. That’s why guarding against delusion requires diligent self-awareness, humble submission to God’s Word, honest biblical examination, godly counsel, and accountability within a church devoted to sound doctrine.
The question isn’t whether our culture has become delusional. The real question is whether we are allowing Scripture or the world to shape the way we think.
