Why Christians Should Not Listen To Secular Music

This post is in two parts. The first part looks at why Christians should not listen to secular music, and the second part provides some advice on how to stop listening to secular music. Prior to this article, we wrote a number of articles on hip pop and secular music. We started by telling the truth about Sasha Fierce: why Sasha is fierce, then we wrote about the deceptions in Jay z’s ‘Forever Young’ song lyrics. It did not end there; we also have a post on what the Bible says about hip pop and secular music, and another about Katy Perry selling her soul to the devil. Feel free to leave your comment on all the above mentioned articles. Meanwhile let’s get into the purpose of this article.

1.      1. Why Christians should not listen to secular music

“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” – 1 Peter 2:9.

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.  – 1 John 2:15-17.

One sad truth in Christendom is the fact that many Christians do not recognize their identity in Christ. Being a Christian goes a lot more beyond being called a Christian. “Being a Christian is a work of a moment but living a Christian is a work of a lifetime,” Billy Graham observed.

Every Christian has a unique story to tell. However, in the midst of each story is a loving God who gave up is life as ransom for our sins. Different things and different circumstances had over the years led many to Jesus Christ. Every believer reading this post has been delivered from bondage of some sort. The Lord Jesus had met each of us at different points of our lives. Some have been delivered from drugs, others from excessive partying, clubbing and sexual promiscuity. And many others have been delivered from worldly lusts: the lust for money, the lust for material possessions, and greediness.

But when we become born again by the blood of the Lamb, we become new creatures (2 Corinthians 2:17), we become the sons and daughters of God (John 1:12), but most significant, we become a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation and peculiar people. The attributes and identities of believers have been made evident by the apostle Peter (See 1 Peter 2:9). There is a reason why God gives the believer all this attributes. It is so that we can “show forth the praises of him who hath called us out of darkness into his marvelous light” – 1 Peter 2:9b.

What does it mean to show forth the praises of God? I believe it means doing away with worldly lifestyle; secular music, secular movies and anything that do not glorify our Heavenly Father who loved us and sent His Son to die to save us. The scripture says “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” – (Galatians 2:20). Being in Christ means we are no more of the world. We have been delivered from the darkness and are now nigh to the marvelous light of God in Christ. This is why every Christian must grow to a point in their life where they can boldly say NO to secular music and all the profanity and deception that go with it.

2.     2. How to Stop Listening to Secular Music

The lesson in Galatians 2:20 is that Christ lives in us. Every believer must always be conscious of the fact that Christ lives in us. Whenever you are tempted to sing or play a secular music, pause and ask yourself, “Will Jesus listen to this song I am listening to? Will He dance to this song I am dancing to? I have found this questioning approach to be an effective way to stop or quit listening to hip and secular music.

Alternatively Christians can stop listening to secular music by listening to more godly music. I used to really love hip pop,  R & B and rap music. Now I am in Christ and I still enjoy these genres but I do it this time to edify myself and to praise the LORD my God. I no more listen to those secular artistes singing and rapping about sex, money, drugs and girls. Instead I listen to Christian rap music, Contemporary gospel and gospel reggae. It is the same rhythm but with edifying and uplifting lyrics. Just take a look at the music video below and you will understand what I am talking about. The song is by Lecrae(a Christian rapper). If you like the song then click here to buy it from Amazon mp3. Watch and leave your comments. God bless you!

True Story: Did Katy Perry Sold Her Soul To The Devil?

In her book ‘He Came To Set The Captives Free’, Rebecca Brown talked about how some music stars, movie stars and other celebrities sell their soul to the devil (satan) for money and fame. In  the book Elaine, an ex-satan worshipper and top bride of satan who is now in Christ, told a sad story of how as a high priestess of satan, she would go to recording studios and add satanic blessings to CD albums of artists who have sold their soul to the devil. The book also brings to light the fact that demons sometimes participate in the composition of songs and in some cases actually sing portions of the songs of these artists.

Sadly, many people do not believe stories like these. This is however no surprise because the Bible had said:

But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

                                                          ­­­– 2 Corinthians 4:3-4.

Born to evangelical ministers, Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (that’s her real name, but now known as Katy Perry) had a good Christian upbringing. Katy Perry’s parents, like all good parents, wanted the best for their child. They did their best to bring her up in the fear of the LORD. It is often said that you could force the horse to the river but you can’t force it to drink the water. As much as Katy Perry’s parents wanted the best for her, they also did their best not to seem like their forcing their belief and ideas on her.

Although Jesus loved the world and gave his life for it (John 3:16), He would not force people to believe in Him. We all have our will and conscience. Katy Perry’s parents desired the best for her but things turned out differently when she willingly walked away from the love of God. She turned her back on Jesus. 

Katy Perry told Cosmopolitan that she left Christianity when she felt sex shouldn’t wait until marriage. “I was like, I don’t know if I can hold that promise because this guy at camp is really cute,” she said. “Today, Katy Perry is married to former sex addict Russell Brand and dances around a Candyland gameboard dressed like Bettie Page shooting whipped cream out of her tits. Millions of little girls love her,” Joseph Allen of Taki Mag observed.

Update: Perry and Brand's marriage had hit the rocks. Russell Brand filed for divorce in December 2011 and final divorce papers were recently filed. Brand is believed to have refused spousal support from his soon to be ex-wife. "The British comedian refused to pursue 50 percent of Perry's estimated $40 million fortune to which he was legally entitled," The ChristianPost reported.

As mentioned earlier, Katy Perry had a good Christian upbringing. Her parents were ministers of the gospel, and she claimed she was not allowed to use the word ‘lucky’ because it’s like lucifer. What’s more? She even started her music career with a gospel album. Her first album was signed to Christian music label Red Hill and she sang and performed as Katy Hudson. But like all other stars and celebrities believed to have sold their soul to the devil, Katy Perry ended up walking away from the grace and love of Christ  in pursuit of fame.

What the Bible Says About Hip Hop and Secular Music

What does the Bible say about Hip-hop? Is there a scripture in the Bible that talks about  Hip-hop? Does God approve listening to Hip-hop music/songs? Are these questions your questions? If yes, then I have some good news for you. These questions flag the hearts of curious brothers and sisters who are torn between the desire to please God by always doing His will, and their avid love for Hip-hop, R&B and other secular music.

Well, the Bible does talk about Hip-hop, R&B and other worldly music genres which are collectively known as secular music. I wrote an earlier article in which I dealt with how Satanism is being portrayed in metal music and by metal bands. A chunk of my readers who happened to be avid metal lovers, popularly known as “metalheads” or “headbangers”, found that article very disturbing. One of my readers suggested that I do a work on Hip-hop music as well. He stressed that there’s a lot of Satanism and satanic symbolism in Hip-hop than metal music. This article is not purposed to prove which music genre contains more Satanism; rather it is to take a Christian stance and tell people what the Word of God has to say on Hip-hop, R&B and other worldly music.

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Decoded: The Deceptions in Jay-z's 'Forever Young' Song Lyrics

“The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”” – Genesis 3:1 NLT. Compare the statement in bold above with the one below:

"Do you really want to live forever?" – Jay-z.

The serpent described in Genesis 3:1 above is satan himself. See Revelation 12:9 below:

And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him (KJV).

"Pastor Justin Cox - Passion4Christ Movement"

Oftentimes when people use the word really, they either have a second thought or doubt the existing fact of the matter. Satan was fully aware of the instruction God gave to Adam and Eve about not eating the forbidden fruit. Nevertheless he went to the woman (Eve) and asked, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” Eve had no idea who she was contending with just as most Christians today have no idea who we contending with when we listen to the rebellious songs of the world’s artists.

[Related post: The Truth About Sasha Fierce; Why Sasha Is 'Fierce'?]

Like satan, Jay-z is fully aware of Jesus’ promise of eternal life for His followers (John 3:16, Col 1:27, Romans 8:1), but he still went ahead to ask, “Do you really want to live forever?” The same approach satan used to separate man from God. What followed satan’s question was deception. Here’s the full story from the New King James Version of the Bible:

“Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”
And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’” 
Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.”

– Genesis 3:1-7.