Is it possible to Worship Satan in the name of Jesus?
“All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any” (1 Corinthians 6:12).
“All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not” (1 Corinthians 10:23).
“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).
Music was created to be a language of the human spirit. It was never meant to be called the language of the soul. Man is a spiritual creature and singing is one of mankind’s highest ideals. Life without music and singing would be dull and empty. Not only is music a language of our human spirit, it is also a primary language of our worship.
The human spirit is our direct line of communion with God. Spiritual singing unites us to Him for fellowship and life. “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:19). Singing was ordained by God to be full of Him, His words, and answers that satisfy our daily longing after Him.
Modern music is similar to modern art and modern living; it is full of questions and very few answers. Rick Warren calls his church, “The flock that rocks.” You are not likely to find a liberal church that is now called the “emerging church” that sings gospel music. Modern/Contemporary music is the music of churches that have left the fundamentals of Holy Scripture.There is something wrong when someone does not have enough time to read the Word of God, but does have enough time to listen to “Christian rock” for their daily manna.
For the most part the influence of “Christian rock” is that it is irreverent, worldly and it promotes the god of self, which is characterized by dulling of the spirit and elevating the flesh. The very name “Christian pock” is a misnomer. It is the same as: “Christian murder,” “Christian porn” or “Christian adultery.” (Is that adultery between two Christians?)
Many people use music as a “pep-up” or anti-depressant in an effort to drown out what is bothering them. Any music that places the rhythm and harmony above the melody will appeal to the flesh. In truly spiritual songs, the primary most noticeable part of the music is the melody.
Think about this…Why is a night club so dark? Why are there strobe lights? Why is the music so loud? Because it is designed to produce a sensual experience for the ear. Bright lighting would get your mind to scrutinize your surroundings with more clarity. The sheer volume of sound discourages the rational thought, encouraging you to subordinate your soul and get you to respond physically; body first, mind second.
Add alcohol or drugs to the mix and your reasoning is further impaired by dulling the conscience and allowing the passion to rule. It is essentially a fleshly atmosphere targeting the flesh. Consider the following Scripture:
1 Corinthians 2: 9-16 : “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.”
If the Christian has the mind of Christ and is producing Christian music, will the ungodly be able to appreciate it? Can someone who is dead in spirit truly understand it and participate in it?
Spiritual music DOES NOT appeal to the flesh. So here’s the question…If the worldly unsaved, dead in spirit, appreciate “Christian rock,” is it truly Christian? If the world is into your Christian rock, chances are that it is worldly music with a thin veneer of Christian gloss.
Music of a spiritual nature will not appeal to someone who is controlled by the flesh. It is natural to appreciate the sensual; it is supernatural to appreciate what is spiritual. The unsaved can only truly appreciate that which caters to his or her flesh, because that is all they have. True Christian music is not meant to be like a drug that fills you with emotional ecstasy so that you can forget your problems.
Franklin Graham was very candid about his reason for making use of head-banging rock and hip-hop. “We’re just changing the lure. Kids today love rock music. We’re giving them the music they like and understand.” (Quad City Times, Aug. 9, 2009). Now, much could and should be said about using sensual, in some cases even sexualized, rock bands to “lure” young people into hearing the gospel according to Franklin Graham.
This argument is like the safe sex teaching. “We know that you are going to have sex, so please use a condom so that you will not die if you contract AIDS.” This is a deliberate compromise!
If you are going to obey the Word of God, obey it. Don’t pretend that by encouraging condom use that you are somehow absolved from the reality of what God requires from us. Sugarcoat it all you like, but “…the wages of sin is [still] death” (Romans 6: 23a).
Many are the excuses for Christian rock or Christian Contemporary Music (CCM). Here are a few:
- Are you doing this because you don’t like rock music?
- What gives you the right to judge the CCM artists?
- Aren’t you causing divisions among Christians?
- Aren’t you doing more harm than good attacking other Christians?
- What’s wrong with using rock as a tool to reach young people?
- What about the “thousands” of people getting saved at CCM concerts?
- How can you reach lost young people with the “old” hymns?
- Didn’t Martin Luther and General William Booth use bar tunes in their music?
- Why should the devil have all the good music?
- But aren’t you limiting God?
- But isn’t music neutral?
- Isn’t it better for Christians to listen to Christian rock than secular rock?
- What about soft-rock music like Steve Green and Twila Paris?
- How can CCM lift up the Lord Jesus and yet be wrong?
- Have you contacted the CCM artists according to Matthew 18:15?
Will listening to “rock music” send me to hell?
There is no separation of form and content in rock; it is fused together as a continuous experience. If the Word of God always needs to be quoted in context with the text, then surely spiritual should also be taken in context. The music of a song provides the context and is part of the message. Music is not amoral. Music actually enters through the ears and into mind and the soul. The music provides context and content to the words of the song. Music cannot be separated from the song; it is part of the message.
IF SATAN CONTROLS THE MUSIC, DO THE LYRICS EVEN MATTER?
All the devil wants is his subversive influence in the church. Pretty Christian words being sung in the context of fleshy and sensual rock beat give the words its context. By adding Rock n’ Roll to the message, the message is watered down and soon perverted. Change the music and you will change the message.
As an example listed to the old hymn Amazing Grace by the group called Entombed.
Music is not for winning souls, but for singing praises to GOD! Preaching is the tool given by God to win souls to the kingdom.
Romans 10:14: “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?”
Some ask, Why can’t a Christian enjoy “worldly” rock also?
Everything we do should be to the glory of GOD:
1 Corinthians 10:31: “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”
There’s one very simple test for Christians to use to determine what is and what is not godly music: Could you play that music as part of the Sunday morning worship service without offending God? If GOD wouldn’t be pleased with it, then it is not worth playing.
If such music cannot be used to praise the King, then why are you listening to it?
Repetition is characteristic of magic rituals. Shamans use it all over the world to induce a trancelike state in which possession can take place
LIES USED TO JUSTIFY CHRISTIAN ROCK
1. Satan’s number one lie about rock: “Music is neutral.”
Rebuttal: Neutral music does not drive away demons, but David’s music did drive away King Saul’s demons (1 Samuel 16:14-23). There is no such thing as neutral music. Music stems from one of two places, the carnal flesh (which is controlled by Satan who is the enemy of God) or the converted heart (which is controlled by God’s Spirit).
To which are you sowing?
Galatians 6:8:“For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.”
Music of the flesh quenches the Holy Spirit; the same way the holy music of David quenched the power of Satan.
2. “Only the words matter.”
Rebuttal: If you take Jesus Christ or the Bible out of the Christian rock music, it’s no more Christian than worldly rock music. Christian music by definition is about Jesus Christ, not about dope, abortion, starvation or self-esteem.
Ephesians 5:18-19 says: “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.”
Colossians 3:16: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”
Notice that we are to FIRST be filled with the Spirit, then to sing and make melody in our hearts. We get the order backwards; we go to church in order to be filled by the Holy Spirit with our sensual music: “Singing and making melody .. to the Lord,” not to people.
“Melody” DOES NOT = Rythmn. Rebuttal: Putting Christian words to sensual music does not elevate the music; it degrades the message. (I challenge anyone reading this to go onto the Web and look up a Christian rock group called: ENTOMBED.) Play their version of Amazing Grace and tell me if the words uplift the music.
3. Keith Green says: “I have never ONCE seen a case where music was the DIRECT CAUSE OF SIN OR WICKEDNESS IN A PERSON’S LIFE. No music is intrinsically evil.”
Rebuttal: What about the heavy metal bands that openly praise Satan? The worship of Satan is sin. What about rock music that preaches drug taking, sexual promiscuity, rebellion, occultism, eastern religions, and new age values? To encourage such things is sin.
Matthew 18:6:“But whoso shall offend [entice to sin] one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”
4. “Rock is just another type of normal music.”
Rebuttal: True godly music, will be composed of three elements – all in perfect balance with each other. They are: MELODY, HARMONY, and RHYTHM. Rock “music” has no melody – only fragments of melody endlessly repeated. Since there is no true melody , there is no real harmony. There is only rhythm and rhythm in and of itself is not music.
Rock ends with a crash or long fade-out, with no resolution. It cannot truly be considered music, PERIOD!
5. “Rock music’s rhythm doesn’t hurt anybody.”
Rebuttal: The rhythm (not the words) of rock music have caused brain damage to laboratory animals, and killed laboratory plants. Its backbeats and break beats swamp, consume and dominate the listener with hypnotic power. Its high-pitched human and electronic screams give musical chaos. True music has loud and soft intensity.
Rock music’s intensity is as loud as possible (190db), for as long as possible.
1 Kings 19:11: “The Lord was not in the strong wind, nor in the earthquake, nor in the fire, but in a still, small voice.” (Not like rock music.)
6. “In order to reach the lost, we must pre-evangelize with Christian rock music.”
Rebuttal: Music is NEVER used as an evangelic tool in Scripture. Check this out for yourself. Music in Scripture is always expressed as praise given to God; it is never mentioned as evangelism. Christian rock confuses, pollutes and deceives the next generation of the body of Christ. Christian rock makes a vulgar image of God, glorifies self, and makes God in man’s own rebellious image. All forms of rock invite demonic influences into the listener.
The tool for evangelism is given in 1 Corinthians 1:21:
“For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.”
When Israel was in captivity they were required to sing for their captors, see their response in Psalm 137:1- 4:
“By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. How shall we sing the LORD’S song in a strange land?”
“The combination of sound, rhythm, color and movement can be used to attract demonic spirits into people.” – Satanist, Alistair Crowley.
7. “It is all right to copy the world. Christian rock copies the world. ALL ROCK is of the world.”
John 15:18: “If the world hates you, ye know it hated me…”
Rock devotees feel secure in saying that there is no Scripture saying, “Thou shalt not listen to rock.”
Rebuttal: There is no verse that says “Don’t watch porn.” Or “Don’t beat your wife.” either.
Consider these verses against rock music:
1) 1 John 2:15-16: “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.”
Rock looks like and is worldly. When rock or Christian rock stars wear skin tight spandex, teased long hair, use smoke bombs, and strobe lights, this is the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. If you can’t see this, you are in deep bondage to the flesh.
2) James 4:4 “… a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”
CCM stars look and act like the world. CCM music and lyrics are like the world. Therefore Christian rock stars learned from secular rock stars years ago.
Objection: Fans say, “That’s just the music, the lyrics are the real difference.”
Rebuttal: The only “message” that makes a difference is one that Glorifies GOD and his Son; and convicts of sin. Rock glorifies its father, Satan.
3) 1 Corinthians 10:20: “I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.”
Many rock and Christian rock songs contains messages back-masked praising Satan.
4) 2 Corinthians 6:14: “What fellowship has righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion has light with darkness?”
5) Ephesians 5:11: “Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather reprove them. For it is a shame (sin guilt shame) even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.”
To listen to rock music is to fellowship with worldly darkness.