The Spiritual Aspect of Music

This topic is so huge that it would be impossible to do it justice without exceeding at least 1500 words so I decided that I’m going to just throw out numerous ideas and hopefully get a discussion happening.

“Is music spiritual?” was the question that was raised when talking with a close friend of mine a few days ago. Can music have a negative or positive effect on people in a spiritual way, and can it be helped? Back in the 1970s, when Christians were far more conservative and legalistic, rock music was a “no-no” for Christians. Among the Christian circles, Rock music was thought of as evil music that would turn people away from Christ. However, if someone were to believe that today, that person would either be considered old-fashioned, outrageous or backward. The fact is, when it comes to judging certain music as having a good or bad influence on someone spiritually, it is not as clear-cut as some people make it out to be.

In discussing this it is important to know that Lucifer (Satan) was skilled in music. Thus it is reasonable to consider that he can use it as a tool for deception. Here are a few Biblical references to Lucifer’s relation to music. Ezekiel 28:13 (KJV) says:

“the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.”

In that passage we see that God created Lucifer as a rather musical being, talented at the “tambourines” and “flutes” as the NIV Bible puts it. Also in Isaiah 14:11 (KJV), whilst describing Lucifer’s fall, it states:

“Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.”

The Living Bible translation of this passage reads:

“Your might and power are gone; they are buried with you. All the pleasant music in your palace has ceased; now maggots are your sheet, worms your blanket.”

Theologians have come to assume that Lucifer, before the fall, lead the other angels in glorifying and worshipping God through music, since he had authority in heaven as a cherub (Ezekiel 28:14). Gregory B. Dill, a student of theology at Tyndale Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth, Texas, after thoroughly studying the previously mentioned passages, he states, “Music, I believe, has a twofold purpose. To glorify God or not, it’s as simple as that. As we have seen, music was initially created for that purpose up until Satan’s rebellion. What he has done with music from that point on becomes a whole other issue.” (source)

I would consider music to be a vessel for spiritual activity, however, the effect it can have on someone, in my opinion, whether it be negative or positive, depends on how the person relates to it, or how involved that person allows himself to become. We know that the divinity of music was not affected by Lucifer’s fall as it has been used to glorify God before, and ever since. On the other hand, there are plenty of examples where music embodies the evil desires of people such as hate, murder, sexual immoralities and suicide, but how much this has an effect on someone is determined by how much they let it effect them, much like any other temptation the devil uses to corrupt us. Could it be though, that the devil may be extra cunning in the way he deceives people through music, since it is in his area of expertise? It maybe for this very reason that Christians became so cautious of such music that sounded like they may have been inspired by negative emotions. In this case religious legalism can be seen as wise discernment, but is it necessary to go so far as to avoid a certain style of music all together? Can music affect our character without us being aware of it? If so should we not be more careful when choosing which music to listen to? Is it not only wise to let our choices be guided by our understanding of the consequences?

Music has the power to emphasize certain situations dramatically, with its incredible ability to stir up emotion. Almost every Hollywood movie would not survive without the emotional enhancement the music brings to each scene (with the exception of Castaway). There is no doubt that music has an incredible power of affecting people emotionally. Judas Priest, a Heavy Metal band from the 1980s, was accused many times for the number of incidents where their fans committed suicide as a result of listening to their music. Another interesting question is, why does it take a certain type of person to proudly blast Eminem on their car stereo for everyone to hear?

How are we to judge certain types of music as being healthy or unhealthy? Can music be called evil or divine? If so, in what context can it be described as evil? Can the text (lyrics) make a song good or evil? Is there such a thing as evil instrumental music? Are there certain types of music we should be cautious of, or even avoid? Some Christians claim that they can see God’s beauty in the music of Tool (who’s drummer, Danny Carey, practices astral projection, and sets his drums up in the shape of a pentagram every time he plays – a band I would consider as being heavily involved in the occult). Is this healthy? Would God speak through music that was not written to glorify Him?

What are your views on the spiritual aspect of music?