Kate Orson once stopped listening to all secular music. She might enjoy certain songs now, but she still warns against the dangers that can be lurking
When I first became a believer, I noticed that so many of my favourite musicians were singing about the Devil/Lucifer/sin, etc in a way that seemed to glorify the darkness. One by one I stopped listening to them.
You may have heard the rumours that in the higher echelons of the music industry there are performers who have sold their soul for fame and fortune. In an interview for Premier Christianity (September 2023), ex-Boyzone singer Shane Lynch revealed his experiences seeing albums being prayed over ‘demonically’ at record labels. I definitely think there is truth to this.
What surprised me, though, is it isn’t just about the big names. I kept being shocked that lesser-known artists were also exploring the darkness in their lyrics in a glorifying way. One sang of wearing her “Jezebel crown”. Another of her conversations with Lucifer. Eventually I stopped listening to them too, until I avoided secular music entirely.
The influence of the Devil
The testimony of Joe Schimmel, founder of Good Fight Ministries in the US, helped me understand how the creative process works on a spiritual level. As a teenager Schimmel loved rock music. He also developed an interest in New Age practices, including lucid dreaming and astral projection. His creativity exploded and he began to write songs expressing how he loved rock ‘n’ roll so much that he would sell his own family to the Devil. At the time he thought the lyrics were just an expression of his passion for music – playful and edgy – he didn’t really mean them. Then one day he experienced sleep paralysis. Instinctively, he called out to Jesus to help him. The sleep paralysis instantly stopped, and after that he became a Christian.
What is interesting is that after his salvation, Schimmel’s gift for creating music disappeared. It had not been part of how God had made him, but something the Devil had imparted to him.
The concept of gifts bestowed by Satan is age old. Paganini was an 18th-century classical violinist whose abilities far exceeded those of his peers. Rumours spread that he had sold his soul to the Devil. While there’s little solid evidence to prove the rumours, the story does point to a truth we see in scripture: that the Devil does offer gifts in exchange for worship. We see this in Matthew 4, when Satan tempts Jesus in the wilderness. He shows Him all the kingdoms of the world and says: “All this I will give you…if you will bow down and worship me” (Matthew 4:9).
I began to look into the lives of some of my favourite classical composers. Pianists Satie and Debussy were both members of the Rosicrucian Brotherhood, a secret occult society. It seems likely that their involvement in the occult could have opened demonic doorways that would have inspired their compositions. Their music sounds beautiful, but we know that “Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14).
Is Christian music superior?
I have to say that I actually don’t like a lot of mainstream Christian music. I find it to be quite repetitive and simplistic. I understand that simple tunes allow anyone to sing along in church, and they can be played by novice musicians. However, it’s just not my music of choice.
With scandals coming out of some of the big churches that are linked to popular Christian music, I also wonder about the spiritual health of some of those who produce it. I don’t listen to something just because it’s ‘Christian’, and I am not a fan of the ‘big names’ in Christian music.
One day on Facebook I stumbled across a playlist titled ‘theologically correct songs’. While the name was very dry, I found beautiful music; renditions of the psalms or other original songs that had a more ‘indie’ feel to them. It was like the music I’d listened to in the past, but for Christians. One of my new favourites became Poor Bishop Hooper, a talented musical couple who wrote and recorded music for every Psalm in the Bible.
More recently, I’ve found myself slowly letting go of my blanket no to secular music. As I slowly grow in my faith, I’m realising it’s built on a solid rock and isn’t going to be swayed by hearing Taylor Swift in the supermarket or listening to a song written by a New Ager. Nevertheless, I’m still pretty picky (aka discerning).
A conversation on Substack led to a Christian musician asking what I liked and then making me a playlist that combined some of the lesser-known Christian artists, with secular indie songs (that don’t have any hint of darkness). That has been a wonderful way to slowly dip my toe back into the world of secular music, with the knowledge that it’s a wild sea out there and I don’t want to get out of my depth.
