Growing up in an Adventist community when I was a young boy is an experience that I will never forget. In a little Arkansas town secluded by rolling hills and sparkling creeks, a young boy could find adventure and explore the great beauty of God’s creation. I had many questions in regard to life, and the world seemed to me a vast undiscovered country. I had a fascination for all of God’s creatures and I would love to watch them in nature.
Unfortunately, the peace that I found in nature was not found in my home. Without realizing it, I was attracted to the things outside of the home. Home for me was the last place I wanted to be. My mom and dad had divorced and remarried and my dad would come to visit me every other weekend. My parents tried to do their best, but, to be honest, they were really too busy with the world to teach me to serve the Lord. They kind of took it for granted that since they took us kids to church that we would automatically understand and know everything essential for salvation. But spiritual things became less and less attractive to us because we listened to worldly music, watched the latest movies, and sought the entertainment that the world had to offer. My classmates at school were consumed with the latest fashions and trends and looking for boyfriends or girlfriends. Today, both young and old do not realize how hard the enemy is seeking to destroy the character building that children need in their first years of life. Satan is seeking to impart his character to the young people to destroy any possibility that they may come to the Lord.
From early youth we would always listen to the latest songs on the local pop/rock station. We did not think that it was wrong, or at least no one told us any good reason why we should stop listening to it. We were blind to the effects that this music had upon our characters. We could not see the changes that it was making in us. The songs that we listened to each day taught us the morals and principles that were considered popular or “cool” to have. The music of the world appealed to the immature emotions and high hormone level of the youth by captivating us with song and dance.
When I was about 15, I began to learn how to play the guitar. My father and brother played the guitar, but I was not much into what they liked to play. I wanted to play hard rock just like the guys on TV. The TV musicians became my role models instead of Jesus Christ. Each day I would come home from school and begin to beat on my dad’s electric guitar. At first I sounded terrible, but over time I began to learn more chords, and instead of exploring the outdoors I was exploring how to play rock music.
I still thought that I was a Christian while doing all of these things because no one said anything about it, and even if they did, I would just think that they were being old-fashioned, judgmental or overly strict. So, nothing they could say would change my mind anyway. Then I began to listen to a local Christian contemporary station and for the first time, I discovered a rock group that sounded like the world but was singing about Jesus. I thought, “Hey, I can really reach the young people for Christ by putting Christian words to this exciting rock music, making the gospel more appealing than with the old-fashioned hymns. The only thing is that I was trying to mix paganism (rock) with Christianity (the gospel). I thought it wouldn’t matter what kind of music you play just as long as you are praising the Lord. Little did I know that I was doing exactly the work of the enemy. By using rock music to reach the Christian youth I was telling them that it is okay to be like the world as long as you have a form of godliness. Little did I know the meaning of James 4:4:
“Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”
My music became more satanic and evil as I continued to play and listen to hard rock. The hard grunge and heavy reverb, full of anger, sorrow, and hate fed the beast of an unclean spirit. Evil was gaining control over me until I was blinded to the fact that, to a point, I was actually possessed or controlled by the enemy of souls. I was under the conviction of God that my music was not acceptable, but it was a real struggle to give up this idol that I had set up in my heart. Music was my life. I could not seem to give up the music that I loved so much.
Meanwhile, my aunt and uncle had become SDA Reformers and I really didn’t have a clue as to what that meant until I went to a Bible worker’s house while visiting my grandmother who was staying there to receive natural health treatments. Somehow the conversation came up on the subject of music and that day I left their house with 3 videotapes in my hand. I was staying in my grandmother’s home at the time and was only working part time so I had plenty of time to watch these videos. I really didn’t want to give up my music and I would make every excuse that I could to justify myself in my own mind, but the convicting power of God was working on me to just hear out the guy on the tapes. As I began to watch these videos, it seemed like the enemy was just working in my heart to totally reject everything. I was very defensive at first, but the Lord was convicting me to continue watching. My heart was wrestling the whole time with the plain truth that the Lord brought to me. I could not argue or dispute God’s word. I knew that the Bible was right and I couldn’t argue with God. At the end of these videos I was convinced that I needed to surrender to the Lord the bad music that I cherished so much. I believe it took a little more than a month, wrestling back and forth, before I realized that I could not give up this music. I was hooked! I put the guitar down for a few days, but one evening I began to play a song that I was working on, and it just didn’t seem right. I heard so much hurt and anger in the songs that I played.
I cried out to God with all my heart to deliver me from myself. I poured out my heart, crying to the Lord that He would help me to give up this music that had such a hold on me. I did not realize my own condition, and how far away from Him I really was. I praise the Lord, for He came to set the captives free. I praise God and His Son Jesus Christ, for His longsuffering and mercy toward me. Blessed is the man that is forgiven and cleansed from sin. God is awesome, for He came to save us from our sins. (See Matthew 1:21.)
The Spirit of God broke my heart when I asked the Lord to forgive me for my sins, and help me give up my cherished idols. That’s a day I will never forget, because the Lord helped me overcome by His power. When I tried to do it, I got discouraged, but as the Lord promised, He came to save us from our sins. The power of the enemy is not strong enough to keep the weakest soul, no matter what the addiction or deception. The Gospel is “the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth” (Romans 1:16). By trusting in the Lord that He had the power to give me the strength to break the chains of sin, I was set free. Christ has made it possible for us to overcome the power of the enemy, for with Him sin shall not have dominion over us. See Romans 6:14. If you find yourself struggling with something in your life, give it to Jesus and surrender yourself to Him. Don’t make the mistake I did in trying to do it all by myself. Remember, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1).
A Christian music professor described to me the difference between melody and rhythm. He explained how the music of the world has heavy rhythm as its central foundation, in contrast to most classical music and hymns that have melody as the most distinct sound. Tell me if you have ever heard any of today’s popular music—it does not matter whether it be country, jazz, blues, rock—doesn’t it usually have a lot of drums, bass, and heavy rhythm? The professor went on to explain how music is a language. Before, I believed the lie that music by itself is not bad—that it all depends on the way you interpret it. But the language of music is very similar to the English language in that you can say bad words or you can say good words. Music can make one happy, sad, relaxed, or angry. It is only a tool to express what’s in the heart. If the heart is wicked, then the music that comes from the heart is wicked also, and if the heart is holy then the music is holy. My so-called Christian music was actually worse than the world’s because it was glorifying Satan. The Lord revealed to me that the only music that is acceptable to Him is described in Ephesians 5:10, 17, 19–21:
“Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. . . . Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. . . . Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. . . . Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.”
I had to ask myself some questions. Would the Lord listen to my music? Is it really His will that I listen to whatever I want? Does my music fit the description of a psalm, hymn, spiritual song with singing, making melody in my heart to the Lord for His honor and glory? Then, after all this, would I be willing to submit myself to hear what others think of my music—whether it is good or bad?
Another conviction that the Lord brought to my heart was the fact that I am not my own. I have been bought with a price and belong to God. Would it glorify Him for me to hear, eat, touch, or smell, anything that would defile me in any way? No. If I could not play the music I love in the house of God, then I need not play it at all. Ask yourself, “What would Jesus do?” and then ask for power to do it.
I hope and pray that my testimony will strengthen a young person who may be struggling with something similar or even something different than my experience with music. Music is awesome and God is the creator of music. If you think of your favorite musicians and how good they are, just think of how God is infinitely better. He can play music that will melt your heart, amaze your mind, inspire, and fill you to the utmost with love and adoration to Him as the great Almighty. May this be your experience, and may the Lord’s will work in you to do of His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13)!
“Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.” Psalm 150:6.