My Struggle with Secular Music

So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. – 1 Corinthians 10:31

As a Christian, it is my lifelong commitment to get to know more about God, and to walk with God daily. As a result, many decisions in my life, from finance, clothing, diet, and entertainment, are made based on my choice to follow God’s guidance. In recent years, I have faced a specific challenge, especially concerning the music I listen to. Growing up with some Korean background, most of the songs that I listen to are Korean music, which is now commonly known as K-Pop among the fans across the world. However, I have become increasingly aware that some K-Pop songs have incorporated Satanic themes in their music. In the following section, I would like to share some real examples of Satanic themes in K-Pop music, and secular music overall. Finally, I will end by discussing some of the questions that have arisen from my struggle.

BTS

• In 2016, BTS released an album called “Wings''. The first song on the album is called Boy Meets Evil,  in which the singer discusses how sin is “too sweet” and expresses desire not to “let go of the Devil’s hand.”
• This satanic theme becomes notably evident in their title song, “Blood Sweat and Tears.” In this music video, it begins by showing a painting depicting the fallen angels. Towards the end of the video, one of the BTS members kisses a sculpture of a fallen angel, possibly Satan. The message conveyed in this song is deceptive. It promotes a lie manipulated by Satan: that sin is irresistible, and that sin is more powerful than God. This is blasphemy. Jesus has clearly overcome sin, and has also overcome the result of sin, which is death. Interestingly, one of the BTS members openly shared an encounter with a ghost while recording for this particular album.

Le Sserafim

• This is currently one of the most popular female K-Pop groups in Korea, and surprisingly, they are under the same company as BTS. In May of 2023, they released a song called “Unforgiven.” The lyrics of this song refer to a fallen angel named “Le Sserafim” with white wings. This angel claims to be engaged in an unfair war, and claims to be the victim of this war.  Later in the chorus, all the members join hands and sing to the audience: “Let's all climb together to the land of unforgiven. Let’s all cross over the line together to the land of unforgiven.” Essentially, this song suggests that God cannot offer forgiveness to the people. Thus the fallen angel urges the audience to go into the “land of unforgiven,” which symbolizes hell.
• In the same month, this group released another song titled “Eve, Psyche & The Bluebeard's Wife.” In this song, the artist portrays “rules'' as oppressive and unreasonable. Furthermore, the song praises Eve’s choice to eat the forbidden fruit. In the chorus, all the members dance in union by pounding their heart, singing about how exciting it is to break the law.

Lil Nas X

• It's important to note that the presence of Satanic themes in secular music is not limited to the K-Pop industry; they can be found across various music genres, including Western music. Since my exposure to Western music is limited, I refrain from conducting a personal analysis of Satanic themes within it. Nevertheless, I came across a sermon by Pastor Jennings, who shared the perils associated with satanic elements in Western music. According to Jennings, the song “Montero” by Lil Nas X portrays a being, once residing in the Garden of Eden, who willingly descends a pole to unite with Satan in hell.

Doja Cat

• In September 2023, Doja Cat released her fourth album titled "Scarlet," which has been described as evoking "Biblical harlots". Some of the songs on this album contain references to Satanic themes within their lyrics. For instance, in her track "F*** The Girls," the singer shouts the number "666," a symbol found in Revelation 13:18. While interpretations of its meaning vary, 666 is often associated with those who are seen as being "apart from God" (Plain Revelation, 167). Another song by Doja Cat, "Paint the Town Red," includes lyrics where she explicitly says, "I'm a demon lord." According to NPR, Doja Cat's lyrical choices are influenced by the recent trend of incorporating "satanic references" in the current music industry. For additional information, you may find this video insightful discussing the prevalence of Satanic themes in Western music.

“Is music with Satanic themes really that bad? It's not like I worship Satan. It’s simply music.”

Upon recognizing the issues with the music I was enjoying, I felt troubled because I had an appreciation for this kind of music. I tried to compromise my choices by telling myself, "I'm not actively worshiping Satan; I'm simply enjoying the music." While struggling with this problem, I had a conversation with a childhood friend who is currently studying theology at Sahmyook Adventist University in South Korea. During our discussion, I shared my concerns about K-Pop with him. To my surprise, my friend expressed his own concern with the rising prevalence of Satanic themes in the K-Pop industry, and he told me that he stopped listening to K-Pop songs because of this very reason.

Following our conversation, I was reminded of a book titled “Sound Stewardship: How Shall Christians Think about Music?” by Karen A. Demol. In this book, the author describes that music is a blessing from God which is given to everyone, on both “the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:45). The author emphasizes that this musical gift can be used by people to either glorify God or to fall into Satanic worship. Thus, the type of music, whether K-Pop, Jazz, band, or Classical, does not matter. What matters is the intent of the music. For what purpose was the song written? How is the song being used in the cultural context? What is the message of the lyrics? And is it glorifying God?

The intent of the music used against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego was clear (Daniel 3: 5, 7, 10, 15). The intent of the song was clearly wrong, worshiping the golden image. As a result, these three friends were willing to face death rather than engaging in the music service for the devil. Similarly, the intent of the examples I made above is also clear. It directly praises Satan.

Personal Application
Over the years, I have struggled a lot, but I have slowly given up many secular songs because the intent of the song was clearly Satanic. Also, the underlying principle for my musical selection has become clear:

• Am I glorifying God by listening to this particular song? (1 Cor 10:31)
• Or am I walking away from God by listening to this song? (Malachi 3:7)
• What do I think about when listening to the song?
• What is the intent of the music? What message is the music trying to convey?
• Which setting is the song often played in?

I hope these principles could bring helpful insight to your personal decision as you choose your playlist each day. Let us walk away from sinful desires (2 Tim 2:22). Let us turn our eyes upon Jesus and make our body holy and acceptable to God (Rom 12:1).