If This Video Doesn't Wake You Up, Then I Don't Know What Will.....

there is a very unsettling Trend emerging in mainstream music today more and more we are seeing mainstream artists and popular songs filled with dark disturbing and overtly satanic imagery from music videos to live performances there is an undeniable increase in the appearances of demonic symbols satanic references and unsettling depictions of evil we must ask ourselves why is this happening why are so many artists suddenly comfortable associating themselves with Satan or at least with symbols that represent present darkness and Rebellion against God take for example Taylor Swift's music video for her song Karma featuring ice Spice

in this video there's a scene where Swift Dawns what appears to be a devil-like mask technically the mask represents the Greek god Hades as the video draws from Greek and Roman mythology however the visual still sends a clear and dark message to its audience this is not a one-off event dark and satanic imagery has increasingly found a place in mainstream music we must take a moment to reflect on the significance of this shift consider Lil Nas X's highly controversial song Montero call me by your name in this music video The Artist is depicted literally dancing

on a devil figure and engaging in explicit imagery that glorifies a rebellious and sinful Lifestyle the video shocked many viewers yet it gained massive popularity then there's Eminem Who in his recent album features songs with titles like Lucifer evil and Antichrist and Billy ish whose song All the Good Girls Go To Hell includes a music video where she appears as a Burning Angel walking through Flames if we look around at other popular artists like cardi B Megan the stallion and Sam Smith they too have been associated with satanic or demonic imagery whether in music videos

or live performances so once again ask yourself why why is it that these artists are so comfortable with this kind of imagery what is driving this trend and are they trying to tell us something and why of all things would they want to associate themselves with a figure whom the Bible repeatedly warns against the devil Satan the enemy of our souls there was once a time when people wanted nothing to do with Satan in the past even the idea of associating with the devil would have been met with fear outrage or at the very least

discomfort but something has changed we are now seeing an increasing normalization of evil in music and popular culture the darkness is no longer hiding in the shadows it is boldly presented in front of us and the more we are exposed to it the more Society becomes desensitized we are witnessing a world that is becoming increasingly numb to the things of God as Paul wrote in his letter to Timothy we are living in an age when people are becoming lovers of themselves lovers of money boastful proud abusive disobedient to their their parents ungrateful Unholy Without Love

unforgiving slanderous Without self-control brutal not lovers of the good treacherous rash conceited lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God this increasing love for darkness is why the world is now calling good evil and evil good we can see this clearly reflected in today's culture once music was a tool for inspiration for worship and for expression now now it is being used to blur the lines between right and wrong light and darkness Holiness and sin the prophet Isaiah warned us about this very thing Isaiah 520 woe to those who call evil good and good evil

who put Darkness for light and light for Darkness music which has such a powerful influence over our emotions thoughts and spirit is increasingly being used to glorify Darkness I sometimes ask myself why are these celebrities so willing to associate themselves with the devil do they truly understand who Satan is or do they even care it is as though they are casually playing with fire unaware of the Eternal consequences of aligning with such Darkness do they know who Lucifer is do they really know that Satan the Fallen Angel is the enemy of humanity and the enemy

of their souls and yet they boldly dress as Devils fallen angels and symbols of rebellion as though it were all a harmless performance we must must pause and reflect on whether these artists and entertainers truly grasp the gravity of their actions is it just a trend to them are they seeking attention or fame or are they being led by spiritual forces beyond their control it is hard to believe that anyone with even a basic understanding of what the Bible teaches about Satan would choose to associate themselves with him so openly scripture is clear he is

the deceiver the destroyer and the father of Lies he is actively working to pull people away from the truth of God's word and into the darkness of sin and eternal separation from the Creator and while I've mentioned a few celebrities in this sermon the reality is that the list is much longer it seems that in every corner of the music industry we find artists who are either subtly or overtly associating themselves with satanic imagery whether it's in their lyrics their performances or the symbolism in their music videos the influence of darkness is pervasive artists like

Madonna Beyonce post Malone Travis Scott and countless others have at one time or another embraced these symbols in their work the entertainment industry is saturated with this imagery and it raises the question what are they trying to communicate is it merely for shock value or is there something deeper at play are these celebrities aware that they are participating in something far more dangerous than they realize we must remain Vigilant and Discerning for the enemy is cunning and his influence extends far beyond the surface level entertainment we see the Bible is clear in its call for

Christians to live lives that are set apart holy and distinct from the sinful influences of the world in Romans 12 two we are told do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is his good pleasing and perfect will the pattern of this world is one that glorifies Rebellion against God it is a pattern that celebrates sin immorality and darkness but we as followers of Christ are called to reject this pattern and embrace a life

of righteousness 1 Peter 1:16 Echoes this call to Holiness be holy because I am Holy Holiness means being set apart distinct and pure it means rejecting the sinful influences that are so prevalent in today's world yet when we expose ourselves to these influences over and over again through music media and entertainment the lines between right and wrong can become blurred what once shocked us can become routine what once repelled us can become appealing Paul's warning in Romans 1:28 speaks to this very danger when people continually reject God's truth their minds can become depraved furthermore just

as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God so God gave them over to a depraved mind so that they do what ought not to be done this is the tragic result of ignoring God's warnings and becoming desensitized to evil when we allow sin to creep into our lives through repeated exposure we risk losing our sensitivity to the things of god let's focus for a moment on the role of Music in this desensitization process music is one of the most powerful influences in our lives it has the unique ability to stir

our emotions shape our thoughts and even influence our Behavior music is more than just entertainment it is a tool that can either draw us closer to God or pull further away from him think about how music is being used today it is filled with explicit references to sin rebellion and even satanic imagery in the past music with such blatant depictions of evil would have caused outrage or discomfort but with repeated exposure this imagery no longer shocks us instead it is accepted as just another form of entertainment let me ask you have you noticed how easy

it is for people today to consume music filled with dark themes violent lyrics and even open Rebellion against God without feeling any sense of discomfort this is desensitization at work when evil becomes normalized it no longer alarms us it no longer Pricks our conscience instead it becomes something we enjoy something we celebrate and something we allow into our lives without question but the Bible warns us about the dangers of this kind of exposure Proverbs 4:23 tells us Above All Else guard your heart for everything you do flows from it what you allow into your heart

matters the music you listen to the media you consume the conversations you engage in these things have a profound impact on your spiritual well-being when we listen to music that glorifies sin we are allowing those sinful ideas to take root in our hearts and Minds you may not realize it at first but over time repeated exposure to this kind of music can lead to a heart that is no longer sens sensitive to the things of God this is the danger of desensitization it dulls our awareness of sin and makes us more vulnerable to compromise this

is why it is so important to be selective about the music you allow into your life the music you listen to has a tremendous effect on you whether you realize it or not just as positive uplifting music can Inspire and draw you closer to God negative or sinful music can have the opposite effect it can pull you away from God Cloud your discernment and and Harden your heart to the truth the Apostle Paul gives us clear guidelines for what we should focus on in Philippians 4 8 finally brothers and sisters whatever is true whatever is

Noble whatever is right whatever is pure whatever is lovely whatever is admirable if anything is excellent or praiseworthy think about such things this applies to the music we listen to as well does the music you consume reflect what is pure and Noble does it draw you closer to God or does it lead you further away from him Ephesians 5:19 encourages us to speak to one another with Psalms hymns and songs from the spirit sing and make music from your heart to the Lord music is a gift from God designed to glorify him and Inspire us

to live lives of worship but when music is used to glorify sin it becomes a tool for the enemy to lead us away from God the power of music lies in its subtlety you might not even be aware of the effect it is having on You music has a way of bypassing our intellectual defenses and embedding itself directly into our emotions and subconscious this is why we must be careful about what we allow ourselves to listen to the Bible is filled with examples of how music was used to glorify God and draw people into his

presence King David known as a man after God's Own Heart was a musician who used his talents to Worship the Lord the Psalms are filled with songs of praise and worship designed to uplift and inspire the soul David's music even had the power to calm the spirit of King Saul when he was troubled by evil spirits in contrast today's music is often designed to stir up sinful desires to glorify things like greed lust violence and pride it is no wonder that Satan the enemy of our souls would use music as a tool to lead people

away from God but we as Christians must be vigilant we must choose music that edifies that builds us up in our faith and that draws us closer to the heart of God brothers and sisters we are living in a time when the lines between good and evil are becoming increasingly blurred music is one of the most powerful tools being used to desensitize people to sin the frequent use of satanic and demonic imagery in music is not something to be taken lightly it is a sign of the spiritual battle that is taking place all around us

but we are not without hope God has given us his word to guide us his Spirit to strengthen us and his grace to sustain us we are called to live lives that are holy set apart from the world and focused on what is good true and pure let us be vigilant in guarding our hearts and Minds let us choose to fill our lives with music that glorifies God that draws us closer to him and that inspires us to live out our faith with integrity and conviction and let us pray for those who are being led

astray by the darkness of this world that they may come to know the Light of Christ who alone can set them free