What Does The Bible Say About Music We Listen To?
By Marisa D'Amore · · Updated
16 Principles on What the Bible Says About the Music We Listen To
Music can shape our thoughts, emotions and desires more than we realize. Because of that, it is worth asking how our music choices affect our walk with God.
In this post, we will look at biblical principles for choosing music with wisdom, guarding our hearts and listening in a way that honors God.
1. Music Should Be God-Honoring and Point Us to Christ
The simplest guideline is this: whatever we do should glorify God.
“Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31).
The lyrics we sing and listen to shape our minds and hearts more than we realize. We want to fill our minds with truth found in God’s Word that points us to Jesus.
The book of Psalm is filled with songs written specifically for worshiping God. While not all music needs to be praise songs, Scripture shows us that praising God through song pleases Him.
As King David wrote:
“I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving” (Psalm 69:30).
Our music choices matter because what we listen to indicates what our soul delights in. Songs that honor the Lord keep our focus on God and the truth of the gospel.
2. Music Has Power to Lead Us into Sin or Righteousness
Songs can stay in our minds for a long time. That is why lyrics matter. Music can either stir our hearts toward God or make sin feel normal.
For instance, the Bible tells us about the Israelites worshiping a golden calf idol with a big party that included music (Exodus 32:17-19). In the book of Daniel, it’s mentioned that Babylonian rulers called for musicians during their idol worship ceremonies, possibly to create an environment that encouraged terrible sins (Daniel 3:5).
Music filled with truth can help us remember God’s faithfulness. Songs can give us language for worship, gratitude and hope.
3. Instruments Were Created to Praise God
Musical instruments are mentioned often in the Bible, including harps, trumpets, timbrels and pipes. Understanding that God created these instruments for His praise helps us know what kind of music He prefers.
Psalm 150 encourages praising God with music:
“Praise the Lord.
Praise Him with the trumpet, the harp and lyre, with timbrel and dancing, with strings and pipe, with loud cymbals, with clashing cymbals.
Let everything that breathes praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord.”
King David had music playing in his court regularly to honor God (1 Chronicles 16:42). He chose Levites to be musicians who played lyres, harps and cymbals joyfully (1 Chronicles 15:16).
Musical instruments can be a beautiful way to glorify God.
4. Lyrics Focused on Sex, Drugs and Rebellion Do Not Please God
Having looked at examples of music that honors God, let’s consider what the Bible says we should avoid. As mentioned before, songs with lyrics that encourage sin or make us less sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s guidance are a concern.
The New Testament warns believers to turn away from sexual immorality, impurity and obscenity. If a song celebrates what God calls sin, we should pay attention to what it is feeding in us.
It’s true that no song is completely free from imperfect lyrics. As Christians, our goal is to focus on things that are true, honorable, right, pure and admirable (Philippians 4:8). However, if ungodly themes dominate most of the songs, we need to think about whether such music is good for our soul.
5. The Group of Musicians Matters as Much as Lyrics
The Bible not only looks at song lyrics but also at the morals of the musicians themselves. A good example is in the book of Daniel, where King Nebuchadnezzar ordered everyone to worship a false idol or face death. Three young Hebrew men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, chose not to obey this order (Daniel 3).
Musicians were also expected to follow the king’s command to worship the idol, but these three men refused to even pretend to worship it through music.
This story reminds us to think beyond lyrics alone. The artist’s message, life and influence can also shape what we are receiving.
6. Ungodly Music Should Not Be Present in Christian Worship
In the Bible, most mentions of instruments and music are related to worship. This indicates that while individual music preferences can vary among Christians, the music used in group worship comes with more specific guidance.
The books of 1st and 2nd Chronicles describe how King David organized talented Levite musicians and singers to lead the worship of God in Israel (1 Chronicles 15:16-22). David’s actions were a precursor to what Jesus hoped for in church worship, which is worshiping in spirit and truth (John 4:23-24).
The early church sang psalms, hymns and spiritual songs to praise God and encourage one another (Colossians 3:16). Worship music should help the church honor God together.
7. Christian Liberty Allows for Personal Musical Taste
The Bible provides many guidelines about music for worship and personal enjoyment, but there are still some unclear areas. For instance, how do we handle songs with complex themes about life’s struggles versus outright rebellion? Does mentioning sin in a song mean it’s being supported? And how can we wisely and graciously navigate these issues?
Romans 14 talks about issues that the Bible doesn’t specifically address. As Christians, we’re encouraged to follow the Holy Spirit’s guidance, who helps each of us understand what’s right (John 16:13). Paul mentions in 1 Corinthians 6:12 that while we may have the freedom to do anything, not everything is good for us. As our faith grows, the Holy Spirit helps us choose music that better reflects God’s values. However, we shouldn’t force our beliefs on others, especially new Christians who are still figuring out their faith.
We should approach other believers with patience and love, especially when they are still growing in discernment. Honest conversations, prayer and humility can help us make wiser music choices without becoming harsh.
8. Songs that Celebrate Sin Distract Us from God’s Holiness
In the Bible, there are instances where music was used in the worship of false idols, which greatly displeased God. For example, when Moses came down from Mt. Sinai, he found people dancing around a golden calf with loud music (Exodus 32:17-19). Similarly, Nebuchadnezzar used music to support idol worship, which Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego bravely refused to participate in (Daniel 3:5).
Music that celebrates sin matters because God is holy. If a song keeps making sin seem attractive, it can dull our desire for righteousness.
This applies to all types of music, especially if the lyrics encourage greed, dishonesty, pride or lust. Such messages contradict the idea of developing spiritual qualities like love and self-control, weakening our Christian example (Galatians 5:16-26, Titus 2:11-14). Songs that glorify sin can prevent us from living in harmony with the Holy Spirit.
Jesus offers forgiveness, and He also calls us to leave sin behind. Our music choices should help us grow in reverence for God, not make our hearts careless toward sin.
9. Discerning Between Style, Association and Lyric Offense
Discernment is needed because music concerns can come from different places: lyrics, associations, memories, style or conviction from the Holy Spirit.
We can’t judge what’s in someone’s heart, but we can look at the outcomes. As Luke 6:43 & 45 says,
“No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”
We should ask ourselves: Does loud music or fast tempos make us uneasy because of their associations? Or do the lyrics clearly go against God’s teachings when we look at them carefully?
Paul calls believers to avoid evil and live with a clear witness (1 Thessalonians 5:22). At the same time, we need humility to tell the difference between biblical conviction and personal preference.
10. Heavenly Worship Previews Our Eternal Destiny
Revelation 4:8 gives a breathtaking preview of heavenly worship.
“Day and night they never stop saying: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.”
Our worship now points toward the day when every tribe, tongue and nation will worship God together.
Our songs should harmonize with the Spirit and truth.
11. Spiritual Songs Offer Timeless Scriptural Encouragement
The Bible directly references “spiritual songs” in Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16 both encourage singing “psalms, hymns and songs from the Spirit.” Spiritual songs differ from praise songs in focusing more on teaching versus adoration.
Spiritual songs can carry the promises of God, the truth of Christ and encouragement for faith.
Spiritual songs can anchor our hope in God’s Word and remind us that this world is not our final home.
The Old Testament has many examples of spiritual songs. Moses and Miriam co-wrote a song after the Israelites miraculously crossed the Red Sea (Exodus 15:1-21). Isaiah 12 records a song focusing on God alone as salvation. These spiritual songs encouraged the community of faith.
From old hymns to modern Scripture songs, music can help us remember truth when we need courage.
12. God Looks At the Heart Behind Music More Than Style
The Bible mentions music and instruments from Genesis to Revelation. Across cultures and generations, God has received worship through many sounds and styles.
1 Samuel 16:7 teaches that while people often judge by appearances, God looks at the heart. This idea is also true for music. God is more interested in why we make music than in the specific style of the music.
In 2 Kings 3:15, music helped prepare the moment when the word of the Lord came through Elisha.
Ezekiel 33:32 shows a different side - that music can hide insincerity. God criticized people who claimed to seek His Word but were actually only interested in hearing beautiful singing. Their music might have sounded good, but their intentions were not pure.
Paul sang with the spirit and with understanding. That reminds us that both the heart and the truth matter in worship.
13. Secular Music Offers Wisdom But Prizes Earthly Fame
Secular songs, unlike spiritual songs or hymns based on Scripture, usually don’t contain Bible verses or focus on living a righteous life. They are made for general entertainment and often include references to sin without causing concern.
That mattered for their spiritual growth, and it still matters for Christians today.
Not all secular music is negative, however. For example, Louis Armstrong sang about a beautiful world filled with love. Such mainstream songs can sometimes reflect truths also found in Christ.
But, unlike explicitly Christian songs, secular music often aims for earthly recognition, audience approval and cultural acceptance rather than seeking rewards from God. It’s important to weigh any messages we receive from these songs against the higher truths found in the Bible.
14. Group Worship Brings People Together, But Individual Tastes Can Cause Division
In church, music should help the body worship together rather than turn worship into a battle over preferences.
In the Old Testament, 1 Chronicles 25:1 talks about King David appointing lead musicians like Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun and Ethan. Their role was to use music and song for praising God and teaching His people, which helped bring about God’s presence and united the Israelites.
One of King David’s major contributions is the book of Psalm, which is a collection of religious songs. For example, Psalm 100 is a joyful song that invites people to joyfully praise God, recognizing His eternal nature.
John 17 shows how deeply Jesus cares about unity. Worship should help the church turn toward God together.
15. Suppressing Music Diminishes Truth, Creativity and Natural Emotions
Music inspired by the Holy Spirit can help communicate truth in a way that reaches both the mind and the heart.
For example, the Bible tells the story of King Saul, who was troubled by an evil spirit and found comfort in David’s music (1 Samuel 16:14-16, 23). This shows that music can communicate aspects of God that words can’t fully explain.
Also, it’s important not to put unnecessary limits on musical creativity, especially with instruments meant for worshiping God. Decisions about music in worship should be based on Biblical wisdom and understanding, not strict rules.
We should be careful not to silence creative worship that honors God and helps people respond to Him.
As the ultimate Creator, God wants us to create new music that reflects His purpose. We are encouraged to “Sing to the LORD a new song” (Psalm 96:1).
16. Praising God Through Music, Inspired by Jesus Christ
Jesus is the perfect example of worshiping God with true devotion. He obeyed God’s will completely, even when it meant sacrificing His life, so we could reconnect with God (Luke 22:42).
Jesus showed perfect love and obedience. He honored the Father in every part of His life.
Jesus declared a time of forgiveness and freedom, known as the Year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25). His resurrection liberated believers from the power of sin. We should praise God for Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away our sins (John 1:29).
Debates about music can reveal our hearts. We need humility, discernment and a desire to point people to Jesus.
Closing Thoughts on Biblical Principles on Music
The Bible gives wisdom for listening to music in a way that honors God.
As we listen, sing and worship, we can ask God to make our hearts more sensitive to what glorifies Him.
Here are the main principles from this post:
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