• I Samuel 16:16 “Let our lord now command thy servants, which are before thee, to seek out a man, who is a cunning player on an harp: and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well.
• 23 And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.” 
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There have been many, many studies and testimonies of people becoming demon-possessed while listening to, singing, and/or playing music that doesn’t follow God’s boundaries, but rather Satan’s music structure. It is well-documented that various tribes around the world perform devilish rituals through the medium of music using the same various styles and methods that contemporary music and CCM  employ (i.e. heavy rhythms, syncopation, chordal dissonance, unresolved chords, atonality, etc…). I have learned of numerous examples like the one the late Dr. Hugh Pyle of the Sword of the Lord told. A preacher was serving in the jungles of South Africa when his children received gifts of music from the USA. Assuming it was from Christians and therefore good, the kids began playing it. The natives came running frantically to the preacher and asked why his children were summoning demons. The American Christians sent the music saying it was fine; the natives knew better. The music was no different than their music for Satan worship.

Some of the worst mass murderers in history pumped themselves up first by listening to certain types of music. The secular station, VH1, reports that certain famous musicians and singers like Beyonce, Kanye West, and John Lennon were demon-possessed while listening to or performing their music. Is this really true? Can music be spiritual and work through the spirit realm? The unsaved and even some believers argue that it is not true. However, the Bible proves differently. 

In our text, I Sam. 16:16 and 23, we are reminded of King Saul’s evil spirit. After repeated sins by King Saul against God’s authority, God’s Holy Spirit departed from Saul (vs. 14), and God allowed an evil spirit to torment Saul at times. When this happened, young David was called upon to play his harp. By the way, earlier in I Sam. 16, David was anointed by Samuel as king over Israel and God’s Holy Spirit came upon him (vs. 13). So, the Spirit-filled David played to refresh Saul’s tormented soul from an evil spirit. David’s music affected the spirit realm. This is why it is so important to have only the best, Spirit-filled music and Spirit-filled performers in your life, home, and church. Music doesn’t just affect your body, but also your spirit. Happy, sad, and angry songs affect the spirit of your home. Music is spiritual. We may only see the physical realm, but “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Eph. 6:12) 

Don’t allow the spiritual enemy into your home through your music. Only choose godly music, specifically performed by Spirit-filled believers.

Note: Words were not needed when the spirit fled. The music itself was key. Music itself is spiritual or carnal.

Crucial Note: In I Sam. 18:7-11, the Jewish women sang music not focused on the Lord, but rather, on men – David and King Saul. Their song was not of the Lord, and fed the evil spirit in King Saul actually making it so that David’s playing in vs. 10 and ever afterwards did not have the same effect as before. Saul even tried to kill David twice while David played.

Believers are causing so much more harm than they realize with their frivolous and/or wicked music. An evil spirit is upon our countries and our churches as our normal, everyday music feeds it. Our usual song services in church and at home cannot have the same impact as previous times of revival until we get rid of all music God isn’t pleased with.

This connection between music, good or evil, and the spiritual realm is powerful, and it’s long past time that believers woke up to it and did something about it.

(This article is from the “Music” series.)