Great, so you understand the reality of spiritual warfare.
Does worshiping a Christian rock band not qualify as idolatry?
Sure, I would say if it is explicitly done. I don't think for many people who love music or a particular band it's an explicit thing. It's tricky here - 'worship' of music or a band is very subjective. But open idolatry - I mean, like literally worshipping them, would be something else entirely.
Sure, we can use your term. The point it that we both agree on what the word represents.
Ok, cool.
Admittedly, you have no clue as to how demons can enter, you just believe they "got in" somehow. Because the bible does not exlplain this, are we to infer that a person is born with a demon? No, so there must be an entry point, a window of opportunity.
I have done much research into spiritual warfare, and I can confidently tell you that demons can enter through media such as music, TV, and even video games. I might not have believed it myself if I had not heard/seen/read this from reputable pastors who have the word of knowledge and were explained all this by the Holy Spirit as demons were cast out. Another entry point is through violence and sexual abuse. Also, unforgiveness and resentment towards others. Another entry point is from catastrophes, accidents, especially car accidents etc. Another is through drugs and alcohol. Demons are a major cause of addiction. So although music may seem harmless, there are entryways for demonic influence through it.
This is reasonable speculation, but speculation nonetheless - in other words, we're now building a theology from experience.
I'm okay to include experience in building a worldview (of course, we have to) but I'm not so keen in being dogmatic about experience. This is the problem with a lot of spiritual warfare theology - it gets incredibly dogmatic about things based on a stack load of experience.
I understand that demonic influence is behind the world's and people's problems, but I do not believe that getting superstitious about music or items and a myriad of other things is strictly helpful to anyone. Unfortunately, I've actually seen too many people under demonic influence in worse ways once they got really into spiritual warfare. I've seen to many people come back worse after so-called deliverance ministry. This is often because spiritual warfare teaching makes people more scared and fearful - and makes people really superstitious about so many things in life, making them more fearful. So they won't listen to certain music because they're so afraid the demons have some sort of power on them through it. Eventually, they live their lives in fear, not in the glorious freedom of Christ. It's as if the demons are everywhere and found in everything, and Christ is hardly anywhere to be seen.
The hypnotic repetitiveness of music is what puts people into a trance leaving them susceptible to demonic influence.
I won't buy this, unless the music is being
used deliberately by not just the musicians but the people using the music to put themselves under demonic influence.
I'll explain below this next quote of yours.
This is why shamans, and village people in Africa and other places use their repetitive beating of drums. I would suggest doing some research into the mechanics of spiritual warfare to better understand how these people operate.
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Agreed that Shamans
use this sort of music, but the key word is "use". The music itself is not evil (how could it be? It's devoid of any
content) but how it's used is of paramount importance.
And when I say 'used' I refer not just to the perpetrator (the musician, the Shaman) but also the receiver (the person). In other words, if I were to walk into a Shamanic ceremony for whatever weird reason, I will not be affected by the music or the demonic influence, because I am not using the music for that purpose. However, those that do are.
They are deliberately opening themselves up to demons because that's what they came to do.
For this reason, I disagree that Bethel or Hillsong's music by nature opens up anyone to anything. I don't think a bunch of innocent kids are suddenly getting demons attached to them because they are naive or untaught or just young and just came to be with their mates, or even because they just like the music or the bands or the lights or the cool vibes and cool hair. I would find that patently unfair on God's part that He is unable to protect kids from demonic influence who simply don't know theology very well. Is God's grace not stronger than that? However, I do agree that the music can be used to (a) make people connect more emotionally to the band / the people involved in some way, and (b) make them more susceptible to believe the
content of the music or any teaching that follows.
Some background will suffice. I am a musician and a pastor. I have toured in rock bands across my country. I am capable enough to know fairly roughly what sounds and notes from my guitar can illicit an emotional response. Minor keys are sad, major keys are happy. Certain frequencies can create atmosphere and depth. And am aware that my own emotional delivery of music has an effect on the crowd. I am aware that dissonance in rock music creates a sense of mystery and awe. If you want more information, simply go to Youtube and type "Rick Beato's What Makes This Song so Great" and he breaks down famous songs in history and tells you why the song connects to people so well. It's very interesting. But I'm also aware that this is not a spirit floating out of my guitar, it is simply human psychology and how God made people to respond to music.
But I am aware that if someone had to use my playing deliberately to connect to a demon, then they will connect to a demon. It has nothing to do with my playing, it has everything to do with their intent.
I see every reason to believe that it's a good thing to draw people to God emotionally through music, but I'm also aware of the importance of teaching people not to live on emotional hype through music, but to ground themselves in scripture as the truest and best source for a spiritual life.
Young kids aren't really worshipping these bands, they are simply connecting to them in ways that are easier for them. It's easier for a kid to experience novelty and emotion, and music speaks to them very strongly because they are literally more emotional. Unfortunately, much of preaching doesn't, because of many reasons - some of which are really the fault of the preacher and the local church. Those of us that are older no longer experience much novelty in music because we've heard most of what there is before. But I remember what it was like to be a kid. You're looking for an emotional connection and in music you find it.
The danger, as has been pointed out, is that if you like Jesus Culture you're very likely to explore what Bethel teaches. And because you're an impressionable young person and have never actually heard half of the stuff Bethel teaches anywhere else just yet (although, when you get older you realise it's nothing new) you are curious and intrigued and in a place where you are easily influenced. Sure, there is some demonic influence happening here - and false teaching is surely demonically influenced in some way. But I don't see any reason to believe the music style itself is what's the real problem. It's the whole package, really.
You know, I've ready stacks of books on spiritual warfare and my church was strong on it in the 90's and early 2000's, but we realised we were causing more harm than good. Going around 'claiming territories' and the like. Speaking to Satan to be gone from a place. All this stuff. As a good friend says, he was in that prayer meeting when Satan was finally bound to the pit and told he could never come out again! But it's all really not biblical practice. I really feel like I've run the gamut through that stuff and so much of it was unhelpful to me and my friends. Spiritual warfare is real, but there is a healthy sort and an unhealthy sort, and I'm afraid the article quoted earlier looks like it bends towards the unhealthy.
