3 Reasons Every Christian Should Support The Christian Metal Scene (Even If You Don’t Like Metal)
Harsh vocals, distorted guitars, chainsaw bass, and blasting drums that make your heart beat outside your chest—Christian metal transforms raw intensity into a soundtrack of overcoming trials and worshipping God, and standing firm in a fallen world.
Worshiping God, standing firm in our faith, and overcoming trials are all good things, right? Then why so much hate against Christian metal? This is something I’ve wondered about for many years. What I think comes down to personal preference.
“I don’t like metal!”
Most people don’t. It’s an acquired taste, I’ll give you that. If metal music is not your cup of tea, that’s fine,but what I do have an issue with is the constant demonizing of this genre, with no real scripture to back up the claims.
I had a pastor once who preached an entire sermon about how the band “Skillet” were secretly a band of devil worshipers seeking to trick Christians into listening to them. The man had zero evidence for these claims, but that didn’t stop him from slandering a group of Christians who are doing what God has called them to do to reach the lost. Interestingly enough, the first band my wife and I saw after leaving this church was Skillet, where John Cooper boldly proclaimed the name of Jesus from the stage. This same pastor accused me of “Causing division in the church” because I asked a few friends in the church if they believed drums were truly sinful, as that is what the pastor preached from the pulpit.
I have seen it attempted many times, but there is no real argument in scripture that condemns Christian metal. We cannot preach our opinions and try to find Bible verses to back them up. We must let the Bible dictate what our opinions are. There are no Bible verses that dictate exactly how music aimed to honor Christ should sound. Music from all over the world has unique styles, instruments, and therefore a vast amount of sounds. And yet, all of these different sounds can be used to honor God and worship Him. I have seen African tribes playing the drums and singing classic Christian hymns, and I have seen acapella choirs do the same. If the people have the right heart towards the music, then it can all be honoring to God, regardless of how it sounds. Sound itself does not make something evil or good.
“It sounds demonic! ”
This may sound like a check-mate to some, but with this statement, I offer this pushback: “What does a demon sound like?”
I mean, we know that evil will creep into anything if given the chance. That is the way the devil operates. But how do we know that demons sound like metal music? I can just as easily point to the beautiful, angelic voice of a pop singer and say that IT sounds demonic.. does that make it true? Absolutely not. You can hear evil lyrics from a person screaming in metal, but you can find the same thing with a person singing smooth and sweet as honey. In fact, many songs you hear today have beautiful singing, with bad messages.
If anything, demonic forces likely work themselves into places that we least expect, like the places that seem from the outside the least satanic. Not only is there no biblical proof for the subjective comment that metal music “Sounds demonic”, it probably isn’t even likely.
2 Corinthians 11:13-15
13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
Personally, I gave up all secular music for over 7 years because I trusted that the many pastors I listened to on the subject were right. The truth is, they weren’t. They simply preached their opinions from the pulpit, and made the Bible seem like it is in agreement.
Should we be discerning with the music we listen to? Absolutely! Same goes with all things we put before our eyes, ears, and hearts. We should always be considering the lyrics and content we consume. We should choose music that brings God glory, whenever possible.
I can tell you that in this day in age, the Christian metal scene accomplishes just that. We are spoiled with so many good Christian metal bands today. There are plenty of opportunities to hit the gym, clean your house, or do whatever it is you do.. with that intensity we seek, but without forgoing our Christian values.
If you are a Christian, it is my belief that you should support Christian metal, even if it is not exactly your taste in music. Why? I believe that there are three main reasons every Christian should support Christian metal.
Christian metal reaches people with the gospel
Luke 14:23
And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.
Regardless of how you might feel about Christian metal, there is no denying the fact that it is reaching people for Christ. These people are not only Christians who happen to find music that aligns with their personal convictions, (although this is definitely a percentage) but these are people who have come to Christ specifically from metal music.
Christian metal certainly can enhance our walk with God as believers, but just as important, it can and has been used as a means to pull people out of the fire. The reason for this is the intersection of secular metal with Christian metal.
Christianity has never been about hiding the glorious light of Jesus. We are meant to go meet people where they are and offer them a message of hope. In a hurting and dying world, we can’t afford to just sit around and wish people would come to us. Some Christian’s already share this vision. Christian’s have been known to dedicate their lives serving in homeless shelters,visiting those in prisons, and spending their dollars or spare time in places where the outcasts of society have made their abode. Why not embrace this same idea, and bring the gospel to the world of metal music?
This is where I lose some folks. They say things like “isn’t metal music all just a bunch of drugs, alcohol, and demonic stuff?” Well.. I would say yes and no. First off, this stuff doesn’t only exist in metal music, and not all metal music consists of those things, even if they are secular. However, those themes are very prevalent in the metal scene, and that is precisely why we most reach them. All the more reason to invest our time and energy into this unique mission field.
We shouldn’t be running and hiding from those who are enslaved to the wickedness of their surroundings, we should be running to them in hopes of providing an escape, the same escape we have been offered in Jesus.
To be clear, I think it’s possible for spiritually mature brothers and sisters in Christ to reach non-believers in the metal scene and offer them a better way of living, an alternative to the destructive lifestyle many people in metal adopt.
2. Christian metal offers an alternative to a self destructive scene
Ephesians 2:8-10
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Christians are saved by God’s grace alone. No amount of work can ever earn us a spot in heaven with God for all eternity, or outweigh the sins we have committed. However, when God saves us, He calls us to behave in a way that is pleasing to Him. Something that is important to God is how we take care of our bodies.
Christianity teaches that one should abstain from sexual sins, alcohol abuse, and using harmful drugs. Oh how desperately the metal scene, or any group of people on the planet for that matter, needs this message.
It is true that “Sex, drugs and rock and roll” do come along with the territory of the metal lifestyle. This type of living is in fact harmful, and Christian’s are doing a good thing by attempting to pull people out of these unsatisfying and unfurling lifestyles. Casual sex, drug use, and alcohol abuse can never truly make a person happy.
We see time and time again the rock stars who had it all: Sex, money, fame, drugs, you name it..and yet many reach such a level of emptiness that they tragically take their own lives. This should not be the case. The truth is, many people, including in the metal scene, are searching for love, comfort, and meaning, through unhealthy avenues.
We need to storm the gates of hell, and reach these people within the metal scene that are hurting deep down, and let them know that if they would give their burdens to God and allow Him to carry them, He would do it . We need to tell these people that no substance or person could ever fill the void in their hearts like Jesus can.
Christian metal is different. Chrstian metal provides messages of hope. You will see that a lot of the lyrics speak to the fact that we are all image bearers of God and deserve love and respect. This includes abstaining from self destructive behaviors. Christian metal focuses on what our lives can be when we submit to Christ and allow Him to change us from the inside out. So many are slaves to pornography, drugs, and any other vices that rip out a person’s God given worth and replaces it with a cheap knock off.
The people in the metal scene, just as we were, or may still be at times, are slaves to their own sin. But it doesn’t need to be that way. There is freedom in Christ. The majority of lyrics in Christian metal deal with the negative aspects of life that we all deal with, and yet offer a hope that is freely given, a hope that is only received through Christ. These lyrics not only can help others get out of the dark place they may find themselves in, but they also glorify our Lord and Savior.
3. Christian Metal Glorifies God
Psalm 150
Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.
2 Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.
3 Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.
4 Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.
5 Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.
6 Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.
We are commanded as God’s people to praise His name. Christian metal is primarily focused on this aspect of worship. We can have our breakdowns, and we can lift up the name of Jesus. We do not have to choose one or the other. Life is full of ups and downs, victories and failures, but we have an anchor, and His name is Jesus. Christian metal, and all the bands with all their music as a whole, offer us a realistic catalog of all these emotions. Through the emotional pull of the songs, we often learn that no matter what it is we are going through, God is still good and is the King over all our circumstances.
Not only is it simply possible to find metal music that has lyrics that glorify Jesus, but we have an abundance of Christian metal available to us at our fingertips. There are many different styles, and each band may choose to focus more on this aspect of life, or the that aspect, but each seeks to honor God in the way they feel that their band has been called.
Something I learned when I used to do a lot of outreach and evangelism was that sometimes, that heart that was searching for God, responded better to a different person in your group. Sometimes I would talk to a person and I just could not get my message to resonate with them, and yet, someone else in my group, perhaps my wife, would talk to that person and it would all start to click. This can easily be applied to the metal scene as well.
Perhaps a few different bands are glorifying God through their music, but then that lost person finds that ONE band that really hits home with them. This is an amazing blessing that we are living with today. The Christian metal scene is alive and well, and is growing bigger than ever. All it takes is for one band to reach that lost person out there, and take the gospel to them. They discover the band, they start enjoying their music , and find out through the lyrics what they stand for. The lyrics that lift up the name of Jesus have the ability to shine light in such a world of darkness, and if that person listens with an open heart, it has the ability to change that person for the better.
Conclusion
One huge resource for finding new music is the Kingdom Core podcast and online community. I have discovered countless bands from Kingdom Core, and I am so encouraged to find that there are metal enthusiasts out there who also love Jesus.
Although it may not be everyone’s cup of tea, you can listen to metal music that glorifies God and focuses on love, empowerment, and positivity. Christian metal is an amazing opportunity to reach the lost, teach them about sanctification and offer an alternative to a self destructive lifestyle, and glorify Jesus. Christian: Please consider supporting this mission.
