Six months. That’s how long I gave myself over to secular music.
It started small. Just one or two songs during a workout. Then a few more while doing chores. Soon, it was my daily routine. Morning to night, my playlist was full of beats, melodies, and lyrics that had nothing to do with God.
I told myself, “It’s just music.”
But over time, I began to feel the damage deep inside.
This is not a post to shame anyone. This is a warning from someone who has tasted both light and darkness. If you are a believer, you need to know what secular music can do to your spirit.
Here is what happened to me—and why I believe Christians should guard what they listen to.
1. I developed chronic lust
The first thing that changed was my thought life. I didn’t even notice it at first. But the more I listened, the more lust began to grow in my heart.
Secular songs talk a lot about sex. Sometimes it’s obvious. Other times it’s hidden in poetic words and catchy lines. But the message is clear: “Do what you want. Feel what you feel.”
After a while, I noticed that I started imagining things I had never imagined before. Lust became a quiet visitor in my mind, staying longer than I wanted.
Scripture says:
“But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” — Matthew 5:28
That verse hit harder when I realized the music was feeding the very thing Jesus told me to fight.
2. My sensitivity to the voice of God was gone
Before those six months, I used to hear God clearly. His voice was gentle but strong. He would guide me, warn me, and comfort me. But something changed.
The more I filled my ears with other voices, the harder it was to hear His.
It’s not that God stopped speaking. I just could not hear Him anymore.
Scripture says:
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” — John 10:27
When I stopped listening to God’s voice and started listening to the world, the spiritual noise became louder than the Holy Spirit.
3. I could not pray anymore
This was one of the scariest parts. Prayer became dry. Empty. I would start and stop. There was no flow, no presence, no connection.
It felt like I was locked out of a room I used to walk into freely.
Music has a strong influence on your spirit. It either pulls you closer to God or takes you far away. In my case, the songs had built a wall. My heart was no longer stirred toward prayer. I lost desire. I lost fire.
Scripture says:
“The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” — James 5:16
But fervency cannot come from a heart filled with worldly pleasure. Secular songs had emptied mine.
4. My worship life faded away
Worship used to come naturally to me. I could lift my hands and feel heaven. I could sing and sense God’s nearness. But something happened when I filled my heart with other sounds.
I lost the hunger to worship.
My spirit was not interested in God songs anymore. They felt boring. I preferred the sound of the world. Even when I tried to worship, my heart wandered. The songs I had been feeding on had taken center stage.
Scripture says:
“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” — John 4:24
You cannot worship in spirit if your spirit is already filled with something else.
5. I lost boldness
This one surprised me. I began to feel afraid to speak up about my faith. I stayed silent when I should have shared the gospel. I avoided spiritual conversations. I felt weak in my witness.
The songs I had been listening to were full of fear, pride, lust, and self-glory. That kind of atmosphere weakens your spirit. I lost the boldness I once had to stand for Jesus.
Scripture says:
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” — 2 Timothy 1:7
But the spirit I was entertaining was not the one God gave me. And it showed.
So Why Should Believers Avoid Secular Songs?
Because music is not just sound. It is spirit. It carries something into your heart. And whatever enters your heart will start to shape your life.
Secular songs may sound harmless, but most of them are carrying messages that fight your faith. They glorify sin. They celebrate rebellion. They stir lust. They plant pride. They drown out God’s voice.
You cannot feed on those messages every day and expect to grow spiritually.
You cannot mix worldly fire with holy fire and expect revival.
Proverbs 4:23 says:
“Guard your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.”
One of the main doors to your heart is your ears. And what you listen to every day will shape how you think, how you feel, and how you live.
Final Thoughts
I say this with love. Be careful what you listen to.
If you have already opened the door to secular songs, close it now. Ask God to forgive you. Ask Him to clean your heart again. Delete the music. Throw away the playlist. Start filling your ears with songs that lift your spirit and draw you closer to God.
I have returned to worship. I can pray again. I hear God again. But it took time. And it started with repentance.
Do not wait for things to break before you change your music. Let your sound match your faith. Let your playlist match your calling.
Because what you listen to is shaping you.
Every day.
Whether you know it or not.