The Grammy Awards have officially graduated from being the all-time most prestigious award ceremony in music to a cage of devils. We’re not speaking figuratively. The 2023 Grammy Awards were disturbing, and not just because we’re born again Christians.
Even self-proclaimed, “non-religious” folks have acknowledged that the show was…well. Demonic. Actually, it was so awful, viewers of all backgrounds filed complaints.
That word used to be an extreme adjective wielded by “uptight” evangelicals who didn’t know how else to describe anything moderately risqué.
Now, it’s the only word that can aptly capture an ensemble of devilish performances that quite literally, worshipped Satan.
The Grammys Were Demonic
Artists like Sam Smith and Kim Petras, Katy Perry, and Madonna expressed their worship of the devil. Performances were ritualistic and gross. Singing “unholy” lyrics that aren’t even worth repeating, popular musicians have disgusted the world with their evil.
The Grammys were sickeningly disturbing. Honestly, it’s hard to tell what was more disturbing. Viewers seeing fiery, bright-red depictions of hellish debauchery, or well-known Gospel artists seated in the audience for it.
It’s no surprise that a secular platform would promote the ungodly. That’s to be expected. After all, the Bible says that Satan is the god of this age (2 Corinthians 4:4). The world lies in his sway (1 John 5:19). Eerily enough, CBS, which televises the Grammys, did not acknowledge Maverick City Music’s wins on their list of winners and nominees.
Christian Artists at the Show
As the most influential Christian music group of this era, Maverick City Music earned four Grammy wins for their hit songs, tying only with Beyonce for the most number of Grammy wins for the night.
Unequivocally, Maverick City’s artists are gifted and their melodies are written on the hearts of millennials Christians all over the globe. If you don’t feel closer to God when you hear “Promises” or “Jireh,” then maybe you’ve just got a heart of stone.
Nonetheless, many Christian artists attended the televised night of debauchery. Assuming they were all equally as assaulted as TV viewers, social media has questioned the silence of numerous Gospel artists who did not publicly denounce the activities at the Grammys—leading us to believe they’re afraid of losing success or will be back next year.
Gospel artists were on Instagram getting glam and Grammy-ready for the night. But almost none spoke out against the sheer displays of Satanism at the show, or the world’s contrary agenda to the kingdom of Christ through music, seductions, witchcraft, and perversion. Unwittingly, the lack of horror and shock for the outlandish displays have signaled complacency.
Instead, sentiments seem to be that we must always support Gospel music and represent Christ no matter who you’re associated with in the process.
The Question of Compromise
It sounds good at face value. However, the question remains: Were there moments of compromise? Is it realistic for Christians to enter Satan’s domain to “be a light in a dark place” or is this a neatly wrapped cop-out for wanting worldly recognition and opportunities?
Only God knows.
But the Scripture does say this clearly: “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons” (1 Corinthians 10:21).
You cannot glorify God and Satan. You cannot serve two masters. You cannot be gray.
As Jonathan McReynolds once sang on No Gray:
“…It’s real easy to stay on the fence and still do you
and it’d be cool if we could love the Lord
and still go do our thing,
But see it doesn’t work like that
You gotta be white or black.”
Christians Taking a Stand
It’d be comforting to see the day when Christians, i.e. the Body of Christ, take a position of separation and exclusion. Especially now, as anti-Christ agendas are increasingly bold. That’d be liberating—making a stand for Jesus Christ without appearances of evil. (1 Thessalonians 5:22).
Naturally, the light of Christ shines the more as darkness seems to get darker. The lines are getting less blurry. The middle ground is disappearing, and fence-riding won’t work for long.
It’s not all bad and there was a moment to be proud of. Here’s a video of Brandon Lake of Maverick City Music doing what any Christian could have done in the moment. According to 1 John 4:18, he points the audience to Jesus, proclaiming that perfect love casts out all fear, and Jesus is that perfect love:
No doubt, the Grammys were disturbing this year. Amidst fearful performances, there is hope that this scripture reference about Jesus touched at least one discomforted soul. Heaven can rejoice over that.
May that audience and every one us know that though Satan is the god of this world, the Earth and all its fullness belongs to the Lord God Almighty(Psalm 24:1). Jesus Christ sits in power at His right hand (Mark 16:19). No matter who is at the Grammys, or what goes on—God’s kingdom is eternal, winning forever over darkness.
