Question from a reader:

I’ve been listening to instrumental New Age music at night when I fall asleep. A couple of different nights I have woken up, with the music still playing, with a huge sense of terror, afraid I was going to die. The only thing that seems to diminish the terror is reading Scripture.  Could this music be affiliated with the demonic world?

Answer from Julia (Stager) Mayo:

We know from the Bible there is an intense spiritual world, but the Bible doesn’t fully explain how exactly that world of righteous and fallen spirits interacts with our world. It sounds like you responded to the situation you were in very well and in a biblical way, and you are taking a wise step in questioning that music.

To our materialistic minds it seems nonsensical that certain notes could be anything other than spiritually neutral, but it’s very possible those songs have been deeply involved in worship/ceremonies that were in service not to Christ but to, well, demonic forces (not everyone who worships demons knows it’s demons they are worshipping).

I would venture to say, based on your story, that this music is somehow affiliated with spirits of the adversary, and that getting rid of it (destroying or throwing it away, so it’s out of your house) would be wise. Perhaps it’s a coincidence and the music is innocent, but why run that risk?

I believe you know this, but as reassurance: we are children of light (Ephesians 5:8) and the dominion of darkness has no legitimate authority over us. We belong to Jesus Christ who is victorious (Colossians 1:13; 1 Corinthians 15:57).