First, what’s secular? Secular means something that is not religious or spiritual in nature. A secular song is first defined by its source — the vessel through whom the song comes. Music is not just melody and lyrics; it carries the spirit of the one who births it. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. If the source is not yielded to the Spirit of God, what flows from them cannot carry the Spirit of God, no matter how harmless the words may appear.

This is why a secular song is not primarily about whether it mentions God or avoids profanity. The real question is: whose influence, whose atmosphere, whose spirit birthed this sound? Every sound comes from an altar, either from the altar of light or the altar of darkness. When you give your ears to a secular source, you are opening yourself to the influence of their altar.

Sound is capable of transmitting its owner’s spirit to those listening. In fact, the easiest way to transfer spirit, whether holy or unholy, is through sound. There are people who believe it is okay to listen to any song as long as the lyrics don’t contain profanity. But music is never just about lyrics. Beyond the words, there is a spiritual atmosphere embedded in every sound, and that atmosphere is what truly affects the listener.

Have you ever, out of nowhere, found yourself craving sexual activities, violent thoughts, or attitudes that don’t reflect who you really are or who you used to be? Alongside other things you may need to check, one area to watch carefully is the sound you let into your ear. The ear is one of the main gates into your spirit and soul. What consistently enters through that gate has the power to shape desires, stir appetites, and create atmospheres in your life, sometimes without you even realizing it.

The Bible says, “Flee from every appearance of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:22). All sounds, all music, invoke a presence. That presence will either align with God’s Spirit or pull you away from it. Some might call this “over-spirituality,” but the truth is, the spiritual realm is more real than what we see. Music has always been one of the strongest channels to either host God’s presence or invite another.

I remember an experience Minister Dunsin Oyekan shared while he was in the US. He was in a car when a certain song began to play. The sound so polluted the spiritual atmosphere that he had to ask them to stop playing it. That’s how real and tangible the spirit behind a song can be, it doesn’t just stay in the background, it shifts the atmosphere around you.

The check and balance is this: what fruit of the Spirit is stirred in me when and after listening to this song? Do I sense the Holy Spirit’s stirring while it plays, and is that stirring still present afterward? If a song leaves me more in tune with my flesh than my spirit, it’s already pulling me in the wrong direction.

Lyrics matter, but they’re not the only thing that matters. A lyric can sound right, yet the atmosphere surrounding it is not of God. That’s why the first thing to check is the source: who are they, what is their life like, and what altar are they ministering from? Then check the lyrics: do they align with God’s Word? If either fails the test, the song is spiritually unsafe.

There is also the place of conscious and unconscious listening. Sometimes you deliberately play a song, other times it’s in the background, in a shop, in a taxi, at work. The first is a matter of choice, the second is often beyond your control. But even in the unconscious, we are told to guard our hearts with all diligence. It’s not every environment you must remain in; if the sound begins to pollute the atmosphere, wisdom may demand you leave or shut it down, just as Minister Dunsin once testified.

So the question is not simply, “Is it a sin to listen?” The real question is, “Does this sound draw me closer to God or make me comfortable in an atmosphere where He is absent?” A secular song may not be an immediate sin, but it is often a channel through which sin is nurtured. And for the believer who seeks to remain sensitive, pure, and aligned with the Spirit, it’s a channel best shut completely.