So Long, Grammys

The lyrics to Nicki Minaj's new song "Roman Holiday" and her performance of the song at the 2012 Grammy Awards are disturbing to say the least.  You can watch her performance here but as a disclaimer, this video may not be suitable for everyone.  Nicki walked the red carpet wearing a "Little Red Riding Hood" ensemble of a red cloak with a giant face stitched across the bottom. She was accompanied by a man dressed in a complete Pope outfit, which made sense as she hit the stage.  The performance involved chains, levitation, demonic groaning and screaming, a video of a possessed Nicki jumping to the ceiling in the presence of a priest, and an attempted exorcism of "Roman" in finale.  It immediately went viral; twitter, blogs, and other forms of social media exploded with reviews and speculations.  Some people loved it and others hated it, but everyone formed an opinion.  What caught my attention after watching the video on Youtube (I turned it off during the actual Grammys) was the way in which our society is truly engrossed in, even entertained by, the supernatural and demonic forces.  


 In class, we recently finished reading the book "The Bondage Breaker" by Dr. Neil Anderson. His purpose was to guide readers to obtain freedom in Christ from any and all bondage; along the way he spends a significant amount of time addressing the issue of demonic oppression as it is real and relevant in our world today.  While successfully avoiding the "Devil made me do it" mentality that some Christians seem to hold, Dr. Anderson provides important insight into the ways in which Satan and his demons are actively influencing the lives of Christians.  Through doors we often don't even realize we've opened, Satan's forces seize opportunities to exert their temptations, accusations, and most of all, deception.  As children of God, we are in Christ and we have the authority and power to overcome by exposing the truth.


With that being said, we as Christians do need to be weary of everything we choose to let into our mind. Paul admonishes us in Philippians 4:8: "Brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." Whether we wish to acknowledge it or not, the fact remains that demonic forces are at work in our world and we must take heed and proceed with caution. As for Nicki? I will let God be the judge; I am not equipped to conclude that she is possessed or to suggest merit in any of the other allegations that sprang up as a result of her Grammy performance. Regardless of the true nature of any satanic forces that may be going on behind the scenes in Nicki's music (and in the music industry in general), I do know that we need to be careful. We have been bought with the precious blood of Christ; our salvation is not at stake, but our daily victory is. We need to consciously avoid artists, songs, and anything else we fill our mind with that may hinder our relationship with Christ and give the Devil a foothold. If we fix our eyes upon Jesus, we can more easily stay on the right path, all the while praying for those who are lost, like Nicki Minaj, that their eyes may be opened and they too might know the saving grace of the gospel.

"The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:10