The Power of Music
What you replay shapes what you become.
Music has always been a huge part of my life. Growing up, rock music was the soundtrack to my teenage years—Def Leppard, AC/DC, Bon Jovi, Metallica. Music pumped me up, carried me through, and marked so many memories. Even now, different seasons of life feel connected to different kinds of music.
That’s why music matters.
Because music isn’t just entertainment.
It’s influence.
I remember walking past my little sister’s room when she was around 12 or 13. She and her friends were listening to a popular song and singing along. Normally I might not have thought twice. But I had recently returned home from a mission and felt protective. The song was called “I Wanna Be Bad.”
And hearing my sweet little sister sing those words didn’t sit right.
Not because she was trying to be rebellious—she probably hadn’t even listened to the lyrics. Most of us don’t when the beat is catchy.
But the words were still going in.
How harmful messages slip past our “armor”
A military friend once explained how armored vehicles could protect against bullets—but RPGs could tear through. So they added cage armor to detonate the warhead early. Then enemies adapted with a dual warhead: one explosion to destroy the outer armor and another delayed one to penetrate the main armor.
That’s a perfect picture of how the enemy of our souls works.
Some messages can’t get into our minds directly. Our “armor” is too strong. So the message gets carried in through something attractive—like a catchy song—and slips past the defenses.
And the scary part is it doesn’t enter once.
It enters over and over… because the song replays over and over.
Scripture and faith tie-in
The Bible records that when an evil spirit troubled Saul, David played the harp and Saul was refreshed (1 Samuel 16:23). Music can calm and heal.
Christ Himself sang a hymn before going to the Mount of Olives and facing the greatest suffering of His life (Matthew 26:30; Mark 14:26). Music can strengthen.
And there’s a powerful statement about spiritual music:
“We get nearer to the Lord through music than perhaps through any other thing except prayer.”
And an even more personal scripture:
“For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart… the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me.” (D&C 25:12)
Practical reflection
This isn’t about judging genres. It’s about paying attention.
Because thoughts are the building blocks of who we are. And music can deliver thoughts into our minds with incredible power.
So the question isn’t, “Is this song popular?”
The question is, “Is this song shaping me into who I want to be?”
Anchoring quote
“The song of the righteous is a prayer.”
Today’s Daily Challenge
Choose one uplifting song today and replay it on purpose. Then choose one song that feeds anger, lust, despair, or emptiness—and remove it from your regular rotation.
One small change in what you replay can become a big change in what you feel.
Closing gratitude + links
I’m grateful God gives us music as comfort and strength—something that can lift us when words can’t.
joshdowns.com/daily-devotionals
joshdowns.com/come-follow-me-for-teens
