Are there Biblical principles that govern church worship music?
Firstly, we find in 1 Samuel 16:23 that music has spiritual power. Saul was refreshed and an evil spirit departed from him because of the music David played on a harp. In 2 Kings 3:15 the hand of the Lord came upon Elisha when a minstrel played. If “God is a Spirit,” John 4:24, then the music presented as worship to God must be “spiritual.”
Secondly, Christians have two natures: the flesh and the spirit. The Bible says that these are “contrary the one to the other” in Galatians 5:17. Since this is true, music used to worship God, who is Spirit, must appeal to the spirit of man. If worship music primarily appeals to the flesh of man through its beat or worldliness, how can it be used to also appeal to the spirit of man when the flesh and spirit are contrary to each other?
Thirdly, all praise and worship is to be “unto the Lord,” Psalms 95:1. Worship (including worship music) is for God, not man. It is not to be an opportunity to “perform” or lift up a performer, but an opportunity for man to praise a holy God. Does the music and performance of much of the “Christian” music of today glorify God? All that a Christian does must glorify God, see 1Corinthians 10:31.
