The Bible on Watching Bad Things: What Does the Scripture Say?

Everything we do today, including the bad things, impacts our eternal fate, and we will be blessed in some way for the things we do and see with the senses God gave us. The Lord is fair, and on the day of judgment, he will unveil both our good and wicked deeds.

The Bible cautions us to make prudent decisions since our existence continues beyond this world. As such, we need to make good decisions following what God wants from us.

The coming judgment is absolute, and in light of this, we must utilize every part of our being for the glory of God. There is a price to pay if we reject God’s call to live for Him and instead give in to our baser instincts.

Even though we could reason that “just because I’m watching a bad show doesn’t make me a sinner doesn’t mean I am,” it’s important to remember that God hates sin and maintains a record of everything we do. He has commanded us to be holy on the inside and out. Taking in violent or otherwise sinful media content defiles us and encourages us to act accordingly. So, we should stop watching negative media since it impairs our souls.

See what the Bible has to say about viewing sinful content.

The Bible’s Stance on Pornography

Words and phrases associated with pornography are by far the most searched for online. Now more than ever, pornography can be found anywhere. Satan’s greatest triumph may have been in corrupting sex. He has undermined what is good and right—sexual intimacy between two consenting adults—with lust, pornography, infidelity, and rape.

The act of viewing pornographic material might be the initial step on a path leading to deeper and darker depravity (Romans 6:19). Numerous studies have shown that porn may be very addicting. Much to how drug abuse requires ever-increasing doses of increasingly potent substances to maintain the same “high,” pornography gradually but steadily immerses its viewers in a vortex of ever-increasing sexual obsessions and depraved lusts.

Sin may be broken down into three primary categories: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16). Unquestionably, pornography induces a visceral need for flesh, which is a lust of the eyes.

According to Philippians 4:8, we are not to ponder about things like pornography. The viewing of pornographic material is both harmful and enslaving (1 Corinthians 6:12; 2 Peter 2:19). (Proverbs 6:25-28; Ezekiel 20:30; Ephesians 4:19). That which is at the heart of pornography—carnal lust for other people—is reprehensible to the Creator (Matthew 5:28).

A person may be lost if he or she has a chronic, unrepentant obsession with pornography and refuses to get assistance, alter his or her behavior, or even acknowledge that there’s a problem (1 Corinthians 6:9-12).

God is able and willing to grant mercy to pornographers. Do you want out of pornography but you can’t seem to break the habit?

Here are a few ways to guarantee success:

1.  Admit your guilt to God (1 John 1:9).
2. Pray for God to forgive your sins, rejuvenate your spirit, and give you a whole new heart (Romans 12:2).
3. Pray that God will fill your thoughts with what is good, true, noble, right, pure, beautiful, and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8).
4. Acquire sanctified control over your physical form (1 Thessalonians 4:3-4).
5. Have a healthy perspective on sex and rely only on your partner to fulfill that urge (1 Corinthians 7:1-5).
6. Believe that if you walk in the Spirit, you will not give in to the desires of your body (Galatians 5:16). 7)

You may avoid pornographic content by blocking it from loading on your computer. You can even cut back on your TV and movie watching, and find a Christian friend who will pray for you and keep you responsible.

What About Other Movies, TV Shows, or Media?

The issue for a Christian isn’t so much whether or not viewing the film in question constitutes sin. It should be more along the lines of “Is this something that God wants me to do?” 

Many things are sanctioned in the Bible, but not all of them are helpful (1 Corinthians 10:23). It also instructs us to make God the focus of our speech and actions (including our entertainment choices) (1 Corinthians 10:31).

Consider just what is good and right in the world (Philippians 4:8). It’s difficult to find fault if, and this is huge if, we can watch a movie or TV show with problematic content and yet be in agreement with these rules from the Bible.

The risk comes from the emotional and social impact of what we’re taking in.

If the scenario we witness causes us to experience sexual desire, rage, or hostility, we have sinned (Matthew 5:22, 28), and we should do all in our power to prevent this from happening again. Most of the time, this means avoiding films or scenes similar to the one in question.

And it might be an obstacle for someone who is fighting an addiction or other sin that is standing in the way of his relationship with God (1 Corinthians 10:25-33; Romans 14:13). Our duty as Christians is to shine as an illuminating example of the work of God in our life (Matthew 5:14). (1 Peter 2:11-12).

Others may misinterpret our attendance at an “R”-rated film as an endorsement of sexually explicit content or graphic violence. That’s not the way to shine a light on the world.

So the question becomes, how can we determine whether or not what we are viewing is indeed helpful? As Christians, we receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38; 2 Timothy 1:14). In the words of Jesus, this Spirit will lead us to all truth (John 16:13).

Conscience is one method by which the Holy Spirit directs us (Romans 1:12; 9:1). Conscience is usually right, therefore if you feel uncomfortable while viewing anything, it’s generally not okay.

Final Thoughts

Movies and other media have the power to move audiences in many different ways. What we value as significant might be inferred from the movies we see and the ones we consider our favorites. Each of us has a responsibility to actively seek out what is good and shun what is bad. Although we have the liberty in Christ to choose what we watch (1 Corinthians 10:23), not every film is beneficial for the Christian.

Further, it is important to promote films with a message of hope that represents our ideals. In line with our principles, we may all benefit from seeing films that promote positive change in people’s lives, whether they are expressly Christian or merely mirror biblical values.

Finally, keep in mind that movies are created by humans. They need our prayers as much as our complaints about movies we don’t like, and we can steer them in the direction of movies that glorify God. God cares about the movies we choose to watch, how many movies we watch, which movies we financially back, and how we feel about producers.

Check out some of our other posts!

• Did Anyone Smoke In The Bible? What The Scriptures Have To Say
• What Is A King To A God? The Answer Explained
• Asking the Hard Questions: Why is God So Cruel?