How can we decide what movies to watch, music to listen to, or video games to play?

from the old testament

• Applying Scripture to life's questions requires understanding it well enough that we view the world through biblical lenses. The Psalmist asked, “How can a young man keep his way pure?” Then he replied to himself, “By guarding it according to your word,” saying, “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:9, 11). Making wise decisions requires meditating on God’s word (thinking about it all day) until one begins to think like it.
• Solomon, while explaining how we become wise, noted, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7a). Fearing the LORD means being deeply concerned to do exactly as He says. It is the foundation of wisdom because He is the source of what is true and right. Everything in Scripture is Him teaching us how to live rightly.
• Not only must we fear the LORD and know Scripture, but we must do as David who said, “I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me” (Psalm 101:3). We must not intentionally watch or dwell on anything worthless or sinful as that causes people to fall away from God.
• When we rebelled against God (Genesis 3), we became corrupt (Psalm 14:3). Even believers struggle with sin because that corruption is deep within our hearts (Jeremiah 17:9). That is why we need to diligently apply biblical wisdom: our hearts are at work against us. Without filling our minds with truth, we are open to the heart’s deceit, which will cloud our decisions.

from the new testament

• As seen in the Old Testament section, knowing what pleases God comes from dwelling on His word (cf. 2 Timothy 3:16–17). A believer is in a real battle where the world’s messaging conforms us to worldly thinking. But Paul said, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what the will of God is, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2).
• Making a wise decision about any form of media requires understanding God’s will, His standard of righteousness. By being transformed, Paul means to start thinking more and more like Christ and less and less like the world. Doing that requires engaging in the various spiritual disciplines, such as reading and studying Scripture, attending church where it is taught, fellowshipping with other believers who are also trying to obey it, and praying for wisdom and guidance.
• We also make wise decisions by constantly thinking about what Scripture defines as good: “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8).
• Notice that discernment is not passive. While God transforms us, it’s through us engaging with Him and His word. This is why Hebrews says, “solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil” (Hebrews 5:14). Discernment is something believers must practice. The more one does, the easier it is for one to discern.
• The goal of discerning God’s will is to honor Him. “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). Whatever believers do (or watch), the goal is to glorify God.
• Because applying Scripture requires wisdom and maturity, and because of our backgrounds and individual sinful tendencies, different believers will arrive at different conclusions about the acceptability of the same media or content type. Paul, addressing a division between Gentile and Jewish believers over food (Romans 14), told those who had reached the correct conclusion that they could eat every kind of food to be willing to stop eating certain foods if other believers thought it was a sin (Romans 14:13–21). That was to keep the “weaker” believer from sinning in his or her conscience. Rather than valuing freedom in Christ, a believer is to be willing to forgo his or her freedom to show love to a weaker brother or sister.
• Paul also noted something else regarding how some stronger Christians were using their freedom to eat in pagan temples. He said, “'All things are lawful,’ but not all things are helpful. ‘All things are lawful,’ but not all things build up” (1 Corinthians 10:23). The quotes inside Paul’s statement likely represented the stronger Christian’s argument that they had freedom in Christ. Paul pushed back on that, saying that while true, not everything is edifying (not everything builds someone up). When evaluating media, one should not just ask whether it's sinful, but whether the content is edifying.

implications for today

If there’s one common thread about life as a Christian, it’s that the world is hard to navigate! The Bible was not intended to be a book of “dos and don’ts,” meaning it doesn’t describe what to do (or not do) in every possible situation. That is why questions about media consumption are answered in so many different ways, depending on which Christian one asks.

This article has given several guiding principles. They revolve around understanding sinful human nature and God's holiness. As believers, we are caught between the time of our salvation and the time when Jesus will return to destroy all sin. At that time, we will be like Him (1 John 3:2), including our ability to perfectly know how to live in every area of our lives. Until then, however, our goal must be to honor God in everything we do (1 Corinthians 10:31), knowing that we may fail and need to recalibrate our views as we mature.

One practical thought to help prepare for a question like this is that it is better to establish our biblically informed boundaries now, before reading a book, watching a movie, or playing a game. This is because we often encounter issues only in the middle of something. Making a decision then may prove difficult, particularly if the sin being portrayed is tempting, or we are already deeply committed to it. Therefore, it is best to start thinking now, with the help of Scripture, where lines should be drawn and what you should do depending on the material to avoid sinning. Preparing in advance will help you act quickly when the need arises!