Glorifying God or Glorifying Darkness? A Creative Dilemma
Update – 7-31-2026: I have changed my stance somewhat on this topic since I first wrote and published it. Much of what you’re about to read still stands, but there are some things that I need to address and clarify in an upcoming article that I will write soon.
A couple of years ago, I recorded an episode for my YouTube channel titled “Spiritually Drained.” In that video, I spoke about what I referred to as my “dark spirituality” as a Christian. I futilely attempted to justify my need to continue writing dark fiction novels that featured and even romanticized demons and other supernatural beings. I claimed that this creative gift had been given to me by God, and despite it being unconventional by Christian standards, He wanted me to use it. I convinced myself that I just had a darker personality than other Christians and that God wanted me to utilize that darkness to connect with others who could only be reached through a similar mindset.
Not surprisingly, I got several unwanted comments on that video. People told me that I was wrong and that, as a Christian, I shouldn’t have that conviction; they said I “had a demon” and that they would pray for me. “How dare they!” I thought quietly to myself. But, in my subconscious, I was also thinking, “They’re right…” I deleted the episode days after uploading it because I listened to the Holy Spirit and recognized that truth rather than ignoring Him and looking for excuses to justify the lie.
I think most of us do this, particularly if we come to Christ well into adulthood. Because by that time, we are so much a part of the world and all the Enemy’s lies that to part with it—especially the things we love the most and the things we’re good at—seems impossible, unbearable. This is all we know, all we’ve ever known! How can we just give it up? In my case, it was: “I’ve been writing this kind of stuff since before I was a teenager! I made a career out of it—I can’t just stop doing it!”
Well, I knew, just like most people know but refuse to admit, that I could stop and needed to. What I didn’t know, however, was how easy it would be and that I would be sitting here now telling you that since then, I’ve never regretted the decision nor once looked back.
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