Vices Like Vipers

This song is really good, and i really appreciate how it speaks about the way we (Christians) let so many evil things dwell with in us even when we know that is is wrong. I especially like that it takes a stand against lust and sexual impurity

The song is definatly about not giving into temptation, Whatever it may be.. Drugs, sex, alcohol, etc.... Let go and let God, In other words.. Its about fighting your battles with Spiritual warfare!

The song, in the easiest sense, is about Idolatry. Putting other things, even good things, ahead of God in your life make them idols. You can even put biblical principles idols. However, the idol addressed here is the number one in all of society- sex. Everywhere we look it is used to draw people in. Sexual immorality, which God is telling him to let go of, is very detrimental. It is different from other sins it that it is a sin against your own body(1 Corinthians 6:12-20). As in Jeremiah 2, "My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water." (verse 13) Cisterns, for the Israelistes were used for ceremonial washing of sins. Only God can take away their sins, and he is the source of all life (sin is death)- so by forsaking God and worshipping other things, and themselves, they became empty sources of life. All worldly addictions will have ever intensifying lust for them. They will all have ever decreasing fulfillment. But our passion for God continues to increase and always fills us- not just to the top, but overflowing onto all others.

If God is telling you to let go of something, you let go. Jesus came to give life "and give it to the full". Theses sins are killing you and depriving you of His life- the source of all life.

When I listened to this song...I was simply speechless. I thought that this song was amazing and true! My opinion toward how the girls throw away their lives to please men. I'm a guy and I think it's sick and twisted. But this world doesn't seem to care about that crap. But this song...It was amazing. Oh, Sleeper ROCKS!

Cpiddy, True, very true, that very well could be the meaning behind the lyrics- but I think you might be missing something-

The title of the album is "When I Am God". Very confusing, right? It made me angry even to see the title, I thought "What do you mean? No one can ever be God but our God the Father in Heaven!" This song reveals the meaning to the title. I think that you have a very good point, that's true for sure, but I don't feel that they meaning the phrase "When I Am God" in a literal sense.

It says it in the bible- You can worship material things, not neccessarily by literally bowing down to it and praying to it, but by making it the most important thing in your life (an example is money, as talked about in Matthew 6:24- "You can't worship two gods at once. Loving one god, you'll end up hating the other. Adoration of one feeds contempt for the other. You can't worship God and Money both."). You can even worship yourself by making you the most important thing in your life (which, by the way, is against what God says to do. He directly told us to put God first, then others, then yourself). I don't think it's something like what Satan did. Satan literally thought "I am God." Most people don't go to those extremes, but lots of people put themselves before God, therefore making themselves God. I think that this song, if I'm not mistaken, is about a person who has lots of demons in his life. I think "the viper" referrs to Satan- not only because a viper is a snake, and a snake symbolizes Satan, but also from the idea of "Like the viper I kept when You said, "Let go!"" He had sin in his life- he put himself before God, and was doing whatever he felt like doing(that's where I feel the lust of the girls comes in). God told him "Let it go! Come back to Me!" but he wouldn't get rid of his sinful ways(the viper). Now he's running away from his demons("My heel's the meat to sink their teeth" Possibly?), and he's running back to God. The next thing- "Since all the alibis of ignorance are void..." Ever wonder why people say that children, saved or not, will go to heaven if they die? It says it in the bible as well(though I'm afraid I can't put my finger on it, unfortunately), Children will go to heaven because they don't know yet about sin. That makes sense- how could you try to live a Godly lifestyle if you didn't know what was Godlike, and what was of the world? Here's the thing- when you're young, you don't know that it's bad to lie(as an example). You may tell a lie, and then someone will tell you that it's wrong to lie. Before then, you weren't held accountable for the lie because you had no idea that it was bad. As soon as you have knowledge of the fact that it's bad to lie though, you are held accountable for it in the Kingdom of God. Therefore, the next time you lie, since you have the knowledge of it being bad, you have committed sin. Jesus didn't sin- which pretty much means that when he was told not to do something, he never had to be told again in his entire life. Now that you know that, I can explain that, in my opinion, the phrase "Since all the alibis of ignorance are void..." (which is used in multiple songs in the album) means that he realizes that he can't try to say "Well, Lord, I didn't know that these things that I was doing were bad." He know that we did wrong, and so now at the end of the song he finally gives God "the viper"(his sins) and comes back to God.

I really haven't interpretted all of the song yet, so some things I'm not sure on. All I know is that this is an amazing song, and I love Oh, Sleeper!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have a blessed day!

To me what this song shows what happens when we let the world rule and not God. The first thing that happens is satan shows up in sheeps clothes and makes sin look good. Then when the fun is over he sheds the sheeps coat and lets the viper take hold of us. To the point where sin isnt fun but we just do it because were bound by the viper (satan). And we keep what holds us down. But then in our darkest our we realize that God is the only one who can set us free.

My favorite line in the whole song other than "take my lust, the pornos, and the sluts" is "When I Am God this church is unsound". I love that line so much because it reveals what a lot of churchs do. They make themselves God, instead of letting God, be God. And then it creates a church in ruin. Thats one reason i dont watch most TBN preachers because most of them make thereselves God. Im not naming names but i think u know who they are. But thats what happens when we make ourselves God. The best visual is to imagine a church like this, and ive seen many churchs like this, my own church was like this until we changed. Ok...

Imagine a church were on the outside it looks holy, then u take a step in. You walk in and see many "christian" symbols and art, you then make ur way into the church itself, u open the doors and u see a nice pastor preaching with a smile on his face, talking all "christian" like. Then u see a few people with there hands up "pretending" to worship. U take a seat. So far it looks like a nice church. But then all the sudden u hear something whispering in ur ear, saying, "follow me". U turn to see a beautiful sheep (or just imagine whatever animal is beautiful to u, u get the point). It looks innocent, so u decided to follow it. As u walk along it leads u into the shadows, the places that no-one in the church goes. U start to hear the faint whisper of the sounds of adultery, the sounds of immorality, and the sounds of sin. U think in ur mind that this must be in ur head, so instead of turning back u continue on. Then as u go deeper into the shadows u hear what sounds like a snake, slurring its tongue. Once again ur just say its in ur head. But then u notice that the sheeps coat is slowly turning black and ugly, now u kno that its not in ur head. But u continue on in curiosity. Now the voices that u heard earlyer are no longer whispers. U can hear them clearly, and now u are seeing faint figures commiting sexual acts and sinning in other ways as u cross into the darkness. U then realzie this is not what u asked for, and the moment u think that, the sheep has now become the viper. Now that u see what this church really is, u run, and run, and run. Until ur out the door. And as u enter the parking lot u turn and look at the church one last time. U see a sheep waiting at the door, and the brightly colored church with religious symbols, has now become a dark looking dungeon. This is the church that makes themselves God.

Sorry i didnt mean to right a story but when i hear that one line "When I Am God this church is unsound" thats what i think of. Because literally ive been in churches were people are having sex in backrooms and doing drugs in the basement. And it taints the church. So the pastors try to get rid of the evil in the church, but they make themselves God, which only taints it more. The only way to get rid of the taint on the church is to make God God. Just give it up to him and he will instruct you.

Yeah im sorry i got really off topic.

its pretty obvious that this song is pointing towards the consequences of strongholds in our lives. beyond that i think its cool how he addresses the way that girls are treated by guys, and how they need to look past that and see its not worth wrecking your life over.

Agreed.

Plus it seems to be dealing with trying to stay sexually pure and not give into our lusts.

this song is incredible. i agree with the other guys. its talking about strongholds, temptation and the effect the world can have on people. its worded really well and it gets you thinking. whats better is that it has some sick guitar work and its bloody awesome

i love the song lyrics...i'm just wondering what the "when i am God" part is about...those lyrics and the album name. i have nothing aginst it, it sounds awesome...i just wonder what it means..?