Lyric discussion by eleventy 

Cover art for 1 Samuel 15:23 lyrics by Mountain Goats, The

"The sin of black magic is rebellion. Wickedness and idolatry are arrogance. Because you rejected the word of the LORD, he rejects you as king."

I found two interpretations. 1) a sleazebag exploiting the poor and making a mockery of Christianity 2) A righteous man who believes in the tenets of most of what religion probably stands for, and who decides to be a selfless helper of people despite the fact that his actions will keep him from salvation himself (where the Bible quote comes in). He's hellbound, but he'll make things better along the way in a way he truly believes is right.