Gaming With Discernment

Can Christians Play Video Games?

Published: Apr 11, 2026

Updated: May 20, 2026

Pre-Amble

Our conviction is that video gaming as an activity is not inherently sinful or prohibited, and is something that Christians can enjoy appropriately as part of reasonable Christian liberty.

Whoa whoa whoa now. There’s more.

Christian liberty isn’t just a free pass to do whatever you want. There’s boundaries that you gotta know about. Wonderful God-given boundaries for your own good. And within these boundaries, you’ve got to exercise good discernment in all things, and video gaming is no exception.

There are circumstances where a Christian should avoid certain video games, or lessen their gaming time, or even quit video gaming altogether. It differs from Christian to Christian.

There will be Christians out there who spend an unhealthy amount of time video gaming, to the detriment of their Christian growth and their ability to carry out their Christian duties.

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves.

Better Questions to Ask

Can Christians play video games? The fast answer is potentially yes, but there are better questions to ask:

  • Can I play video games?
  • Can I play [insert video game title]?

That’s why you’re here, right? You want to know if you’ve got the green light to play, I don’t know, Grand Theft Auto VI, or Diablo IV, or something similar.

The goal isn’t to create a blacklist of forbidden games, but to equip you with a framework to make wise decisions for yourself and your family. We want to point you to Scripture and encourage the use of good discernment.

1. What Even is?

When checking to see if a game is suitable for your consumption, it helps to ask: ‘What kind of themes and content does this include and/or encourage?’

In the case of Super Mario Bros. Wonder, for example, a case could be made that it’s a family friendly game that is morally positive and spiritually neutral.

With Grand Theft Auto V, on the other hand, it wouldn’t be inaccurate to say it’s predominantly a crime and depravity simulator.

It’s important that we be real about the games and media we consider letting into our lives. Before proceeding, do some quick research into the game you’re considering. You’ll reach a more informed conclusion if you have a firmer handle on the game.

2. Is It Prohibited or a Matter of Discernment?

A great place to start when weighing if something is acceptable for Christian consumption is to ask two questions:

  1. Has God, through the Bible, identified this practice as good and acceptable?
    • If yes: Proceed according to God’s instructions.
  2. Has God, through the Bible, explicitly prohibited or expressed distaste towards this practice?
    • If yes: Avoid it.
    • If no: Then we exercise good discernment based on biblical principles.

3. Does it Help or Hinder Your Christian Growth?

Still with us? If so, that means you’ve determined that it’s something that hasn’t been prohibited, and is at least potentially allowed. We knew you’d arrive here. the last part was basically just to help illustrate that video gaming is basically a neutral pastime at its core.

Now it gets spicy. This is where we ask you to look inwardly and examine how video gaming could or does impact your spiritual growth and ability to carry out Christian responsibilities. If something negatively impacts these areas of your life, it generally doesn’t belong in your life. Let’s run through some key areas:

  • Spiritual growth:
    • Growing in sanctification/likeness to Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18, Galatians 5:22-23, Philippians 2:3-5, 1 Peter 1:14-16)
    • Distancing yourself from sinful behaviour (Romans 12:9, Romans 14:22-23, Ephesians 4:22-23, Ephesians 5:11, Ephesians 5:15-16, 1 Thessalonians 4:3, 1 Thessalonians 5:22, 1 Peter 1:14-15)
  • Christian duties:
    • Prayer and meditation (Psalm 1:2-3, Colossians 4:2, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Philippians 4:8, 1 Peter 4:7)
    • Bible study (Psalm 119:105, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Timothy 2:15, Hebrews 4:12)
    • Spousal responsibilities (Ephesians 5:22-24, Ephesians 5:28-29, Titus 2:4)
    • Raising children (Proverbs 22:6, Ephesians 6:4)
    • Church attendance and fellowship opportunities (Galatians 6:2, Hebrews 10:24-25, James 5:16)
    • Evangelism opportunities (Ephesians 2:10, 2 Corinthians 6:3, 1 Peter 3:15)
    • Work (Proverbs 12:11, Ephesians 4:28, Colossians 3:23-24, 2 Thessalonians 3:10, 1 Timothy 5:8)
    • Living peaceably (Romans 12:18, Romans 14:19, Ephesians 4:3, 1 Thessalonians 4:9-13, Hebrews 12:14, James 3:17-18)

If video gaming is negatively impacting your spiritual growth or hindering your responsibilities, hit the pause button, pray for wisdom, and re-evaluate.

4. A Handy, Final Checklist

Okay, so we’ve established that video gaming at its core is not explicitly forbidden, and that it’s potentially okay if it doesn’t negatively impact Christian growth or duties. Let’s run it through one final gauntlet. We’ve listed every important Christian consideration we could think of, and condensed all of the above plus more into the list below.

With video gaming or a specific video game in mind, please proceed:

  • Has God, through the Bible, explicitly prohibited this thing?
  • Would my participation dishonour or displease God? (Matthew 22:37-38, Romans 12:2, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Ephesians 5:11, Colossians 3:5, 1 Thessalonians 5:22)
  • Would this negatively impact my spiritual growth or Christian duties? (Ephesians 2:10, Ephesians 5:15-17, Colossians 3:1-2, James 4:17, 1 Peter 4:2)
  • Am I confident that my participation is not sinful? (Romans 14:22-23)
  • Would this become a stumbling block for another Christian? (Proverbs 22:6, Romans 14:19, 1 Corinthians 8:9-13, 1 Corinthians 10:23-25)
  • Would this cause non-believers to fall further away from Christ? (Matthew 18:6, 2 Corinthians 6:3, Colossians 4:5-6)

The Takeaway

Christians are to live sacrificially. We are slaves to Christ because we were called to be. He is good, and so are His commands. Yes, we are afforded wonderful freedoms as part of our union with Christ, but there are boundaries in place for our own good and for the good of our Christian brothers and sisters.

Video gaming carries risks: it can become an addiction, an idol, or a stumbling block. If gaming occupies the majority of your time or thoughts to a detrimental degree, that should give you pause. But if played in moderation and with discernment, it can simply be a harmless, enjoyable part of life.

Consider how your choices affect not only you, but those around you. Grand Theft Auto V, for instance, promotes behaviors at odds with Christian values; playing it might send a confusing message to others. However, a game that fosters creativity or family bonding might do the opposite.

We must be sensible about what we let into our lives.

Balancing Liberty and Wisdom

As a ministry, we must clearly distinguish between Biblical doctrine and our opinion. We walk a fine line in encouraging or discouraging games based on their moral and spiritual content. We pray we never confuse readers, become a stumbling block to fellow believers (Romans 14:13-14, 1 Corinthians 8:9), or negatively impact anyone’s walk with the Lord (Matthew 18:5-7). If we should fall short, please use our contact form to reach out and offer correction.

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