Revivalist and online minister Isaiah Saldivar is sounding the alarm on the hit reality television show Love Island, warning Christians that the series is far from innocent entertainment. In a recent video, Saldivar laid out five biblical reasons believers should avoid the show, calling it “Lust Island” and urging viewers to consider its spiritual consequences.
“I didn’t even know what Love Island was,” Saldivar admitted. “But everyone kept asking in the comments, ‘Should I watch Love Island?’ So I just started Googling it. Within five seconds, I realized they should change the name from Love Island to Lust Island.”
Breaking News. Spirit-Filled Stories. Subscribe to Charisma on YouTube now!
Saldivar explained that his goal isn’t just to discourage Christians from certain shows but to give biblical reasons for his conclusions.
“I don’t just want to say, ‘Don’t watch these videos. Don’t do this,’” he said. “I want to give you biblical reasons why you shouldn’t.”
Glorifying Lust and Hookup Culture
According to Saldivar, Love Island promotes lust under the guise of love. Contestants are judged by physical appearance and coupled up based on sexual attraction.
“It’s all carnal. It’s all about physical appearance,” he said. “We are not called to basically lust after each other’s bodies—especially if you’re not married to the person.”
He quoted 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5, emphasizing the call to sanctification: “For this is the will of God, your sanctification, that you should abstain from sexual immorality… not in passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God.”
/**/Saldivar also condemned the show’s glorification of “hookup culture,” noting that its entertainment value comes from seduction, drama and sexual tension.
“It promotes hooking up… recoupling… all in the pursuit of gaining views and promoting drama,” he said. “The Bible makes it clear: charm is deceptive, beauty is fleeting. We find our worth from Christ, not from the culture.”
Quoting Romans 12:2, he warned, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
Sex as a Spiritual Covenant
Saldivar used 1 Corinthians 6:16-20, quoting from The Message paraphrase, to reinforce his point about the spiritual nature of sex.
“Sex is as much a spiritual mystery as a physical act,” he read. “We must not pursue the kind of sex that avoids commitment and intimacy, leaving us more lonely than ever… God owns the whole body. So let people see God in and through your body.”
He added, “That puts it plain crystal clear. Sex is spiritual. It’s not casual. It’s only made for those that are in marriage.”
Normalizing and Desensitizing Sin
Beyond sexual content, Saldivar warned that the show promotes a broad range of sinful behaviors.
“Casual sex, drunkenness, cursing, jealousy… lying, pride, backstabbing—these are all themes in the show,” he said. “Why would we give those things screen time?”
He quoted Ephesians 5:11: “Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.”
According to Saldivar, watching shows like Love Island “grieves the Holy Spirit and desensitizes you spiritually.”
“You’re literally quenching the fire of God,” he said. “We need to start feeling uncomfortable about these types of shows… Our eyes are the windows to our soul.”
A Distraction from God’s Purpose
The final reason Saldivar gave was that Love Island is a spiritual distraction.
“These shows draw you in. They’re addicting,” he said. “You’re binge-watching them, listening to people flirting and arguing and screaming… But what eternal value does it have?”
Join Charisma Magazine Online to follow everything the Holy Spirit is doing around the world!
Citing Matthew 6:33, he urged Christians to prioritize their walk with God: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
“There’s No Neutral Entertainment”
Saldivar challenged his audience to stop justifying ungodly content.
“Ask the Holy Spirit if it’s something you should keep watching,” he said. “There’s no neutral entertainment, guys. It either glorifies God or glorifies sin. We’re called to be set apart.”
James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.
