In today's episode, we finish up our discussion about demonology with a closer look at two of the most dangerous enemies humans face--unforgiveness and pride.

In 1 Samuel, Saul begins as a humble man whom God sees as worthy of being king. However, his pride, stubbornness, and refusal to humble himself drives him to witchcraft and a tragic death.

Pride was the original sin of Satan, who thought he could overthrow God and take over heaven. When we begin thinking that WE know better than God, we begin to walk a deadly path--and like Saul, Ahab, and Nebuchadnezzar, we risk demonization.

This is the Deliverance Dialogues.

Music:

All music and sfx sourced from pixabay.com under the pixabay content license.

Acts 16 tells a story about a young fortune-teller girl who is more accurately identified as an Oracle of Delphi. In the mythology of the day, there was this idea that Apollo sanctioned a number of pythia (priestesses) who were known across the world for their prophecies.

Ultimately, though, Paul identifies the source of this prophecy not as the god Apollo, but as a demon. By casting this so-called "spirit of python" out of the girl, he shows God's ultimate power over demonic foes.

Not everyone agrees about where demons originated. Some believe they are fallen angels who rebelled against the Lord with Satan. Others believe they are the cursed spirits of the Nephilim. Even so, whatever you believe about demonic origins, know this--they are destined to pass away in holy fire.

P.S. Artistic license was taken with the intro, enjoy!

All music and sfx sourced from Pixabay.com under the Pixabay content license.

Where do demons come from? From where do they derive their power? Why do some people worship them as gods?

A lot of people talk about "my demons" or "my struggles", and it seems that people believe that these are things they will carry for the rest of their lives. Words matter. We want to be very clear that we believe there is victory through Jesus Christ, and that demon powers can be overthrown through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.

This is the Deliverance Dialogues.

P.S. Some creative license was taken with the intro, enjoy!

Music:

All music and sound effects were sourced from pixabay.com under the Pixabay Content License.

Despite medical and scientific advancements, evil remains an undeniable reality that has plagued humanity throughout all ages. People may debate terminology--oppression, possession, or demonization. However, evil is not a matter of mere semantics. There are diabolic forces in this world that actively seek the destruction of humanity. Thankfully, the cross of Jesus Christ stands in history as reminder of Christ's victory over the powers of darkness. While also discussing psychological explanations of certain symptoms through the lens of conversion disorders, this episode unashamedly proclaims Jesus Christ as the only hope of true deliverance for those bound by diabolic forces.

This is The Deliverance Dialogues.

Music:

All music sourced copyright-free from Pixabay under the Pixabay Content License.

There are cases in which the help that a person needs may very well be with a pastor as well as with a mental health professional.

"A spiritually-focused modality of care should be considered to meet patients where they are, and can be incorporated as an unconventional component of a multi-disciplinary treatment plan" (Winetroub and Buoi). Pastoral intervention in extreme cases could at times be life-saving.

This is the deliverance dialogues.

Music:

(Intro/Outro theme) Mystery's Embrace by Universfield, (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://freemusicarchive.org/music/universfield/mystery-music/mysterys-embrace/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) licensed under an ⁠Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License⁠.

All other music and sound effects sourced from Pixabay, free for use under the Pixabay content license.

According to psychiatrist Paul Meier, Bipolar 1 can cause a loss of control in the areas of sex, spending, and spirituality. On page 131 of the DSM-5, it states "the lifetime risk of suicide in individuals with Bipolar Disorder is estimated to be at least fifteen times that of the general population. In fact, Bipolar Disorder may account for one quarter of all completed suicides." What that means is that good, solid mental health treatment could cut the suicide rate by a quarter even when considering only Bipolar. Today we interviewed a woman named Jessie from our church. Jessie battles Bipolar 1, and has historically struggled with spiritual problems as well. Here's her story.

This is the Deliverance Dialogues.

Music:

(Intro/Outro theme) Mystery's Embrace by Universfield, (⁠⁠⁠⁠https://freemusicarchive.org/music/universfield/mystery-music/mysterys-embrace/⁠⁠⁠⁠) licensed under an ⁠Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License⁠.

All other music and sound effects sourced from Pixabay, free for use under the Pixabay content license.

America is experiencing an occult explosion. A pew research study in 1990 found that only about 8,000 people in the United States identified as Wiccans, supposed practitioners of white magic or witchcraft. However, that number increased to 1.5 million by 2018, with some experts estimating that there are 2 million Wiccans today. In this episode, we sat down with Kateshia, a former Wiccan to discuss her experiences and her testimony of salvation and deliverance through Jesus Christ.

This is The Deliverance Dialogues.

Music:

(Intro/Outro theme) Mystery's Embrace by Universfield, (⁠⁠⁠https://freemusicarchive.org/music/universfield/mystery-music/mysterys-embrace/⁠⁠⁠) licensed under an ⁠Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License⁠.

All other music and sound effects sourced from Pixabay, free for use under the Pixabay content license.

It’s popular in our culture to have this idea that, if you love someone, you will affirm and encourage everything they feel is right to do. But there’s a very real possibility that by doing so we’re affirming the very thoughts and actions that are leading them to psychological disintegration. If we’re not careful we may be encouraging the very things that are speeding them to personal self-destruction.

In the past we’ve known that it was the job of good friends, family, and parents to look at their loved ones and say ‘what you’re doing is not ok. What you’re doing is harmful.’

This is the Deliverance Dialogues.

Music:

(Intro/Outro theme) Mystery's Embrace by Universfield, (⁠⁠https://freemusicarchive.org/music/universfield/mystery-music/mysterys-embrace/⁠⁠) licensed under an ⁠Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License⁠.

All other music and sound effects sourced from Pixabay, free for use under the Pixabay content license.

There is seemingly no end to the things that are encountered when helping demonized people find healing. Distorted memories, spirit husbands, attacks from voodoo practitioners, violent manifestations--these are only the tip of the iceberg. Experiences like these seem to dominate conversations about deliverance. However, what often goes unrecognized is that such suffering is frequently rooted in trauma. Traumatic experiences can distort people's sense of reality, and demons dwell in unreality.

This is the Deliverance Dialogues.

Music:(Intro/Outro theme) Mystery's Embrace by Universfield, (⁠https://freemusicarchive.org/music/universfield/mystery-music/mysterys-embrace/⁠) licensed under an ⁠Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License⁠.

All other music and sound effects sourced from Pixabay, free for use under the Pixabay content license.

Severe demonization can cause a mixture of paranormal or preternatural phenomena and psychological symptoms. This is the case in the man possessed with a legion of demons that is described in Mark 5. He is devastatingly depressed, in extreme emotional agony, and engaging in profound non-suicidal self-injury. People have tried using chains to restrain him, but he breaks them with super-human strength. He possesses hidden knowledge, being able to recognize Jesus even though they have never met. He has multiple personalities and projects multiple voices.

There are also people today with demons that need cast out. However, far more often than we see demons, we see conditions that are conducive to demonization. You cannot know when a demon will move in, but if you have an environment in your soul that is leading to constant anger, bitterness, and fear, then you have a fertile environment for demons to attack.

This is the Deliverance Dialogues.

Music:

Mystery's Embrace by Universfield, (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/universfield/mystery-music/mysterys-embrace/) licensed under an ⁠Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License⁠.

"Echoes of Time v2" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Kevin MacLeod and Universfield do not endorse the Deliverance Dialogues.