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What Christians Get Wrong About Spiritual Warfare - Joel Muddamalle, Pastor Joby Martin & Denny Thompson

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Sep 1, 2026

Guest

Joel Muddamalle

Joel Muddamalle, a theologian, researcher, and co-host of Therapy and Theology, explores the unseen battle behind everyday evil. He unpacks spiritual warfare, demonic influence, desire, sanctification, and discernment. The conversation also tackles political distraction, humility, hearing God’s voice, Christian unity, and why faithful obedience in ordinary responsibilities matters.

01:27:25

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insights

INSIGHT

Spiritual Warfare Requires Balance

Christians should neither obsess over demons nor deny spiritual evil; both responses serve the enemy’s purposes.
Muddamalle describes unseen forces as seeking deception, division, and humanity’s self-destruction because people bear God’s image.

insights

INSIGHT

Modern Idols Hide In Ordinary Habits

Ancient idols now appear as pornography, addiction, status, fitness, and other good things elevated into ultimate things.
Evil scales through systems that make temptation accessible, normalized, and difficult to recognize.

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ADVICE

Put Discernment Between Desire And Action

Notice desire without automatically obeying it; discernment belongs between wanting something and taking it.
Genesis, David, and James 1 repeat the pattern of seeing, desiring, and taking, where unchecked desire produces destruction.

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Joel Muddamalle’s Calling Into Theology

00:45 • 6min

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The Unseen Battle Behind Everyday Evil

06:33 • 15min

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Discernment Between Desire and Action

21:32 • 3min

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Understanding Demons and Spiritual Oppression

24:38 • 10min

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Sanctification Versus Demonization

34:30 • 5min

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Testing Wisdom in a Deceptive Culture

39:10 • 3min

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Political Distraction and Spiritual Responsibility

42:36 • 2min

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Living Faithfully Amid Cultural Conflict

44:40 • 3min

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Removing Entanglements From the Race

47:11 • 4min

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Humility, Self-Awareness, and Christian Unity

51:15 • 6min

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The Gospel as the Core of Spiritual Warfare

57:05 • 3min

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Faithfulness in the One-Sheep Assignment

01:00:32 • 12min

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Testing Claims of Divine Direction

01:12:30 • 6min

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Discerning God’s Voice Through Community

01:18:35 • 5min

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Peace Is Not Always Comfort

01:23:53 • 57sec

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God’s Guidance Through Unexpected Stories

Christoph Ernst Luthardt

Systematic theology organizes the major teachings of Christianity into an interconnected account of Christian belief. Unlike a single biblical commentary, it examines themes across the whole canon and considers how doctrines relate to one another. Common subjects include revelation, the Trinity, creation, sin, Christ’s person and work, the Holy Spirit, salvation, the church, and eschatology. The specific edition discussed in the podcast is not identified, so no author can be assigned confidently. Denny Thompson mentions beginning the book after recognizing the need to understand and articulate Christian beliefs more deeply.

#62453

Joel Muddamalle

#69

• Mentioned in 282 episodes

The Screwtape Letters

C.S. Lewis

The Screwtape Letters is a Christian apologetic novel written in a satirical, epistolary style. It consists of 31 letters from Screwtape, a highly placed assistant to 'Our Father Below' (the Devil), to his nephew Wormwood, a novice demon tasked with securing the damnation of an ordinary young man. The letters provide advice on various methods of undermining God's influence and promoting abandonment of God, while offering insights into human nature and the Bible. The book is a profound and striking narrative on spiritual warfare and the power of the devil, highlighting the subtle forms of sin such as vanity, pride, and distraction that can lead humans away from God.

#2310

• Mentioned in 26 episodes

A long obedience in the same direction

discipleship in an instant society

Eugene Peterson

In 'A Long Obedience in the Same Direction', Eugene H. Peterson explores the Psalms of Ascent (Psalms 120-134) to provide a framework for Christian discipleship. The book emphasizes the need for patience, persistence, and faithfulness in a world that often seeks quick fixes and immediate results. Peterson argues that true spiritual growth and maturity come from a long-term commitment to following God's path.

#9876

• Mentioned in 7 episodes

The Hidden Peace

Joel Mutamale

#160

• Mentioned in 168 episodes

The Gulag Archipelago

An Experiment in Literary Investigation

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

The Gulag Archipelago is a three-volume series written by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, exploring the Soviet labour camp system through a mix of historical narrative, personal accounts, and literary investigation. The book traces the history of the Gulag from Vladimir Lenin's decrees to the era of Nikita Khrushchev, detailing the arrest, conviction, transport, and imprisonment of prisoners. It includes Solzhenitsyn's own experiences as a Gulag prisoner and accounts from other inmates, highlighting the brutal conditions, forced labor, and the psychological and physical suffering of the prisoners. The work is a testament to the human spirit's struggle against evil and serves as a comprehensive critique of the Soviet regime's use of terror against its population.

#8219

• Mentioned in 8 episodes

The Unseen Battle

Joel Muddamalle

Joel Muddamalle's book offers a careful, biblically grounded account of spiritual warfare, situating contemporary struggles within the broader storyline of Scripture. He identifies core rebellions and explains how they manifest in both cosmic and personal dimensions, while emphasizing Christ’s victory over dark powers. Drawing on biblical exegesis, historical theology, and pastoral concern, Muddamalle seeks to correct sensationalized portrayals and provide a sober, hopeful approach to spiritual conflict. The book also equips readers with theological categories and spiritual practices to live faithfully amid unseen opposition. Ultimately, it aims to encourage dependence on Christ rather than fear of spiritual forces.

Pastor Joby Martin and Denny Thompson sit down with Dr. Joel Muddamalle on this week's episode of Built 4 More.

Joel is the Director of Theology and Research at Proverbs 31 Ministries, cohost of Therapy and Theology alongside Lysa TerKeurst, and author of The Unseen Battle.

Before any of that, Joel was a Bible software salesman at the peak of his career, traveling 150,000 miles a year while his marriage quietly fell apart. His oldest son started hiding his travel bag because he knew dad would leave when it came out.

Joel, Joby, and Denny talk about the reality of spiritual warfare and why the enemy's tactics are more subtle than most people expect. Joel breaks down the ancient pattern of temptation through what we see, what we desire, and what we take, and how that same pattern shows up today through addiction, pornography, AI, entertainment, and comfort. They get into what it means to give the enemy a foothold, what is actually discipling you and your kids, why feelings cannot be the authority over Scripture, how to test the words God told me, and why ordinary obedience in the smallest task matters more than chasing outcomes.

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