When Americans think about threats to our families and our future, we often focus on the obvious: broken borders, Marxist ideology in our classrooms, or the deep rot of corruption in Washington. But there’s another frontline that too many Christians have neglected—a battlefield just as real and far more dangerous than anything you’ll see on the evening news. It’s the spiritual war raging around us every single day. And as Dana Free makes powerfully clear, it’s time for Christians to wake up, suit up, and fight back.
In a recent episode of “Strange Encounters” with Rick Burgess, Dana Free shared the deeply personal and harrowing story that led to her new book, What Every Christian Needs to Know About Spiritual Warfare. This isn’t a fluffy devotional or a feel-good Christian self-help book. It’s a hard-hitting, biblically grounded manual for battle—because that’s exactly what she’s been through.
Dana’s journey began with heartbreak. Her husband became addicted to meth, and instead of abandoning him, she stood firm. “Marriage is covenant, not contract,” she said. That alone sets her apart in today’s culture of disposable relationships. But what’s more compelling is how she came to see her husband’s addiction not just as a physical or psychological issue—but as a spiritual one.
“The enemy just uses the drugs to keep [people] bound and destroy their life,” Dana explains. That’s not just poetic language. It’s reality. The enemy—yes, Satan—thrives in the shadows of depression, rejection, and addiction. And when Dana began to push back through prayer, Scripture, and spiritual discipline, the enemy pushed back harder.
At one point, she was physically attacked by a demonic spirit sent by a practicing witch. That’s not a metaphor. A real, actual spiritual entity entered her room and tried to choke her. She couldn’t speak, couldn’t breathe—until she managed to force out the name of Jesus. And just like that, the spirit fled. But it didn’t stop there. That same spirit later assaulted her husband.
Some Christians will roll their eyes at stories like Dana’s. That’s the problem. We’ve been so numbed by the lies of the secular world and the watered-down, feel-good gospel of modern churches that we’ve forgotten Ephesians 6:12: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world.”
Dana’s not imagining things. She’s not exaggerating. She’s speaking truth that too many Christians are afraid to confront. The occult is real. Witchcraft is real. Tarot cards, crystals, divination, yoga-as-spiritual-practice—these aren’t harmless hobbies or quirky trends. They’re open doors to demonic influence. And Satan doesn’t care if you’re dabbling or diving in headfirst. He just needs a crack to slip through.
“The enemy doesn’t care. He will take whatever open door he can get,” Dana warns. And today’s youth, raised in a culture that celebrates the supernatural while mocking Christianity, are prime targets.
The biggest mistake Christians are making when it comes to spiritual warfare? “Ignorance,” Dana says. She’s right. Too many believers are clueless. They don’t know how to pray with authority. They don’t understand the power they have through the Holy Spirit. And they’re defenseless against the very real spiritual forces that seek to steal, kill, and destroy.
This isn’t just a fringe issue. It’s something every Christian, every parent, every patriot needs to take seriously. Because if we’re not equipped spiritually, we’re vulnerable. And when the family breaks down, when addiction takes root, when the soul gets lost in darkness—that’s when evil wins.
The good news? We don’t have to surrender. We don’t have to live in fear. We serve a God who gives us power, love, and a sound mind. And people like Dana Free are stepping up to remind the Church that Jesus didn’t just come to save us—He came to empower us to stand.
So let’s stop playing defense. Let’s stop pretending evil doesn’t exist. And let’s start fighting back with truth, with prayer, and with the authority of Christ. Because this is a war—and it’s time we started acting like it.