“Radical Healing” and the Fight for Your Mind, Will, and Emotions
Tonight in Bible study, we didn’t even get deep into the chapters yet—and still, it felt like something important was already happening. We started with the foreword and the endorsements in Radical Healing: Winning the Battle for Your Mind, Will, and Emotions (by Pastor Ben Diaz), and I’m telling you… it already feels like this book might be the “missing link” for a lot of us.
Not hype. Not a trend.
More like a puzzle piece.
Because some of us are tired of repeating the same cycles.
The “Missing Link” Feeling
One of the first things that stuck with me was hearing the leader talk about how this message feels like the missing piece for thriving in every area of life—especially in the places where we keep feeling hopeless, stuck, or triggered.
And that part about double resentment? That was real.
That feeling when you know the right way to respond… you even want to respond the right way… but you don’t. Then you’re frustrated at the situation and mad at yourself for not living what you already know. That’s a heavy place to live in.
Foundations Matter
This study kept circling back to one big idea:
If your spiritual foundation is built on lies instead of God’s truth, you’re building on rubble. And rubble collapses when pressure hits—temptation, stress, conflict, trauma, persecution… you name it.
We used the Leaning Tower of Pisa as an example—how a weak foundation makes you vulnerable no matter how impressive things look on the outside. That visual landed for me.
“Evil Inhabitants” in the Promised Land
This might’ve been the strongest picture of the whole night: the comparison between Israel entering the Promised Land and evicting the inhabitants, and us doing the same thing spiritually.
The “promised land” wasn’t just geography. It was territory. And the study made a point that hit me: a lot of us have learned to tolerate things we were never meant to live with.
We cope. We normalize. We survive. We say, “That’s just life,” or “That’s how I am,” or “Everybody deals with that.”
But if we’re honest, some of those “normal” things are actually strongholds.
And the wild part is… the Holy Spirit can reveal things we didn’t even know were buried in us—old memories, weird little traumas, hurts we pushed down, patterns that started early. Some of this stuff gets set in us when we’re kids, and we grow up thinking it’s just “our personality.”
This Isn’t a Natural War
We talked about how we can’t fight spiritual battles with only our natural mind. Ephesians makes it clear: this is not just a “human” fight. If we try to do it alone, we’ll burn out, spiral, or give up.
That’s why “co-laboring” with the Holy Spirit came up over and over.
And I loved how plain it was said: If you belong to Christ, you can hear from the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of Truth lives in you. (John 16:12–13, and the reminder that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit—1 Corinthians 6:19.)
It’s not about being “special.” It’s about being willing.
Guard Your Heart, Because Everything Flows From It
Proverbs 4:23 was a big anchor verse tonight:
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
And they explained something I think a lot of people miss: in this context, “heart” doesn’t just mean emotions—it’s the inner control center. Your thinker. Your decider. Your long-term memory. Your subconscious reactions. The part of you that gets triggered and you don’t even know why.
If that center is unhealed, life keeps leaking.
Transformation, Not Just Information
This line got repeated and I’m glad it did:
We are not looking for information.
We are looking for transformation.
That’s the difference between collecting Bible knowledge and actually becoming free.
And they made a point that if you’re thinking, “This is too hard,” that may itself be a stronghold—because God’s Word says we can do what He calls us to do. (Philippians 4:13 and 4:19 came up too—strength and provision.)
Vulnerability: The Hardest Part
We stopped and talked about the word vulnerability—because it’s scary for a reason. It means being open. Exposed. Without defenses.
But here’s what hit me: a lot of us built defenses because life hurt us. Those defenses might have helped us survive… but they can also keep us stuck.
Real healing requires honesty. And honesty feels risky.
But if the voice you’re hearing is harsh, condemning, or cruel—that’s not God. The Holy Spirit corrects with truth and love. Condemnation isn’t the Father’s voice.
Practical Wisdom: Faith and Responsibility Together
There was also a really important moment when someone asked a practical question about type 2 diabetes—basically: “Okay, but don’t you still need to change how you eat?”
And I respected that question because it keeps things grounded.
Here’s how I see it: faith doesn’t cancel wisdom. Spiritual healing and practical responsibility can walk together.
We can pray, we can declare truth, we can confront strongholds… and we can also take the steps we know we need to take. Those aren’t enemies. They can be partners.
Community Matters More Than We Admit
Another theme I loved: healing isn’t meant to be a solo mission.
There’s power in agreement. Power in church family. Power in being engaged—not just attending, not just sitting there half-asleep, but actually participating.
When people begin getting free, it encourages everyone else to believe freedom is possible for them too. It builds momentum.
The Invitation of This Study
The foreword said this book is an invitation—almost like a call to arms against unseen battles that target our hearts. And that’s what tonight felt like.
- to stop coping with what’s killing our peace
- to identify what’s really underneath the symptoms
- to stop calling strongholds “normal”
- to start expecting real change
One verse that was read near the end hit like a promise: “But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds, declares the Lord.” (That’s commonly quoted from Jeremiah 30:17.)
That right there is hope. Not someday-hope. Real hope.
Where I’m At After Tonight
I’m leaving this study encouraged—and honestly, challenged.
Because I can’t keep saying I want change if I’m not willing to do the “heart work.” And the truth is, sometimes the biggest stronghold is simply: “I don’t have time.”
But if freedom is on the other side of the work… then the work is worth it.
This isn’t about becoming “perfect.”
This is about becoming free.
And I’m here for that.
— Josh Bridges
YOU {R} NOT ALONE YOU HAVE A VOICE! 