Forgiveness is more than saying, “I’m over it.”

In this episode, Pastor Mike Dean continues unpacking the deeper spiritual authority behind biblical forgiveness. When we forgive in the name of Jesus, we are not excusing sin or pretending pain didn’t happen. We are releasing judgment, dismantling control, and opening the way for Christ to heal what was wounded.

This conversation explores how unforgiveness blocks healing, clouds our ability to hear God, and creates a false sense of control. It also addresses hard questions: Do I have to forgive someone who hasn’t asked? What about repeated offenses in marriage? What about trauma, betrayal, or loss?

Forgiveness, rightly understood, carries the power of Christ’s death and resurrection. It releases God to work in others—and in us.

If you’ve struggled with bitterness, control, or unresolved pain, this episode offers clarity, conviction, and hope.

Next episode: Faith, Hope, and Love — The More Excellent Way

Produced by Seth Dean

Technical Advisor: Ethan Dean

Intro and Outro Song: "This is How it Feels" copyright by Stereoreel Music, LLC. Used with permission

Forgiveness is often treated as a one-time emotional decision—but Scripture presents it as something far more powerful.

In this episode, Pastor Mike Dean and Seth Dean explore forgiveness as a spiritual act of obedience that brings real healing to wounds caused by trauma, betrayal, abuse, and unresolved pain. Drawing from Christ’s example on the cross and decades of pastoral ministry, they explain how forgiveness dismantles strongholds, removes bitterness, and restores freedom in the believer’s life.

This conversation challenges the idea that forgiveness makes you weak or vulnerable. Instead, it reveals forgiveness as the means by which Christ rebuilds what has been broken, replacing pain with truth, strength, and a Christ-like nature.

If you are carrying anger, fear, resentment, or wounds that refuse to heal, this episode offers a clear and biblical path forward.

Next episode: Forgiveness, Part 2 — Healing When the Wound Keeps Reopening

Questions or need guidance?
Email info@smallvoiceministries.com

What does the authority of the believer actually look like in everyday life?

In this episode, Pastor Mike Dean and Seth Dean move from theology into practice, addressing how spiritual strongholds form and how they are dismantled through the authority Christ gives every believer. They examine how lies take root through spiritual ignorance, family patterns, and traumatic events—and how those lies become barriers that block freedom, peace, and intimacy with God.

This conversation challenges passive Christianity and confronts the idea that healing and victory come through psychological coping alone. Instead, listeners are called to recognize the spiritual battle they are already in and to learn how to stand, resist, and overcome through Christ’s authority.

If you’ve felt stuck, weary, or unsure how to move forward in areas like trauma, fear, marriage, or spiritual growth, this episode offers clarity, hope, and a biblical path forward.

Questions or need help applying these principles?
Email info@smallvoiceministries.com

Episode Overview

In this episode of The Small Voice Ministries podcast, Pastor Mike Dean and Seth unpack one of the most foundational—and often misunderstood—biblical doctrines: the authority of the believer. Drawing from Scripture, pastoral experience, and decades of ministry, they explore how Christ’s victory over sin and death empowers believers to live boldly, pray effectively, and engage spiritual warfare with confidence. This conversation challenges passive Christianity and calls listeners to rediscover the freedom, intimacy, and responsibility that come with being united to Christ. If you’ve ever struggled with fear, anxiety, prayer, or understanding your role in God’s kingdom, this episode lays crucial groundwork.

Key Takeaways & Talking Points

• What the “authority of the believer” actually means and why every Christian has it through union with Christ

• Luke 10 and Ephesians 1–2 explained: how Jesus’ authority flows to His church today

• Why rejoicing in salvation doesn’t negate exercising spiritual authority

• How understanding biblical authority transforms prayer, repentance, and spiritual maturity

• Real-world ministry examples of freedom from fear, OCD, depression, and strongholds

• The importance of hearing God’s voice before engaging in spiritual warfare

• Why healing and deliverance are secondary to the gospel, not replacements for it

  
  

• Episode Timestamps

  • 0:00 – Introduction & episode setup

• 1:10 – Defining the authority of the believer

• 4:20 – Christ’s authority over sin, death, and the enemy

• 9:00 – Reading and unpacking Luke 10:17–20

• 12:30 – Does this authority apply to all believers or only the 70?

• 15:45 – Kingdom expansion and reclaiming what was lost in Adam

• 20:00 – Ephesians 1–2 and being seated with Christ

• 28:45 – How authority changes prayer and spiritual confidence

• 33:00 – Pastoral case study: OCD, fear, and freedom in Christ

• 39:20 – Healthy vs. unhealthy approaches to spiritual warfare

• 42:00 – How to begin praying with authority

• 49:30 – Hearing God’s voice and identifying root strongholds

• 56:00 – Why salvation is always the primary goal

• 59:20 – Closing encouragement and blessing

Host Bios

Pastor Mike Dean is a seasoned pastor, counselor, and teacher with over four decades of ministry experience. He specializes in biblical counseling, spiritual warfare, and helping believers walk in freedom through a healthy, Scripture-centered understanding of Christ’s authority.

Seth Dean is the host of The Battle and The Bride podcast and a teacher focused on theology, Christian discipleship, and cultural engagement. Through thoughtful dialogue and biblical depth, he aims to equip believers to live faithfully and courageously in every sphere of life.

Resources & Scriptures Mentioned

• Luke 10:17–20 – Jesus grants authority over all the power of the enemy

• Ephesians 1:15–23; 2:1–7 – Union with Christ and spiritual authority

• John A. MacMillan, The Authority of the Believer (1923)

• Psalm 2 – Christ’s kingship and authority

• The Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9–13)

• Concepts of union with Christ, adoption, repentance, and spiritual warfare

The Bible tells us that Satan prowls around like a roaring lion seeking whom he can devour. In this episode, Pastor Mike discusses how Satan tempts us by observing our life & history, observing our life, loves, history, and habits in order to create war plans for attack.

These plans of attack usually focus on our mind, our will, or our emotions.

Through the power and authority of Christ Jesus, the believer can recognize these temptations, resist, and have victory in the areas of their life that the enemy has targeted.

Many Christians live constrained by unseen strongholds without fully understanding why peace, clarity, and spiritual freedom feel elusive. In this episode of The Small Voice Ministries Podcast, Pastor Mike Dean lays critical groundwork for recognizing the battlefield of spiritual warfare and understanding how Christ brings true and lasting freedom.

Continuing their foundational discussion from the previous episode, the conversation turns to the nature of strongholds—where they form, how they function, and why they are so destructive when left unaddressed. Michael explains four primary areas where strongholds take root: intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and physical, showing how each one distorts our understanding of God, ourselves, others, and the world around us.

Rather than approaching spiritual warfare as abstract theology or emotional experience, this episode emphasizes biblical truth, spiritual authority, and discipleship. The discussion highlights how false beliefs about God lead to misordered affections, relational brokenness, confusion, and fear—and how the truth of Scripture, empowered by the Holy Spirit, restores clarity, peace, and maturity in Christ.

Scriptures Referenced

• 2 Corinthians 10:3–5

• Genesis 1–10

• John 3; John 10; John 15

• Luke 10:18–19

• Ephesians 6

• James 1:13

  
  

Key Takeaways

• Strongholds often begin with a misconception of God, then spread into other areas of life

• Freedom in Christ is rooted not in self-definition, but in union with Christ and His righteousness

• Believers are called not only to pray to God, but to pray in the authority Christ has given

• Discipleship and sanctification renew the mind, quiet confusion, and restore peace