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All (94) Mike Winger (94)
Mike Winger idea 2018-09-26

Can a Christian be demonized or possessed? — No, the Spirit-indwelt believer cannot be internally possessed

A viewer asks if a Christian can be demonized and if Mike has ever cast out a demon.

Matthew 4 1 Peter 5:8 Ephesians 6:12 spiritual warfare Holy Spirit indwelling exorcism
Mike Winger idea 2018-09-26

Does intercourse constitute marriage? — No; vows before witnesses and God define marriage

Mike reads an email asking whether sleeping with someone makes you married.

1 Corinthians 6:16 Deuteronomy 22:28-29 Exodus 22:16 marriage one flesh sexual ethics
Mike Winger idea 2020-12-11

The flood narrative: "destroy all flesh" is a sweeping statement not meant to be woodenly literal - fish dying would be an example of over-literalism.

Question about fish surviving the flood if God said he would destroy all flesh

Genesis flood Genesis 6-9 hermeneutics Genesis flood Genesis 6-9
Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

Angels could fall but redeemed humans in eternity will not — Scripture promises 'with him forever'; the mechanisms likely include: prior choice already made, maximum Holy Spirit indwelling, perfected environment, and crucially the removal of the sin nature.

Q: If angels were not 100% safe in heaven because they could be seduced by Satan, how can we be certain we will be safe in eternity with God?

1 Corinthians 15:53 — Incorruption Eschatology Eternal Security in Heaven Fallen Angels / Satan
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-08

Sexual deprivation of a spouse is a sin — each spouse's body belongs to the other in marriage

Question from Talk to Me TV about lack of sexual desire toward a spouse who has gained weight and is seeking more intimacy

1 Corinthians 7:3-5 1 Corinthians 7:3-5 marriage one flesh
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-29

Lust and pornography as stress relief: the sin creates more stress than it relieves; Romans 7-8 and walking in the Spirit

Question from Adriano about being tempted by lust online and watching pornography to deal with stress.

Romans 7-8 Matthew 4:3 sanctification temptation lust
Mike Winger idea 2018-10-31

Mike offers pastoral advice on controlling anger in traffic, recommending a practice of redirecting the impulse to complain into prayer, focusing on controlling one’s own reactions rather than others’ behavior.

Response to viewer asking for counsel on road rage/anger

prayer sanctification pastoral counsel
Mike Winger idea 2021-02-05

Background to Exodus 4:24 — circumcision as covenant sign and Moses's failure to circumcise his son.

Question from Dave Baran about why God sought to kill Moses in Exodus 4:24 and what Zipporah meant by "bloody husband."

Exodus 4:24 Moses Exodus 4:24 Circumcision
Mike Winger idea 2021-02-05

Application from Exodus 4:24: ministry success does not substitute for personal sanctification; leaders must take heed to themselves.

Personal application of the Exodus 4:24 passage for ministry leaders.

Exodus 4:24 Exodus 4:24 Sanctification Leadership accountability
Mike Winger idea 2021-02-05

God's jealousy and anger are not sinful because jealousy and anger are not inherently sinful — only their corrupt expressions in fallen humans are.

Question from A.D. Chan about how God can be jealous or angry if these are listed as sins of the flesh in Galatians 5.

James 1 Galatians 5 Ephesians 4:26 James 1 Galatians 5 God's wrath
Mike Winger idea 2021-02-05

Advice to someone whose church is becoming hyper-charismatic: leave, if you must, without bitterness, motivated only by principle and love.

Question from Jay Parker about whether to leave a church moving toward hyper-charismaticism after elders dismissed critique of the Passion Translation as nitpicking.

Galatians 5 Galatians 5 Passion Translation Hyper-charismatic movement
Mike Winger idea 2021-02-12

Galatians 5 fruit of the Spirit — desires to love, worship, and serve are Spirit-generated; Christians are slow to credit the Spirit working in them for good

Mike appends an observation about the Spirit while wrapping up the presence question.

Galatians 5 Holy Spirit sanctification fruit of the Spirit
Mike Winger idea 2021-02-19

Question: Run through the Armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18)

Viewer Spazzy Jazzy asks for an explanation of the full armor of God from Ephesians 6.

Ephesians 6:10-18 spiritual warfare Ephesians 6:10-18 armor of God
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-22

Severe dementia and moral accountability: judgment follows capacity

Mario Tucci connected the question to Mike's earlier teaching that babies go to heaven and asked whether it applies to those with severe dementia.

judgment age of accountability heaven
Mike Winger idea 2021-02-26

God's timelessness and sequential thought — divine omniscience outside time

Jason and Alana ask how a timeless God could have sequential thoughts, especially the decision to create time.

incarnation omniscience William Lane Craig
Mike Winger idea 2021-03-12

1 John 3:4-10 does not teach sinless perfectionism — the Greek present tense indicates habitual lifestyle of sin, not single acts

Q14 from Shauna Whitting: Does 1 John 3:4-10 mean you are not a real Christian if you still struggle with sin?

1 John 2:1 1 John 3:4-10 habitual sin limited atonement propitiation
Mike Winger idea 2021-04-30

Gluttony is an underaddressed sin in the American church; fasting is a practical corrective; no need for strict calorie counting.

Question 18 about how to avoid gluttony and whether strict calorie limits are legalistic.

1 Corinthians 6 1 Corinthians 6 self-control spiritual disciplines
Mike Winger idea 2020-02-12

Q&A: Is it okay to mock atheists? Mike and Braxton both lean toward cordial conversation. Mockery has a legitimate place biblically but easily leads to responding "in the flesh." Most people aren't discerning enough to mock wisely.

Q&A — mocking atheists

apologetics apologetics mocking opponents
Mike Winger idea 2020-03-04

Q: Feeling attacked by the enemy. Read Galatians on victory over the flesh (crucified with Christ, walk in Spirit vs flesh). Prayer and fasting (Jesus said "this kind only comes out by prayer and fasting"). Deal with obvious sin areas. Trust God even in situations beyond your capacity.

Q&A — spiritual warfare

Galatians (walk in Spirit) spiritual warfare spiritual warfare prayer and fasting
Mike Winger idea 2020-03-18

Q: Why circumcision as the sign of the covenant? Not unique to Israel (others practiced it), but the meaning was unique. The NT reveals the deeper symbolism: putting off the flesh/sin nature. Circumcision of the heart (Deuteronomy 30:6) is the spiritual reality — the physical sign pointed to putting off carnality and becoming distinct from the world.

Q&A — why circumcision

Deuteronomy 30:6 circumcision circumcision Deuteronomy 30:6
Mike Winger idea 2020-05-21

Mike interviews Dr. Peter Williams (principal of Tyndale House Cambridge) about his book "Can We Trust the Gospels?" The approach: rather than proving individual claims, show that the hypothesis of reliable reporting is far simpler than the hypothesis of fabrication. Two competing explanations — reliable accounts vs complex conspiracy — and the data overwhelmingly favors reliability.

Introduction — cumulative case for gospel reliability

Peter Williams inference to best explanation gospel reliability
Mike Winger idea 2020-06-03

Mike addresses the George Floyd protests and racism from a biblical perspective: (1) All humans are made in God's image — foundational to human rights. (2) Race as commonly discussed doesn't fit the Christian worldview — skin color is irrelevant to human value. (3) Romans 12:21: don't let others' sin trigger your sin. (4) Galatians 6:1: restore in gentleness, keep watch on yourself lest you be tempted. The key warning: don't justify rebellion against God in the name of righteousness.

Biblical response to George Floyd and racism

Galatians 6:1 Romans 12:21 imago Dei Galatians 6:1 Good Samaritan
Mike Winger idea 2020-08-12

Argument 1 — Jesus's death predictions are very early: (a) Matthew 16:17-23 contains Semiticisms ("son of Jonah," "flesh and blood," "Hades") pointing to Aramaic origins, not later Greek tradition. (b) Mark 9:31 has a paronomasia (pun) in Aramaic: "son of man handed into the hands of men." (c) 1 Corinthians 11:24-25 (Last Supper) is written before the Gospels. (d) Paul distinguishes Jesus's commands from his own (1 Cor 7) — proving he doesn't invent words of Jesus.

Argument 1 — earliness of predictions

Matthew 16:17-23 Mark 9:31 1 Corinthians 11:24-25 Semiticisms Matthew 16:17-23 Mark 9:31
Mike Winger idea 2020-08-21

Can bad people go to heaven and ruin it? Reconciled by regeneration: everyone who believes in Christ receives a new nature. Even hypothetically, if Hitler truly repented on his deathbed, he'd be a new creation in heaven — hating his old ways, transformed by the Holy Spirit. Heaven is populated by transformed people, not merely forgiven ones.

Bad people in heaven — regeneration transforms

2 Corinthians 5:17 born again 2 Corinthians 5:17 born again
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-28

The claim "it's always God's will to heal sickness" is arbitrary — the apostles themselves suffered illness (Timothy's stomach issues, Trophimus left sick, Epaphroditus nearly died) while doing miracles.

Refuting the Word of Faith claim that sickness is never God's will

2 Timothy 4:20 1 Timothy 5:23 1 Peter 4:19 thorn in the flesh 2 Timothy 4:20 Word of Faith
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-12

Psalm 118:22-23 (rejected cornerstone) is quoted by the crowd entering Jerusalem AND by Jesus to the Sanhedrin — the "builders" (scribes/scholars in rabbinic literature) reject the stone, but God establishes it anyway. The "others" who receive the vineyard are the leaders of the Christian church.

The cornerstone quotation and who replaces the vine growers

James 3:1 Psalm 118:22-23 papacy James 3:1 leadership accountability
Mike Winger idea 2021-05-28

Are the Spirit and the “Logos” the Same?: Is there any justification for believing that the Spirit and the Logos aren't the same thing, and that the Logos was made flesh when all (instead of just a part) of God's Spirit was put in one man?

Q&A question: Are the Spirit and the “Logos” the Same?

justification
Mike Winger idea 2021-08-06

About Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh: What is your opinion on Paul's thorn in the flesh? I heard it was his eyes, maybe from his encounter on the road to Damascus? 1) He had Luke, a doctor, with him during his travels 2) He had others write his letters.

Q&A question: About Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh
Mike Winger idea 2021-08-13

About Walking by the Spirit: Does living in the Spirit mean fighting the flesh? How do you fight something that is already dead?

Q&A question: About Walking by the Spirit
Mike Winger idea 2021-10-29

About Sin and our Flesh: Does Romans 7: 24 suggest that sin is in our flesh? Is this the reason why some people may be predisposed to certain sinful behaviors?

Q&A question: About Sin and our Flesh

Romans 7 Romans 7
Mike Winger idea 2022-05-06

Is it Sometimes Biblical to Pray for Death?: Is there ever a biblical case to pray for someone to die? Didn't Paul pray for the destruction of some peoples’ flesh for the spirit to be saved in the day of judgment?

Q&A question: Is it Sometimes Biblical to Pray for Death?

death and afterlife
Mike Winger idea 2023-05-05

Did Jesus Bodily Rise if He Appeared in the Flesh?: Jehovah's Witnesses claim that Jesus was resurrected as a spirit only (not a bodily resurrection) since He appeared in a locked room, and if He was in the flesh He couldn't have done that. What are your thoughts in response to this?

Q&A question: Did Jesus Bodily Rise if He Appeared in the Flesh?

Jesus resurrection Jehovah's Witnesses
Mike Winger idea 2023-05-12

Why does God Expect Perfection: The Bible says, “Be perfect as your father in Heaven is perfect.” Why would God, knowing that we will always be sinful when we are in flesh, expect perfection?

Q&A question: Why does God Expect Perfection

heaven
Mike Winger idea 2023-05-26

Do We Still Have a Sin Nature?: Does flesh = sin nature? Adam & Eve sinned, even without a sin nature. After salvation, we still have the flesh (Romans 7: 18), but we’re dead to sin/not slaves to sin (Rom 6:2-7). Does this mean we no longer have a sin nature?

Q&A question: Do We Still Have a Sin Nature?

Romans 7 salvation Romans 7
Mike Winger idea 2023-06-23

Does the HS Help Us or Take Over?: Does the Holy Spirit enhance who we are, as in assisting us in Godly behavior? Or does He, at times, take over completely so that we behave, see, and feel things opposite of our ungodly flesh?

Q&A question: Does the HS Help Us or Take Over?

Holy Spirit
Mike Winger idea 2023-09-01

About the Filioque: Can you flesh out the Filioque and its implications for the Western church?

Q&A question: About the Filioque
Mike Winger idea 2024-02-09

Our Sinful Flesh vs. Spiritual Warfare: How can I discern the difference between demonic influence and my flesh when it comes to sinful struggles?

Q&A question: Our Sinful Flesh vs. Spiritual Warfare

demons
Mike Winger idea 2024-06-07

What Exactly Is Sin?: What exactly is sin? Is there a difference between sins against the flesh and sins against the heart/spirit? Does 1 John 5: 17 have anything to do with that? Is sin only sin when it causes death?

Q&A question: What Exactly Is Sin?

death and afterlife
Mike Winger idea 2024-07-26

Delivering Someone Over to Satan?: What does the Bible mean when it says to "deliver such a one over to Satan for the destruction of his flesh"?

Q&A question: Delivering Someone Over to Satan?

Satan
Mike Winger idea 2024-07-26

Temptations from the Flesh vs. the Enemy: Is it possible to discern between temptations that come from Satan and those that come from within due to the sinful desires of flesh?

Q&A question: Temptations from the Flesh vs. the Enemy

Satan
Mike Winger idea 2024-11-08

What is a Heart of Flesh?: What does giving us a heart of flesh mean, when flesh is usually negative?

Q&A question: What is a Heart of Flesh?

generosity
Mike Winger idea 2025-06-06

Temptation Increasing vs. Satan Fleeing?: The Bible says when we resist the devil, he will flee (James 4:7). So why does it often feel like spiritual warfare INCREASES when we try to buckle down and resist sins of the flesh, addictions, etc.? When I resist, it doesn't feel like the devil flees - it feels like he tries even harder to get me to fall. Why is this?

Q&A question: Temptation Increasing vs. Satan Fleeing?

James James 4 James 4:7 James James 4 Satan
Mike Winger idea 2025-11-14

Sin Struggles = Double Minded?: What's the difference between being a double-minded man (James 1:8) and being a sincere Christian struggling with sin and the flesh's love for sinful things (Romans 7: 14-25)? Can you draw a distinction?

Q&A question: Sin Struggles = Double Minded?

James James 1 Romans 7 James James 1 Romans 7
Mike Winger idea 2026-03-13

The Divine Seed Doctrine?: Have you heard of the “Divine Seed” Doctrine that states that Christ was born solely of the seed of God and not from the egg of Mary and that His flesh was a kind of divine flesh?

Q&A question: The Divine Seed Doctrine?

Mary (mother of Jesus)
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