#51- Who Bewitched You? Charismatic Deception Exposed (Faith on the Fringe Preview)

Episode Summary Who bewitched you? Paul asked the Galatians. We're asking the modern church. Charismatic witchcraft, Jezebel and Python spirits, counterfeit anointing, and the specific ways the kingdom of darkness is operating through Spirit-filled leadership are on the table. This is a special crossover episode airing simultaneously on The Culture Cast and Kingdom Talk to introduce Faith on the Fringe, our new supernatural biblical theology podcast launching April 27. We both came from deep in the New Age and the occult before Jesus pulled us out, and we've both watched the same spirits that operated in those spaces quietly take up residence in charismatic Christianity. Go listen to the Faith on the Fringe trailer on Genesis 6: The Part of the Bible Your Pastor Skips Right Over: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/faith-on-the-fringe/id1894554711 In this conversation, we unpack how dry, cessationist churches create hunger that charismatic deception feeds on. Why believers who credit a leader with their "unlocking" or "activation" instead of Jesus develop blind loyalty that short-circuits discernment. The actual fruit test Jesus gave us in Matthew 7. The warning signs of a bewitched congregation. And the difference between a leader who redirects glory to Christ and one who hoards it. We also talk about why we both came under the same conviction on the same day to stop saying "Lord" and start saying Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth, and how many counterfeit spirits hide behind ambiguous language. This is your preview of Faith on the Fringe. The trailer drops today. Full season launches April 27. Spirit-Filled. Bible-Obsessed. Slightly Unhinged. Featured Quote "When you are submitting to leadership that is putting you under deception, you are in massive idolatry. And it says in the Word of God that you become deaf, dumb and blind like your idol." -- Malaine Lea Butler Key Takeaways Charismatic leaders exploit spiritual hunger. When churches are dry and cessationist (meaning no active Holy Spirit manifestation), hungry believers either drift toward the New Age to find the supernatural or they become prime targets for witchcraft masquerading as Kingdom ministry. The hunger itself isn't wrong. What feeds it matters. False loyalty creates spiritual blindage. When you credit a leader with your "unlocking" or "activation" instead of Jesus, you develop an unconscious dependency. That dependency skews discernment. You stop being able to hear what the Holy Spirit is actually saying because your spiritual ear is tuned to the wrong frequency. The red flags are specific. Worship of the person. Submission demanded without questions. Glory removed from Jesus and placed on the leader. The phrase "through my anointing, you are anointed." If the leader's life and fruit don't match what's being preached from the stage, that's the signal. Matthew 7:15-20 still applies. Check the fruit, not the gift. The kingdom of darkness can show you real power. Counterfeit spirits do real things. The test isn't "did something supernatural happen?" The test is: where's the glory going, what's the fruit in the leader's life, is the congregation being set free or kept in bondage, and how much Jesus is actually being preached versus stories about the leader? Admiration versus obsession. Appreciating a teacher is fine. Needing them for every "word," constantly quoting them over Scripture, feeling unsettled when they're not in your ear, that's crossed into bewitchment. Acts 5 with Ananias and Sapphira shows where false loyalty leads. It is never benign. Fear of the Lord is the antidote. Not anxiety. Awe. The kind of holy reverence that keeps you more loyal to Jesus Christ of Nazareth than to any leader, anointing, or movement. Discernment is downstream of that. Timestamps [0:52] Welcome + Faith on the Fringe announcement [1:48] Why Leah's been away from Culture Cast [2:13] Today's topic: charismatic bewitchment [4:03] Our journeys from New Age to Christ [5:38] Why we say 'Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth' [8:29] Finding bewitchment in the body of Christ [12:25] Dry churches + supernatural hunger paradox [16:04] Lack of discernment in the church [17:57] Church hurt + false leadership storm [20:18] Red flag: 'Through my anointing' phrases [22:39] Taking credit for what Jesus does [25:02] Woman rejected for her appearance [27:34] How to check bewitchment: check the fruit [41:05] Ananias and Sapphira: false loyalty [43:14] Admiration vs obsession with a leader [45:25] Energetic signatures: heaven vs darkness [47:20] Red flags: unsettled, second-guessing [49:21] How New Age harvests energy via worship [51:49] A revivalist resisting personal glory [54:08] Bride Ministry + Dan Duval's humility [56:30] Why transparent leadership is required [58:43] 'You have an Antichrist spirit' red flag [59:28] Fear of the Lord + guarding against ego [1:01:11] Faith on the Fringe: what's coming next Featured Scripture Galatians 3:1 (ESV) "O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified." Application: Paul's rebuke to the Galatian church establishes that believers can be bewitched. Drawn away from the centrality of Christ and His finished work through false teaching and charismatic personalities. Modern charismatic leaders replicate this ancient deception when they replace Jesus as the focal point of faith with their own authority, anointing, or movement. The correction is the same now as it was then: return your eyes to the crucified and risen Christ. About Faith on the Fringe Faith on the Fringe is the only female co-hosted supernatural biblical theology podcast going this deep. Spirit-Filled. Bible-Obsessed. Slightly Unhinged. Hosted by Leah Steele Barnett and Malaine Lea Butler, both former New Agers, the show covers Nephilim, Watchers, Genesis 6, the Book of Enoch, the Divine Council, pre-Adamic theology, fulfilled eschatology, Christian Zionism critique, the Fivefold Lie, Christian witches and warlocks, and the supernatural worldview Scripture actually assumes. The trailer drops today. Full season launches April 27, 2026.https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/faith-on-the-fringe/id1894554711Resources and Connect Faith on the Fringe (NEW SHOW): Substack: https://faithonthefringe.substack.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/faithonthefringepodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/faithonthefringepodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FaithontheFringe Email: [email protected] Leah Steele Barnett: Amazon Storefront: https://amzn.to/3WscgNe The Culture Cast Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-culture-cast/id1797035500 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theleahsteele A House of Health: https://www.instagram.com/ahouseofhealth Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leahsteeleofficial X: https://x.com/theleahsteele Malaine Lea Butler: Eden House: https://www.theedenhouse.co Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/malaine_lea_butler Eden House IG: https://www.instagram.com/xoedenhouse Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/15kz1zU1XL/?mibextid=wwXIfr Teachers and Resources Referenced: Bride Ministry (Dan Duval) — Example of humble, transparent charismatic leadership. Advanced Deliverance Intensive training. https://church.bridemovement.com | https://danduval.com Scriptures for Further Study Galatians 3:1 — Paul asks who has bewitched the believers. Foundational for this episode. 2 Timothy 1:7 — The spirit of fear is not of God. Power, love, sound mind is what He gave. Hosea 4:6 — My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Acts 4:32-5:11 — Ananias and Sapphira. False loyalty and lying to the Holy Spirit. Matthew 24:24 — Even the elect can be deceived. Stay awake. 1 John 4:1 — Test the spirits. Don't take every spirit at face value. Proverbs 27:12 — The prudent see danger and take refuge. Matthew 7:15-20 — You will know them by their fruit. Still the standard. 1 Corinthians 14:29 — Weigh carefully what is said by prophets. Discernment is corporate. Deuteronomy 13:1-5 — Even if a sign comes to pass, test whether it points to the true God. Acts 13:6-12 — Paul and Elymas the sorcerer. The apostolic posture toward counterfeit spirit operators. Call to Action The Faith on the Fringe trailer dropped today. If this conversation cut close to anything you've felt but couldn't name, go subscribe now. Full season launches April 27 and we're going deeper than this every episode. Before you move on, take this to the Holy Spirit: "Holy Spirit, I am open to whatever you need to reveal to me. Drop the veils. Show me if there is bewitchment, false loyalty, or deception in my own life or in any leadership I'm submitted to. I choose the fear of the Lord and loyalty to Jesus Christ of Nazareth above all else. Reveal what needs to be healed, and give me the courage to step away from what is not of the Kingdom."   #FaithOnTheFringe #CharismaticDeception #CharismaticWitchcraft #ChristianWitches #BewitchmentInTheChurch #SupernaturalBible #KingdomTheology #JezebelSpirit #DiscernmentMatters #NewAgeToJesus  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.