Road To Redemption
Road To Redemption
Battlefield of the Mind: Fighting Spiritual Warfare with Sam Sterett and Kyle Hart
What happens when spiritual warfare enters our daily lives and we don't even recognize it? Former Air Force special operations intelligence officer Sam Sterett pulls back the curtain on the unseen battles affecting men, marriages, and families in this eye-opening conversation.
"Nine times out of ten, most men don't realize they're exactly where the devil wants them to be," Sterett reveals, speaking from years of military experience and spiritual growth. His insights expose how pornography, thrill-seeking, and even the constant distraction of digital devices create entry points for spiritual attacks that slowly erode our relationships with God and family.
The discussion takes an unexpected turn when the guests examine how modern technology has compromised our spiritual disciplines, such as our cell phones and the access they can provide to allow things in that are not holy. This conversation doesn't shy away from practical realities: how military culture often sidelines faith, how PTSD requires both professional and spiritual healing approaches, and why the simplest prayer—"Jesus help me"—might be the most powerful one you can pray.
What truly sets this episode apart is its practical roadmap for spiritual growth: dive into Scripture daily, find a truth-speaking church community, and commit to a small group where authentic relationships flourish. For veterans struggling with faith questions or anyone battling unseen forces in their daily life, Stewart offers this challenge: "Are we getting closer to God or further away? What are we worshiping?"
Ready to recognize the battlefield of your mind and develop spiritual disciplines that actually work? This conversation provides both the wake-up call and the hope you've been searching for.
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Welcome to Road to Redemption, a show sharing powerful life testimonies, giving hope to those on their own road to redemption.
Speaker 2:All right. Well, welcome to Road to Redemption. I'm John Martin, your host, and excited to be here on this beautiful sunny day in Miramar Beach, florida, in the Florida Panhandle, and I'm joined by my friends Kyle Kyle Hart good friend and Sam Stewart Sam, did I get your name right? Yes, sir.
Speaker 3:Okay, I appreciate it.
Speaker 2:Well, good to have you all in and, kyle, we had you in recently with just incredible testimony, very God-aligned thing that we got you in that day, and I'd ask if any of y'all didn't get to hear that, go listen to the story from Kyle Hart. But, kyle, you wanted us to meet your friend Sam today. Tell us a little bit about how this came about.
Speaker 4:I met Sam through his father-in-law. We were doing a round table of Issachar and Sam had joined us years back now, maybe five or six years and I got to know Sam through that. But then there was another men's gathering that would meet at my office and Sam would join us for that and I just got to learn about him and the depth of his relationship with God and how he chases and pursues the Lord in a deep and intimate way. That's different than my own. But at the same time the Lord shows him things that I've been seeing too. The Lord shows him things that I've been seeing too.
Speaker 4:A word will get affirmed by someone else. So you think you're hearing from God and then suddenly you're talking to someone who has no way of knowing what you've been hearing and yet they're saying back the same things that God's been telling you, he's been telling them, and the two of you become encouraged and it just kind of leads you forward and further into Christ and more of Christ Jesus into you. And that's kind of just what's happened in a nutshell over the last. This is 25, I think I mentioned 19 or 18, maybe even before that I don't even know if I had my daughter.
Speaker 3:She was born in 17. Yeah, 18, 19, 20.
Speaker 4:Somewhere back there it's a little fuzzy oh no. Okay, it was 19 for sure.
Speaker 2:Well, Sam, give us just a brief background on you, who you are, where you're from, how you got here.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so from the area. So grew up here in northwest Florida Farm boy. Right, didn't grow up in the little city, so from there was, you know, typical middle class and then went off to college and then, you know, bummed around on some jobs, whatnot. You know, grew up in a family of six, so was the only boy and was raised in a Christian household, right?
Speaker 2:Catholic. No more just like Southern Baptist. I just said that because most people have six kids are Catholic.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:That's why no, but I'm one of those that I have six kids and I'm not Catholic.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, but you know, grew up in that and learned a lot about God through my dad and what he taught me and my mom, like you know, great family unit there. And then, from there, you know, graduated college, you know, cause that's what everyone's supposed to do, right. And then, uh, from there was in the private sector, like you know, civilian world, for a little bit, and then, um, let's see, I'm trying to think back, cause it's, you know, 10 years. I just celebrated my 10-year anniversary with my wife, got married to her back in, wow, 14.
Speaker 3:And then after that, basically it was the Lord was calling me to go serve in the forces, armed forces. So did the military thing. Served in there from 2016 to 2022, and here we are in 2025. So still married, you know, thank God for that. And then have four children through that marriage and then just trying to navigate each day, you know, like guys like Kyle. And then we've also got a good friend of ours, dan, like you know, iron, sharpening iron. You know, men in my life trying to navigate what's the rest of my, my life and time here on earth look like, and raising the family and all those, all these dynamics right, going on, especially right now.
Speaker 2:So, talk to us a little bit about the Holy spirit and what was prompting you to come in and share today.
Speaker 3:So Kyle and I, we we talk a lot. We made a lot during, we tried to during the week, um, you know we have a group text, uh, you know, and, and Kyle and I, we we try and we usually go for a run when we can and just share what's going on. Um, but Kyle told me about him coming down here and I was like, hey, man, like, uh, you know, if, if you think it's a, you know, let's pray about it and see what God says, or if the opportunity presents. And so you know, here we are, yeah, so it's, um, yeah, Happy to be here and especially just talk about what's God doing in our lives day to day what you know what, what's moving, what is it? You know his kingdom coming. You know keeping the. What is it you know his kingdom coming?
Speaker 4:you know, keeping the, the devil at bay, being aware of all that stuff going on right now yeah, before we got in here, drew was talking about just kind of seeing an uptick in an intensity, and I'll call it spiritual warfare. For me, everything's spiritual and a lot of like oh, there's spiritual and there's natural. Well, I found that the further I go with God, it seems to be coming all spiritual.
Speaker 4:I don't know that he had a divide, I mean, you got anyhow, you got heaven, the earth and everything in between. It's all his and he's involved in it and there's a real devil and there's real, real angels and there's us and our free will. And I feel like Sam in his life is seeing an uptick in things that have been going on and it relates to what Drew was talking about. Everybody's experiencing it. They don't just they may not necessarily know what it is, and Sam's got a unique perspective in where he's been and where he's been, just things he's seeing in his community and kind of relating to men. And they don't realize that some of what they're going through isn't just their own flaws and errors, but it's a real attack from a real enemy.
Speaker 2:And they go about their day innocuously, not even trying to fend off that attack, because nobody's told them how. What advice do you have for folks that are going through these spiritual battles, maybe in their marriage or their work, or with their kids, or with addictions? What advice do you have for them? What can you share? You have for them, what can you share?
Speaker 3:Well, first of all, if you don't have a relationship with Jesus Christ, you need to find some men in your life to go talk to about that and resolve that relationship. If it doesn't exist, obviously the next point or step would be pray. You know the Lord talks about praying without ceasing. I think that is an untapped uh aspect that a lot of men in our, in our current time, um and I, and I'll give, I'll give an example. You know, being in the military, you know, and I'm going to say I think a lot of guys you know they tie their associations with you know, special operations, things like that. I was an Air Force special operations intel guy. You know I've seen some things, been some places right, I had a unique background, very thankful for it, but it's always interesting, you know, in the natural it's well, hey, man, let's let's pray, let's pray before we, we got this, you know, this mission or whatever, and some guys just you know that, dude, that doesn't matter.
Speaker 3:Let's blow that off at this. What are you talking about? Like no man, like so, regardless of you know when I was in before every you know mission or flight or whatever I I would pray hands. You know always whether the group was in it or not. Um, but to that point, to encourage you know other men on you need to be thinking about. You know challenges you're going through things that you're experiencing, the decisions that you make day in, day out. Are you falling into the trap that the devil wants you to be in? Are you falling into the trap that the devil wants you to be in? And nine times out of ten, most men don't realize they're exactly where the devil wants them to be.
Speaker 3:And those are conversations even two or three days ago, I was talking with a gentleman at work and it's like man, do you believe the devil exists? And he's like well, yeah, I'm like man, are you, do you believe the devil exists? And he's like, well, yeah, I'm like, okay, what about God? You know, and it was one of those conversations of, well, I don't know, I don't believe in God, but you believe in the devil. Okay, let's talk about that. So we broke through some of those pieces, but it's like common in our culture today, especially in strong marriage units the pornography issue of current time. Right, you're doing exactly what the devil wants you to do. Do you not realize that? And some, you know, I get it. You're in the flesh, you know whatever. But if you're going to look at this from a strategic, operational tactical level, if we're men following God and called to his purposes Strategic, operational tactical level If we're men following God and called to his purposes we need to be cognizant of what is the devil trying to get us to do every day.
Speaker 2:And some men I meet they don't even know the difference. So that would be it. Yeah, and it's letting that darkness in in. I mean, it might seem kind of innocent in the beginning. You see something um it's everywhere like you can't scroll through any social media or anything without seeing that, um, and it's a subtle deception, uh, that that men and even women now get sucked into and you're letting that darkness in. So how do people get set free of that?
Speaker 4:You've given the access and authority to the enemy and so then you've got to renounce it. So it starts through repentance For other men to what Sam's saying. It's coming alongside others who will walk that out with you, whether it's your spouse hopefully it's your spouse in large part, if not entirely and then it's men who have either walked through it or want to walk out of there with you. I know in my own life and things that men like sam come. There's this battle buddy mentality where you just grab them and go. You're going to lean on each other.
Speaker 4:But, it's even stronger when in between you two is God, and that starts with prayer. A couple of people who I thought were prayer warriors in the last couple of weeks both came to me and said I don't pray enough. And these were men who are deep in faith. One of them, sam's father-in-law, who's been a mentor in my life, a spiritual uncle to me, had said I don't pray enough and I was like you're not praying enough, but we don't take it for what it's worth. We don't even start our day with it. We're like, hey, I'll get to you, god, when I get to you, instead of realizing with praise and worship now I can come into the presence.
Speaker 2:You can't even come into the presence unless you're starting in a place of praise and worship. I think one of the biggest battles that we have are these phones, because when we wake up in the morning, yeah they start speaking to us immediately with all our tasks and our and even, like for me, I I read the Bible apps and stuff on the phone and I've often thought I need to just stop that, because just by having that open, you're getting bombarded by other things.
Speaker 4:John, I was in my house this weekend and I'm talking to the Lord, and Sam was telling me a story from Sunday. It sounded similar before we got in here and I said, lord, why does the enemy have access in here right now? Because I'll take stuff and I'll take it out. Whatever If it's in me, let's get it out. If it's literally in the house, something I've come into agreement with, I'll pick it up and throw it in the trash. I'll take it down to the dumpster, wherever it's got to go. I was sitting there, the enemy access. I put my phone down and then I looked at it and he said that and I was to your same point, though I was like but, lord, I use it for the bible app. Yeah, I'm on youtube watching these videos that are about people praising you, drawing me closer to you.
Speaker 2:it says distraction, guile, distraction I often say that like what, what? What's answer? I mean I don't know some recent reason. Lately I've been coming across Amish people and thinking like gosh, do I just need to be?
Speaker 2:Amish, you know, I would never, I always, will have Jesus as my Lord and I'm not, you know, and I don't really even know much about what they believe, but I kind of admire their culture of they've not. There's a purity and simplicity, yeah, yeah, and it's like closer to the father, um. But so getting back to this you know thing of just the men being with these distractions of pornography and all these things, is well it's more than that for you.
Speaker 4:There's probably power advancing.
Speaker 3:It is I, I think so you got to see it from like. And you know the the devil is going to use anything he can against the, the man in the family unit, to to break it up right. So the man's the first one in that line of defense. And if he completely you know the devil's successful in eroding the relationship between the husband and wife, then what's the next target? The children. And then the family unit just completely breaks apart.
Speaker 4:And it's a generational attack to go after the children.
Speaker 3:Right, but it's not just the pornography thing, it's whatever vice you can think of. Right, I can't think of an example right now. Thrill-seeking, yeah, thrill-seeking.
Speaker 4:Deployment can become an addiction. Yeah.
Speaker 3:Volunteering, yeah, especially in the military realm. But I mean, at the same time, you know that's part of the job, it's part of the job.
Speaker 3:It's part of the job, but in the sense of you know where your thought process is. Yeah, you need, you know the man needs to be cognizant of. Is this of God or is this of the devil? The more and more conversations I have, it's you know, what are we doing day in and day out? Are we really seeking out what God wants or are we just doing what we want? And then, at that point, is that the sphere of the devil's influence? And I think we're in a time now where we're so distracted and, you know, confused it's the only thing left.
Speaker 2:Is you just you got to get in that word over there, you know, in the, in the physical pages, and start just soaking that up like you can I just was thinking about your background in the military and we have a lot of military or former military vets in this area, northwest Florida, because of the bases and is that one of your passions is to reach out to those men and try to minister to them?
Speaker 3:Oh, for sure, that's what I'm feeling, yeah, and I mean, you know, warranted. I mean between all the other, you know, job relationships, making sure family unit's doing well. Is the wife good? Are my children good? You know, hey, how's you know how are my friends doing? Yeah, absolutely, you know, hey, how's. How's you know how my friend's doing? Um, yeah, absolutely. I mean this this little. I've heard it stated before. You know, our little pocket here in the united states, northwest florida, is a very special place and, um, I'm incredibly thankful for the density of veterans and all those men and women that served. But at the same time, you know it's I'll go against the grain here. It's like what are we doing as a people, as a nation? Right, are we leading? Are we leading the nation? Are we driving the example to hey? Are we getting closer to God or are we getting further away?
Speaker 4:Right. What are we worshiping? What are we as a nation, as those who are defending the nation? What are we worshiping? Are we going to start worshiping this job or are we worshiping?
Speaker 3:the flag Are we?
Speaker 4:worshiping in God, we trust. What are we worshiping?
Speaker 2:Yeah Well, anyone that's listening today, that's military or former military. What are you saying to them today? It's kind of like I don't know about this whole God thing. You know, I don't know. I mean, what are you saying to those folks? I don't know.
Speaker 3:I mean, what are you saying to those folks If that question's in your mind and you're along that mindset? Those thoughts like does God exist? What is this whole Christianity thing? Is the Bible true? Because that's the big issue right now, I think, amongst the entire country and our culture is we're trying to figure out this truth piece and it's right there in that Bible. Right, and I'll be offensive on that term as I can. I know that's not culturally accepted, but I'm over that.
Speaker 3:But it's you need to real honestly cause most guys I run into you know I'm like hey man, um, we've all faced an enemy. You know, in the natural right, you know conflict, whatever. Like you know we go to places. You got to watch out for bad guys, that kind of stuff, right. But in the spiritual realm, you know your family unit, your day in and day out life. Are you realizing that? Well, if you're going to continue down this path of well, I'm not sure about God or the Bible or any of that stuff, I think you're falling into exactly where, like I said before, the devil wants you to be and it's like do you want to do what the devil wants you to do? And some guys they're like yeah, I don't care.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 3:Cool man. I mean, let me know how that goes, Because his objectives are to completely destroy you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, period, and then your life ends, you know with Christ, yeah. And then your life ends, you know, with Christ you have a life eternally and spiritual bodies which are always healthy and live forever, and that's what we all, we all want, because this life's so short, it's over in a second, and so we want, we want our brothers and sisters in Christ to have that freedom here on earth, but eternal life forever. So how do you speak to those folks in the military and also with? I know a lot have talked about having PTSD from the deployments. Have you seen anyone healed of that?
Speaker 3:Yes and no. You know I encourage there's obviously a lot of venues for help, right, big federal programs, the VA and everything like that but honestly I would encourage them to find a group of men that can sharpen you and help you. Like I don't know, I've always been the more small team, intimate type, like I just need three or four other dudes in my life and I'm good.
Speaker 3:You know, I'm thankful for Kyle and a couple other guys, you know sort of that ironing, sharpening iron, but I'd say prayer, get in the word, don't let the devil win, and take it seriously. It's not a joke here we're talking about, you know, not just your life if you're married, your wives, your children, your grandchildren because I think right now we're so, you know, going back to like your comment on the phone, like we're being trained to think so short term and like kiddie video. Kiddie video. Hey, I'm getting dumbed down and that may be kind of funny, but there's actually, I think, and that may be kind of funny, but there's actually, I think, a grander evil scheme at play where you've got to be aware of those things. And the word says to pray without ceasing and don't discount that. Sometimes it's like God, what's going on, nothing's working, and sometimes that you know, and sometimes that's right where he wants you to be.
Speaker 2:Well, and I know folks can be healed of PTSD. Uh, and then you know people can get that, not just obviously in military, Um, but it might take time, you know, of really letting God heal you over time. I mean, it could happen instantly.
Speaker 2:God can do anything, but I just think that and I think things like therapists and, you know, counseling definitely can help too. But I really feel like that if folks that have had that they would come into a relationship with God and just let him start working and working through small groups, and that people can be healed of that. And so we just encourage anyone listening. Like we say, on Road to Redemption, there's three main pillars of what we encourage you to do. And there's three main pillars of what we encourage you to do. It's first to start reading the Word of God. You know, just pick up the Bible now and start reading it, whether it's your written Bible or paperback Bible, or just get the Bible out. Start reading the Word of God. We promise He'll speak to you.
Speaker 2:And then the second thing is to get into a Christ-centered church. Just go. Don't try to think you're going to find the perfect one, because it doesn't exist. Just go to a Christ-centered church and just start going. Just take that step. And then the last is to get into a group, like y'all talking about your group in a church. Get into a group of men or if you're a couple, maybe married, whatever, but a group where you can make yourself vulnerable and see true healing in that group. Well, talk to us a little bit, sam, about how would someone find it. Well, talk to us a little bit, sam, about how would someone find if someone's like, say, a military person, how do they find these groups?
Speaker 3:Talk to us a little bit about your group and what y'all do. Well, I'd say it was divine. I mean, the way I've met Kyle and all the other men in my life. It's just God's timing Perfect relationships that have been developed. But, like you mentioned about your pillars, if you're not involved in some sort of church capacity, that's a good place to start, because I guarantee you you go to a church. You're going to find some other dudes that are of the same mindset. You know that's the beautiful thing about where we live in this country is you can still go to a church and do that kind of stuff, right, but start there. You know, I don't know, I guess I'm kind of old school, like I don't do much, much like social media and stuff on the phone.
Speaker 3:Um, you know I'm more of a face-to-face like this, right, yeah, you know get back to like real conversations, meeting with like men like kyle and those other guys once a week when I can, right, I know responsibilities take over that, but you gotta look for it, don't just, you know, second or third time doesn't work out. And then, honestly, at work, I think, especially in the military realm, um, so many I think there's, there's two there, you know, conversation of, you know, christianity, the bible, in the, the workplace is so like, oh, we can't talk about that. Wait, we don't want to be. You know, is that offensive? I don't know, is it? No, just talk. You know, and I've, I've had some. Really there's a lot of thirst for those conversations. Yeah, the more and more I, I walk around and I and I talked to you know, individuals or the hallway or whatever, um, you know, so just speak it. Say, hey, you know, say, how did people in the hallway, I don't know, you know, on your team, like, anyway, that's more bold, sir.
Speaker 2:Be bold to share. I think, yeah, you know with people, and even you know cause it's. It's interesting how, in the workplace, you can talk about everything else but the Bible, jesus, oh yeah, anything else is okay, but the name of Jesus, the word of Jesus, is offensive, because it's the truth. Yeah, and I would say too, folks, when you're seeking out a church of course, dessie Worship Center is a great church across northwest Florida, there are a lot of great churches Make sure, though, that you go to a church that's going to speak the truth, the word of God, and is not giving you just a feel good, everything's great, just you know, watering down the truth to try to get people to come.
Speaker 2:I think that's very important to go to a Bible centered church that speaks the truth and doesn't compromise the uncompromising truth of the gospel and is willing to do that, and if people don't like it and they leave, then they're fine, because this is what the book says. So that's important. Well, guys, is there anything else, as we're coming to the end, that you'd want to share?
Speaker 4:I just wanted to talk about prayer, and it starts by just speaking to God and being honest. He already knows what's in your soul. He knows those hurts and those pains. He knows the things you've been through, where you've been. He knows the things you're trying to get over. He knows the things you're trying to achieve and if you would just start talking to him, you'd be surprised when God answers and how he answers. No matter where you're at, no matter where you've made your bed, what you've come into agreement with, no matter how deep, how dark or no matter how perfect you think it is. If you ask him to show up, god's got a funny way of showing up.
Speaker 2:But Kyle, a lot of people might be asking, but I don't know how to pray. How do you tell them? How do they go about doing that?
Speaker 4:And it starts with the same way you'd have a conversation with anyone. You invite Jesus Christ into your heart and you ask him and you say, lord, I want to know. You Make yourself real to me and wait, and that voice you hear more than likely is going to be him. And how do you end up knowing the truth? We keep talking about the truth. The truth is the Word of God and it's been said here already multiple times. But to know the truth is to get in it. You have to be in the Word.
Speaker 4:And the more that you digest the Word by reading it, consuming it, being mindful of it, meditating on it, never letting it leave your lips and pursuing it with a hunger that is everlasting, because he'll pursue you with that same kind of everlasting love You'll find that everything that you've been doing to try and get life, to try and get energy, was meaningless if it didn't involve him, because it was fleeting, it wasn't eternal. It's all about Jesus Christ. It starts there. If you believe in Jesus, accept him into your heart, he will come in. And then from there, the Holy Spirit will come, your counselor, your comforter, and you begin to develop your relationship. The Holy Spirit will come, your counselor, your comforter, and you begin to develop your relationship with the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 4:And by faith in Jesus and infilling the Holy Spirit, you'll encounter the true living God, the Father, and have a relationship with him that encumbers and entails and involves the power of God, and there's nothing quite like his power and his presence in your life encumbers and entails and involves the power of God, and there's nothing quite like his power and his presence in your life, because when we pray the Lord's Prayer, that will be done on earth as it is in heaven. That's the Father's majesty, his power, his glory coming into the earth and into your life, and it starts by faith in Jesus. Just talk to him. My favorite prayer was Jesus help me. And it starts by faith in Jesus. Just talk to him. It doesn't have. My favorite prayer was Jesus help me, and he showed up right away and I had nothing left to say Jesus, help me. And it worked.
Speaker 2:Yeah, just call out to him. It's just call out to Jesus and, like you said, you don't even have to say that much, and then just sit back and listen. You know, it might be 5-10 minutes, you might have to sit there a little while, but you'll start hearing, you know from the Holy Spirit or seeing yeah, and just you know it's. It's a simple faith. We have a simple faith. It's not complicated.
Speaker 4:The world makes it complicated yes, well, we think, we know yeah, and it's.
Speaker 2:It's a battlefield of the mind, as the author Joyce Meyer wrote about, and that's what we're in every day. It's a battlefield in our mind and we have to go to the Word of God, the simple truth, to conquer, to overcome those battles, because they're going to come. I mean, we can't be in this world and not have the battlefield of the mind.
Speaker 4:Right, against yourself, against a real enemy, against others trying to navigate this life.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So every one of you are going to come against it, but you've got to have Jesus in your life. You've got to have Jesus, you've got to have the Word of God and you need to have the Holy Spirit. You've got to have the Word of God and you need to have the Holy Spirit. And everybody's in different places in their walk. But we just encourage you to do those three things to get in the Word of God, get into a Christ-centered church and get into a group. The group is very important. Don't forget that part, because often churches are larger and you can't really go deep with people in a church. You go deep in the group and well, this has been great guys. Wow, I'm so glad we did this.
Speaker 3:It's been a lot of fun.
Speaker 2:Yeah, thanks for having us, John. Yeah, Kyle, Sam, thank you for coming on and till next time. Till next time, yeah.
Speaker 1:You've been listening to Road to Redemption, sharing powerful life testimonies, giving hope to those on their own road to redemption. If you have any comments or questions, we would love to connect with you. You can reach out to us at destinyradiolive. Thank you for listening and we'll see you next week on Road to Redemption.