Faith Gone Wrong: The Teachings That Paralyzed My Mind

“The carnal mind is at enmity with God.”

That was one of the first things I was told when we started attending a new church several years ago. It was a reference to Romans 8:6-8:

“For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.”

I didn’t realize it at the time, but what I was being handed wasn’t the life-giving truth of Scripture; it was a warped framework. For this group, the “carnal mind” meant logic, reason, even conscience—anything that could be labeled as “fleshly” comprehension of reality.

They were so certain that it is always God’s will to heal that any thought challenging that premise was declared demonic. Doubts? Attacks of the enemy. Questions? Proof of unbelief. Even Scriptures that seemed to contradict their teachings were silenced because they didn’t align with the goal of “faith.”

This wasn’t faith. It was a brain-stopping mechanism, and it left me confused, trapped, and unable to process what I was experiencing.

When Faith Becomes Oppression

My dad was dying of cancer. According to their teachings, the only acceptable resolution was healing. Any thought that contradicted that wasn’t just wrong—it was a ploy of the enemy to derail the outcome “God desired.” As a result:

• I wasn’t able to examine doubts or questions, because that would be “giving room to the enemy.”
• Scriptures that brought me comfort but didn’t fit the narrative had to be ignored and scuttled away.
• If I voiced my concerns or hesitations, I was presumed to be faithless.
• My dad, in his weakest and most vulnerable state, was pressured to demonstrate “faith” by doing what he physically couldn’t do. A culture of steamrolling replaced compassion.
• We could not allow my Dad to unburden his heart. To do so would have invited “doubt.”
• After he passed, I was expected to help raise him from the dead—and shamed for stymying this activity.
• In the name of “bold faith”, high pressure, risky, uncomfortable demands brought distress, rather than comfort, to those in need.
• We were afraid to discuss salvation because that would indicate we anticipated death, and there was no space to acknowledge death was a possibility.

The fallout was devastating. I was trapped in a frame of mind where I couldn’t walk my father through his suffering in a healthy, gospel-centered fashion, or process my own grief or confusion. I couldn’t even pray honestly, because expressing those thoughts to God would be succumbing to doubt.

By 2021, I was at my breaking point. The teachings tangled up every aspect of life. They polluted and convoluted everything. The pressure to stand in something that deep down you are uncertain of, and uncomfortable with and the mental torment of seeing bitter fruit, but being forced, through doctrine, to suppress awareness of it, led me to the very brink of insanity.

But here’s the truth: God never intended for us to live like this.

What Is the Carnal Mind?

Let’s go back to Romans 8:6-8. Paul says the carnal mind is “at enmity with God.” What does that mean? Does it mean logic, reason, and conscience are our enemies? No.

The carnal mind is the unredeemed, sinful mindset that operates apart from God’s Spirit. It is self-serving, prideful, and rebellious toward God’s law. It prioritizes temporary gratification over eternal truth.

Paul isn’t warning us against using our minds—he’s warning us against using them without God. Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

Notice, it doesn’t say to abandon understanding—it says not to lean on it. God expects us to think, but He also expects us to surrender our thoughts to His truth—which is contained in His Word. Not just part of His Word, but the full counsel of it.

Faith and Reason: Allies, Not Enemies

Faith and reason aren’t in conflict. They work together. God designed our minds, and He expects us to use them. Scripture itself invites questions and examination. When Paul preached in Berea, the people “searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11). They weren’t rebuked for their scrutiny; they were commended!

Jesus also taught that we should love God with all aspects of our being, including our minds:

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37).

This means God expects us to think, to reason, and to engage with His truth intellectually as well as spiritually.

Truth doesn’t fear questions. Truth is strong enough to withstand scrutiny, because truth is rooted in God, who is unchanging (Hebrews 13:8).

Practical Wisdom for Engaging Your Mind

If you’ve ever been told to suppress your thoughts, doubts, or questions in the name of “faith,” here’s what I’ve learned:

1. Ask Questions—God Isn’t Afraid of Them
   God invites us to reason with Him (Isaiah 1:18). Bring your doubts, fears, and questions to Him in prayer. He is patient and faithful to lead you into truth.
2. Let Scripture Speak for Itself
   Don’t let anyone twist or cherry-pick verses to manipulate you. Study the Word in context. The Holy Spirit, who guides us into all truth (John 16:13), will help you understand.
3. Hold Leaders Accountable
   If someone’s teaching creates fear, confusion, or oppression, it’s time to pause. Leaders are called to shepherd, not to paralyze the critical thinking of their followers. (1 Peter 5:2-3).
4. Trust Your Conscience
   The Holy Spirit works through your conscience. If something feels off, take time to pray, study, and seek wise counsel.
5. Embrace Both Faith and Reason
   Faith is trusting God beyond what you can see (Hebrews 11:1). Reason is using the mind He gave you to seek His truth. These two are not enemies—they are allies.

A Scriptural View of Both Faith & Reason

Faith, as Scripture defines it, is “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). It is not a tool to bend God’s will to our desires, nor a force to manipulate outcomes. True faith is humble dependence upon Christ—trusting in His sovereignty, wisdom, and goodness, even when we don’t fully understand His plans.

Reason, on the other hand, is a gift from God—a tool He gives us to seek and understand His truth. The psalmist declares, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts have good understanding” (Psalm 111:10). Engaging our minds in faith isn’t a lack of trust; it’s an act of obedience and reverence for the wisdom of God.

Faith doesn’t mean abandoning reason. It means placing our reason under the authority of God’s truth— the whole counsel of God’s Word. We acknowledge that His ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9), and we trust Him to lead us, even when our understanding is limited.

The Christian walk is not about striving for control through “perfect faith” but about resting in Christ’s finished work on the cross. Faith is not about outcomes we demand—it’s about trusting the One who works all things together for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).

If this article resonates with you, consider subscribing to my e-mail list.

Hey friend! I’m glad you’re here! 

 

Sign up to receive The Shadow Gospel Bonus Content,  occasional updates and encouragement

No spam here! Unsubscribe at any time!

Invalid email address

Thank you for subscribing!