In today’s Christian culture, many believers struggle silently with shame, past mistakes and the voice of the accuser. Despite being rescued and redeemed by Christ, they live under the weight of condemnation—often because they lack a solid theological foundation and a supportive community.
In a powerful message on the Girls Gone Bible podcast, Philip Anthony Mitchell explains how the enemy capitalizes on our biblical illiteracy and distorts our perception of grace, leading us to question whether the cross is truly enough.
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“The enemy is going to do his job persecuting our soul,” Mitchell warns. “He’s the accuser of the brethren… constantly reminding us of the past.” But the heart of the gospel, he explains, is that the blood of Jesus is enough. Enough to cover the sins of the past, enough to cleanse the failures of the present and enough to stand against the lies of shame.
One of the critical issues discussed is the church’s lack of sound theology—specifically a good hermeneutic, or proper interpretation of Scripture. Many believers don’t know how to apply biblical truth to suffering or shame, and instead live in spiritual defeat. “If we don’t have a good hermeneutic for dealing with the shame of the past,” Mitchell says, “we would not see the cross as enough.”
But shame doesn’t just thrive in bad theology—it thrives in isolation. The conversation points to a widespread problem in modern Christianity, especially in the West: a false veneer of perfection. Many feel they can’t be honest about their struggles because the church has idolized leaders and painted an unrealistic picture of sinless Christian living. “We’ve created a culture where people can’t say ‘I’m struggling’… We’ve got a Christianity disconnected from the orthodoxy of the Scriptures.”
To counteract this requires a return to both biblical teaching and vulnerable community. “We need good biblical community that allows us to confess our sins and our shame,” he says. Galatians 6:1 is cited as a model for restoring one another with gentleness—something tragically missing in many church spaces today.
But the charge is not just for believers in the pews; it’s for shepherds and pastors. “I think we have to take some measure of accountability for the pulse of the Christian culture,” he states.
Leaders must preach the Word—not opinions or man-made traditions—and faithfully feed God’s sheep with truth that sets them free.
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Mitchell also proposes a call to action: we are running out of time. Christians today must rise up with truth, humility and urgency. “There’s a clock on humanity… and when it hits zero, there will be no more second chances.”
In a culture saturated with shame, confusion and spiritual apathy, the church must proclaim with boldness—the blood is enough. And in that truth, believers can find freedom.
Abby Trivett is content development editor for Charisma Media.
