"Frank was Demon Possessed" Harold Ristau Interview

Support The Becket Cook Show on Patreon!

NOTE: When you sign up for Patreon, PLEASE do it through a web browser (Safari, Chrome, etc.) and NOT an app on your iPhone. The Apple app charges 30% !!! If you just click on the link above, it should be fine. 

In today's episode, Rev. Dr. Harold Ristau—parish pastor, former military chaplain, missionary, and seminary professor, now at Luther Classical College—joins Becket Cook to unpack his new book, "Spiritual Warfare and Deliverance: How to Minister to the Demonically Oppressed and Possessed." They tackle why modern skepticism about demons persists, how rationalism distorts a biblical worldview, and why deliverance belongs to the pastoral office. Dr. Ristau explains the difference between oppression and possession, the role of Scripture, fasting, and humility, and why deliverance is more “art + science” than a mechanical formula.

You’ll hear practical counsel for house cleansing, using sacred Scripture aloud, and building a post-deliverance life (church, Word, prayer). Dr. Ristau walks through the “RAT principle” (trap, kill, remove the crumbs), cautions against turning psychology into a catch-all, and even weighs in on the “aliens” question through a spiritual lens. If you’re looking for sober theology with concrete tools for real spiritual battles, this conversation is both bracing and deeply pastoral.

The Becket Cook Show Ep. 213

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.