⏱️ Estimated Reading Time: 2 min read
New Age to Christ
Host: Doreen Virtue
Yoga and Spiritual Warfare, Why the Roots Matter for Christians
Show Summary
Yoga is often marketed as harmless stretching or wellness, but its origins are spiritual, not neutral. In this episode, Doreen examines why yoga’s roots matter for Christians, how idolatrous practices open doors to spiritual warfare, and why resisting the devil begins with closing every foothold that opposes Christ.
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Episode Notes
Yoga didn’t originate as simple stretching or wellness. Historically, it functioned as a spiritual pathway designed to connect the practitioner to Hindu deities. Because Scripture does not separate ritual from the spiritual reality behind it, Christians must evaluate practices by their roots and spiritual aims, not merely by modern packaging.
This is why involvement in yoga can lead to spiritual warfare. When someone participates in a system created for idol worship, they step into a spiritual conflict they cannot see. The enemy often uses such involvement to stir confusion, affliction, fear, counterfeit peace, and emotional instability.
God’s Word calls believers to submit to God and resist the devil (James 4:7). Yet resistance begins by closing every door that gives Satan a foothold. Throughout Scripture, idolatrous practices are treated as spiritually dangerous because they are never truly neutral.
The early believers understood this reality. In Acts 19, those who came to Christ publicly renounced their former occult practices and burned their sorcery scrolls, demonstrating that following Jesus requires turning from practices tied to spiritual darkness.
Key Scriptures
- James 4:7
- Acts 19:18–20
- 1 Corinthians 10:20–21
- Ephesians 4:27
Takeaways
- Yoga’s spiritual origins matter because Scripture does not treat idolatrous practices as neutral.
- Spiritual warfare often begins with small compromises that open doors to confusion and counterfeit peace.
- Resisting the devil includes removing footholds, not managing them.
- Repentance looks like renouncing practices that oppose Christ, as seen in Acts 19.
Call to Action
If this episode helped you, please share it, subscribe, and consider supporting Servants of Grace so we can keep producing biblical resources that help Christians grow in discernment and stand firm in Christ. For more from Doreen please visit her page at Servants of Grace or at our YouTube.
Doreen Virtue holds a Master’s degree in Biblical & Theological Studies with highest honors from Western Seminary (56 units / 2021), and an MA in Counseling Psychology from Chapman University. Prior to being saved by God‘s grace and mercy in 2017, Doreen was a psychotherapist specializing in women’s issues, rated in the top 15 most influential living spiritual teachers by Watkins, and the top selling new age author in the world. She was born and raised in new thought churches which she attended for 33 years, before segueing to new age and Wicca in 1991 while touring with a mind-body-spirit conference organization. Before her salvation, Doreen frequently appeared on Oprah, CNN, The View, Coast to Coast and other liberal secular media. After the Holy Spirit convicted her of her sins, while she read Deuteronomy 18:10-12, Doreen repented and gave her life to Jesus as her Lord and Savior. Doreen has been helping professing Christians to identify and avoid new age and new thought deception. Doreen volunteers in discipling women who’ve been saved out of New Age in a private Facebook group. Doreen was a speaker at the Answers in Genesis 2025 women’s conference at the Ark Encounter. She has been featured on American Gospel 3, American Gospel TV, Daily Wire, Moody Radio, Spillover, Christianity Today, Cultish, New York Magazine, Spiritual Counterfeits Project, Servants of Grace, and other Christian media.
