Shadow Work, the Flesh, and the Reprobate Mind (Why This Is Not Healing—but the Revival of an Old Rebellion)
In holistic health spaces today, shadow work is often presented as courageous, therapeutic, and liberating. It promises healing through self-exploration and wholeness through integration. For many, especially those wounded by trauma or disillusioned by shallow religion, it feels like honesty at last. But Scripture gives us categories that are sharper and more sobering than modern therapeutic language. When examined biblically, shadow work is not merely a neutral psychological tool, nor is it simply a misguided attempt at healing. It represents something far more serious: The affirmation and cultivation of the flesh after the rejection of God’s authority. To understand why, we must stop borrowing language from psychology and allow Scripture to name the issue itself. What Shadow Work Actually Does Shadow work teaches that human brokenness is best healed by: * Identifying suppressed desires, impulses, and traits * Exploring them without moral judgment * Integrating them into one’s identit...