Playing with Fire

I really enjoyed Billy Hallowell’s previous books The Armageddon Code and Fault Line, so imagine my excitement to see that his most recent book ventured into an area that many Christians find themselves hesitant to discuss, let alone write about- the existence of demons in today’s world. I have had a fascination with this subject for many years, and given the recent surge in Hollywood of movies detailing stories of hauntings and possessions such as the highly successful Conjuring series, it would seem I am not alone in my curiosity. I received my pre-ordered Kindle copy at midnight and was unable to put it down. It’s a fascinating dive into real spiritual warfare, often shared through real stories from real people that have been brave enough to speak about their experiences, and it does so respectfully and intelligently, highlighting Biblical perspectives on the topic of the demonic. It’s a terrific read and I recommend it.

This book grabbed me from the outset. The clinical descriptions in the possessed cases led me to believe that this was going to be an erudite, referenced treatise on aspects of demonic possession. Dermatographia spelling \”hell\”? Come on! I want to know more about that. Bring it on! The writing is cohesive and the idea is novel. For those of us with open minds, we want to explore these macabre phenomena with as much objective, and referenced information as possible. The author presents a few compelling cases of possession and then references the biblical writings of exorcism by Jesus and discusses the possibilities for the origin of demons. The material changes from a hair raising attested to, description of possession, rich in detail, to a watered down biblical discussion that becomes insipid and peters out at the end. Some moralistic meanderings replace the other-worldly track of this book. There was some interesting history of the ouija board, but somehow that seemed vaguely ominous without much detail. I was disappointed and felt unrequited regarding whether demonic possession, as believed by exorcists, really exists or not. Great idea, with fascinating possibilities that loses steam.

It is not possible to have a full and proper understanding of reality, without taking into account the spiritual dimension of reality. For this reason, I thank Billy Hallowell for this important investigative look into that reality. This book is well worth your time. Five stars!

I purchased this book to augment the things I had already learned about the subject matter. If there is anything I can say that could be construed as negative it\’s that I felt the book was a little too short (221 pages total) on information that the writer could have elaborated more on. I liked that he quotes other writers and professionals whose books I happened to had purchased at one time or another. In particular I speak of authors like Dr. Michael Heiser who is an expert theologian and who writes extensively on the subject of demons in his books called \”Demons\” and \”The Unseen Realm.\” Then there\’s Dr. Richard Gallagher, an MD and a Psychiatrist with over 25 years of experience dealing with the subject of possession who wrote \”Demonic Foes.\” Also he quotes Pastor Benjamin McEntire extensively – I wish this man who would write a book of his own. All these professionals are quoted extensively in this book – which gives this book much credence given how much experience these three men alone have in the field of mental health, demon possession and the unseen realm. All in all, great book, and a real page turner.

I usually avoid books about spiritual warfare or demons, but I picked this one up after hearing the author interviewed on The Babylon Bee podcast. Hallowell uses the Bible as a plumb line to explore this topic. The result is a balanced and convicting presentation of a sensational subject.

Galaxyaudiobook Member Benefit

- Able to comment

- List watched audiobooks

- List favorite audiobooks

- Bookmark will only available for Galaxyaudiobook member