A Clinical Application of Spiritual Warfare in Faith-Based Mental Health Crisis Intervention

Abstract

The integration of faith and mental health in clinical settings remains underdeveloped despite the proven efficacy of spiritually integrated psychotherapy (SIP; Pargament, 2007, 2024) and faith-informed coping (McMinn, 2012, 2014, 2017). This dissertation develops E-SWORD (Empowered Spiritual Warfare-Oriented Recovery and Deliverance). This structured program equips clinicians and faith-based practitioners to ethically integrate spiritual warfare principles into crisis intervention. Grounded in Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy (Pargament, 2007, 2024), the Biopsychosocial-Spiritual (BPSS) Model (Koenig, 2012; Sulmasy, 2002), and Christian Integration Theory (McMinn, 2012, 2014, 2017), the program is structured into four blocks: Introduction to Spiritual Warfare, Clinical Application and Spiritual Assessment, Integration and Synthesization, and Discussion and Implementation. This study will exclusively use the Bible's King James Version (KJV; 1611/2017) for all scriptural references. The E-SWORD Inventory measures spiritual resilience, psychological distress, and faith-based coping and advances faith-based mental health by providing a structured, evidence-based framework that bridges psychological distress, religious struggles, and spiritual healing. E-SWORD empowers clinicians, congregations, and communities to implement spiritual warfare incorporated with faith-based, integrated mental health care, fostering holistic healing and spiritual resilience for individuals facing psychological and spiritual battles.