The Tail will Tell: Why Some 'Good' Thoughts are Killing you

The Tail will Tell: Why Some 'Good' Thoughts are Killing you

From Fire on the Mountain by Fr-David Dodd

February 18, 2026 · 24 min

About this episode

This episode explores how seemingly good thoughts can lead to harmful outcomes and emphasizes the importance of discernment in spiritual maturity.

What if the most dangerous lies in your life didn’t look like lies at all? From the garden of Book of Genesis to the wilderness in Gospel of Matthew , and finally to the fire of Acts of the Apostles 28 , Scripture reveals a consistent pattern: the enemy rarely begins with obvious evil. He begins with something reasonable. Attractive. Even spiritual. But as Ignatius of Loyola teaches, you must examine the tail . Where does that thought lead? What does it produce? Peace — or disturbance? Trust — or suspicion? Freedom — or shame? In this episode, we trace the arc of spiritual maturity: In Eden, humanity listens to the whisper. In the wilderness, Jesus answers with the Word. On Malta, Paul shakes the serpent into the fire. You’ll learn how to: Discern the movement of a lie before it forms you Recognize when something that “sounds good” ends in poison Break agreement with accusation Stand on what is written And shake off what does not belong You were formed by breath. Anchored by the Word. Refined by fire. The serpent’s head may look appealing. But the tail will tell.

People in this episode

Host: Fr-David Dodd

Topics covered

  • spiritual maturity
  • discernment
  • lies and truth
  • scriptural insights
  • freedom and shame
  • thought examination

Keywords

  • spirituality
  • discernment
  • lies
  • truth
  • freedom
  • shame
  • scripture
  • Ignatius of Loyola

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Book of Genesis, Gospel of Matthew, Acts of the Apostles

Places: Eden, Malta

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