Podcast Summary: Jesus the Healer w/ Nancy Dufresne

Episode 923 | "In Christ I Can," Part 163
Release Date: January 14, 2026
Host: Nancy Dufresne (Dufresne Ministries)

Overview

This episode is part of Nancy Dufresne's foundational teaching series on the believer’s identity in Christ. The central theme focuses on understanding who we are "in Christ," the power and inheritance that position brings, and how anchoring our identity there brings spiritual maturity, resilience, and victory in every area of life. Nancy draws practical parallels from her personal journey and ministry, using relatable stories to highlight the difference between a life led by the spirit versus one dominated by the soul (mind, will, emotions).

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Power of God’s Presence and Inheritance in Christ

• Belief in Available Power: The episode opens with Nancy emphasizing that God’s healing power is present wherever faith is, whether in a sick room or hospital, and that believers must recognize and receive what’s already theirs.
  • Notable Quote [00:10]:

    “There’s enough power in every sick room and in every hospital room to raise up that sick one… Power is present. That power is there to do a work. Believe in what’s not—try to get something, but notice that he’s already made it yours. It’s present right where you’re at. Say, ‘I receive that power. I receive it right now.’”
    — Nancy Dufresne

2. The Foundation of Identity in Christ

• Identity as Foundation: Nancy compares spiritual growth to the construction of a building, explaining that the capacity of a believer’s life depends on the depth and strength of their understanding of who they are in Christ.
  • Notable Analogy [03:30]:

    "If we want to go further, sometimes we have to go back and make sure we have the broad foundation that’s going to support where God is wanting to take us."
    — Nancy Dufresne

• True Identity vs. Changeable Roles: She stresses that all outward roles (parent, spouse, pastor, etc.) are temporary and changeable, but our identity in Christ is constant and unshakeable.
  • Practical Example [07:20]: Losing her role as a wife or transitioning from pastoring were significant life changes for Nancy, but anchoring in her identity in Christ kept her secure.

3. Handling Life Transitions Through Spiritual Identity

• Empty Nest & Ministry Transitions: Nancy shares her personal story of avoiding “empty nest syndrome” by changing homes when her son reached adulthood and successfully transitioning her church pastorate to her son because her identity was not attached solely to those roles.
  • Memorable Story [09:00]:

    "...he didn’t leave the nest. I left the nest. That’s how you avoid that. Be ready to change whatever God has for you."
    — Nancy Dufresne

• Ministry Implication: She highlights that many ministers and believers struggle with life changes if their identity is overly tied to their role instead of Christ.

4. Living and Maturing from the Spirit Rather Than the Soul

• Spirit vs. Soul & Body: Nancy offers a teaching on the biblical division of spirit (heart), soul (mind, will, emotions), and body. She teaches that spiritual maturity comes from allowing the spirit—where our identity in Christ is—to lead, rather than the soul or body.
  • Teaching Emphasis [16:40]:

    “There is not in the soul of man the stuff to lead our life. There is in the spirit of man, the faith of God, the life of God, the nature of God…”
    — Nancy Dufresne

• Practical Guidance: She explains that the mind must be renewed to agree with the spirit and that feeding on and speaking the Word of God brings the mind into alignment.

5. Freedom from the Past and Walking in Victory

• Letting Go of the Past: Nancy cautions against remaining stuck in the “soulish arena”—rehashing past hurts, failures, or even former ministries—which keeps believers immature. Instead, she teaches the power of the blood of Jesus to wipe away the past.
  • Notable Quote [22:05]:

    "When you got born again, God did not try to fix your past. You know what he did? He washed it away. The blood of Jesus cleansed you. He did not go back and fix the past. He gave you a brand new start."
    — Nancy Dufresne

• Testimonies from a Position of Victory: She encourages that testimonies should come from a place of victory in Christ, not ongoing identification with pain or “what life did against you.”
• Living Above Circumstances: She asserts that a believer’s position is one of ruling and reigning “above all evil powers, above all opposition” because of their place in Christ.

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On seeing identity as fixed in Christ [07:55]:

  “…our true identity is in Him… no matter who enters your life, no matter who exits your life, they cannot change the identity that you are in him and he is in you.”
  — Nancy Dufresne

• On growing up spiritually [15:35]:

  “When we realize who we are in Christ… when we realize the victory position that is ours because we’re in Christ, that we’re no longer to be pushed around by the enemy, no longer pushed around by circumstances. Why? Because we’re in him. We’re not in circumstances.”
  — Nancy Dufresne

• On dangers of staying in the soulish arena [21:45]:

  “To hold someone in their soulish arena is to talk about their past all the time… the more you talk out, you’re really letting it in. What we need to talk about is who we are in Christ on the spiritual level, that we are new creatures in Christ.” — Nancy Dufresne

Important Timestamps

• 00:10 — Power of God for healing and inheritance
• 03:30 — The necessity of inspecting and strengthening our spiritual foundation
• 07:20 — Importance of anchoring identity in Christ, not roles
• 09:00 — Personal story: avoiding “empty nest syndrome” through spirit-led decisions
• 12:35 — Transitioning in ministry without loss of identity
• 15:35 — The purpose of teaching who we are in Christ: spiritual growth
• 16:40 — Teaching: spirit, soul, and body in Christian maturity
• 21:45 — Warning against living from the soul; exhortation to forget the past
• 25:45 — Living in authority and ruling/reigning in life through Christ

Tone and Language

Nancy Dufresne’s language is warm, practical, gently authoritative, and relatable. She combines scriptural teaching, metaphors (building foundations, new birth), and real-life anecdotes to make spiritual truths accessible and actionable for her listeners.

Summary: Key Takeaways for Listeners

• Identity in Christ is unchanging and the firm foundation for spiritual maturity and victorious living.
• Outward roles and circumstances change, but our position in Christ never does.
• Spiritual growth requires living from the spirit (heart) rather than being led by the soul (mind, will, emotions) or body.
• The past, including past hurts or failures, has been cleansed by the blood of Jesus and holds no power over our identity or future.
• Believers rule and reign in life through their spiritual position in Christ, and should focus their testimony and conversation on what Christ has done, not what has been done to them.

“Talk about what Jesus did for you instead of talking about what life did against you. Don’t talk about what the enemy has worked against your life. Talk about what Jesus has done for your life, to restore your life, to make you whole instead.”

— Nancy Dufresne [24:10]