Stay True with Madison Prewett Troutt

Episode: "Ex-Witch Exposes Witchcraft and Finds Jesus with Ashley Jones"

Release Date: September 8, 2025
Host: Madison Prewett Troutt
Guest: Ashley Jones

Episode Overview

This episode of Stay True features a deeply personal and candid conversation between host Madison Prewett Troutt and Ashley Jones, a former witch who found freedom in faith. Ashley shares her journey from church disillusionment into New Age and witchcraft practices—spanning astrology, crystals, and spells—before experiencing a radical encounter with Jesus. Together, Madison and Ashley examine the allure and the dangers of New Age spirituality, discuss how demonic deception mimics light, and emphasize the importance of anchoring identity and discernment in biblical truth. The episode aims to encourage listeners to recognize and break free from spiritual bondage, offering practical steps for walking in truth and spiritual freedom.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Ashley’s Story: How Innocence Becomes Entrapment (03:19–06:06; 17:15–28:23)

• Ashley’s entry into witchcraft started with curiosity about zodiac signs and astrology, a practice she notes was normalized both within and outside the church.
  • “When people are in witchcraft … they wouldn’t call themselves that.” – Ashley (03:30)
• Her drift from church came after feeling ostracized due to early adolescent rebellion and trauma (including an abusive relationship).
• New Age practices initially seemed “innocent” and “trendy,” appealing to the desire for belonging, meaning, and identity.
• Ashley's grandmother, self-identified as a "good witch," introduced her to a "spell book" at age 15, promising access to "light and love," which rapidly led to deeper spiritual rituals and manifestations.
  • “There is a good side of being a witch. And that convinced me wholeheartedly … if you're saying it's good, if you're saying it's light and love … I'll trust you.” – Ashley (25:35)
• Real supernatural results (e.g., manifesting money) caused Ashley to plunge further into the occult.

2. Deception, Counterfeit “Light,” and Spiritual Bondage (29:14–42:56)

• Madison and Ashley discuss how New Age spirituality and occult practices offer enticing but false promises (instant gratification, control, self-deification).
  • “The reason that people love the New Age is because it requires no patience. … You can get whatever you want, whenever you want.” – Ashley (29:48)
  • “The devil doesn’t give anything for free. Jesus does.” – Ashley (40:56)
• New Age is shown to be a counterfeit for the fruit of the Spirit and the freedom found in Christ, imitating fulfillment but resulting in anxiety, depression, and spiritual darkness.
• Ashley details the personal cost: intense spiritual torment, sleep paralysis, paralyzing anxiety, unsuccessful attempts to “push through” as advised by occult mentors.
  • “You will kill yourself trying to find it. … It's by the grace of God that I'm still here.” – Ashley (42:32)

3. The Breaking Point: Encountering Jesus (46:21–57:44)

• Turning point: Amid suicidal despair, Ashley had a supernatural experience after a simple, desperate prayer ("If you’re real, prove it"), immediately followed by a truck carrying a giant cross appearing in front of her.
  • “God, there’s no way you’re real … I’m going to give you one chance. If you’re real, prove it.” – Ashley (47:48)
• A Christian friend, Alexa, lovingly pursued Ashley, praying prophetically over private struggles Ashley had never confessed, which powerfully demonstrated God’s personal knowledge and presence.
  • “She starts praying over the secrets of my heart…” – Ashley (51:37)
• Ashley’s personal surrender—just whispering "Jesus"—led to an immediate sense of deliverance and peace, physical sensations of being held, and a rapid, total rejection of her former lifestyle (alcohol, drugs, pornography, witchcraft).

4. Deliverance & Walking in New Identity (57:44–62:22)

• Friends gathered to pray and remove all occult items from Ashley’s home. Spiritual attacks (sleep paralysis, demonic encounters) ended immediately.
  • “I never saw another thing. I never heard another thing. I never had another bit of sleep paralysis, like, broke off me.” – Ashley (57:50)
• The freedom was holistic: not just outward behaviors, but freedom from shame, addiction, spiritual torment, and false identity.
• Ashley stresses true freedom is found in surrender: “Everything that I had searched for was in surrender, but I didn’t know.”

5. Discernment: Recognizing and Resisting the Enemy’s Lies (66:03–77:34)

• Guarding against deception: The enemy’s primary strategy is to distort truth and offer counterfeits that appeal to self—"self-care," "self-love," "manifesting," etc.
  • “Everything that is satanic and worldly and demonic is all about you… such a twist of what is true.” – Madison (61:24)
• Submission to God is the only way to resist the enemy; spiritual discernment comes from deep knowledge of God's Word:
  • “You’ve got to have spiritual discernment. And the only way that you can discern evil is to know the truth.” – Ashley (67:23)
• Not all spiritual struggles are “demons”—sometimes it’s unrepentant sin, bitterness, or the flesh. Discernment is needed to not attribute all problems to demons, but also not ignore the existence of real spiritual warfare.

6. Practical Steps for Walking in Freedom (62:22–70:00; 74:40–77:34)

• For those struggling: Ashley advises honest self-reflection (“Why do I need this?”), inviting God to reveal brokenness, and surrendering control.
  • “Have the confidence to go deeply inward and ask the Lord, show me the truth. What’s the truth? Show me the truth.” – Ashley (63:46)
• Spiritual victory: Comes not through formulas or striving, but through the authority of Jesus, partnership with the Holy Spirit, and deep community with other believers.
  • “You can’t fight a spiritual battle with worldly weapons … you have to fight a spiritual battle with spiritual weapons, with the word of God, with the people of God, with the spirit of God.” – Madison (68:11)
• Balance is key: Avoid both unhealthy obsession with the demonic and naïve ignorance of spiritual realities.
  • “Neither of those extremes give you a sound mind.” – Ashley (74:41)
  • “You can’t cast out your flesh and you can’t disciple out a demon. So know the difference.” – Ashley (75:57)

Notable Quotes & Key Moments

• On the cost of evil:
  • “The devil doesn’t give anything for free. Jesus does. … The devil will always take more than you’re bargaining to give.” – Ashley (40:56)
• On false spiritual identities:
  • “We have to be so careful anytime we say the words ‘I am’ and then attach something to it. ... Everything we attach to our ‘I am’ statement is coming from the Bible.” – Madison (21:17)
• On discernment:
  • “If you are void of this Word, if you’re void of the knowledge and wisdom that comes from this Word, you will be void in discernment.” – Ashley (67:23)
• On spiritual authority:
  • “We’re not fighting for victory, we’re fighting from victory.” – Madison (78:26)
  • “A born again believer cannot be owned by a demon. ... They can be oppressed and they can be influenced heavily, even physically... but possessed? No.” – Ashley (79:16)
• On the power of Jesus’ name:
  • “All these things that you did in this demonic, spiritual realm ... you had never even felt close to what you felt when you just spoke the name of Jesus.” – Madison (57:50)
• On overcoming:
  • “Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.” – Madison (66:03)
• Encouragement for the hopeless:
  • “He who can live in you is greater than he who does live in the world in which you are living right now.” – Ashley (63:45)
• On finding balance:
  • “Believing that everything is a demon does not give you a sound mind. And believing that nothing is a demon while being actively infiltrated by them does not give you a sound mind either.” – Ashley (74:41)

Timeline of Key Segments

• [03:19–06:06] – Ashley describes her journey from church rebellion to New Age practices.
• [17:15–28:23] – The allure of zodiac signs, astrology, and the “good witch” narrative.
• [29:14–42:56] – How New Age deceives and how the bondage manifests (anxiety, panic, sleep paralysis).
• [46:21–57:44] – Radical deliverance: Ashley’s breaking point, prayer, divine confirmation, spiritual rescue.
• [66:03–77:34] – Discernment, resisting evil, and how to develop spiritual defense through submission and the Word.
• [74:40–77:34] – Balance between spiritual vigilance and peace; prioritizing sound doctrine and the authority of Christ.
• [81:45–87:39] – Ashley’s prayer for freedom and salvation over listeners.

Final Takeaways

• New Age and witchcraft practices are often normalized, presented as “innocent” or “enlightening,” but ultimately counterfeit the true love, joy, and peace that comes from God.
• Spiritual bondage often masquerades as freedom; real freedom is only found in surrendering to Christ.
• Identity should be rooted in God’s truth—not personality tests, astrology, or other spiritual systems.
• Deliverance and healing are possible, no matter how deep one is in spiritual bondage.
• The devil is cunning but not creative—his strategies always twist truth and deliver fleeting “gains” with hidden costs.
• Followers of Christ should guard every area of life, submit fully to God, rely on His Word, know the difference between spiritual warfare and personal responsibility, and walk in confidence of Christ’s victory.

Closing Prayer (81:50–87:39)

Ashley ends with a powerful, Spirit-filled prayer for deliverance, freedom from fear, and salvation—inviting listeners to surrender to Jesus in their own words and receive the Holy Spirit, emphasizing that all victory has already been won by Christ.

If you’re wrestling with spiritual confusion, bondage, or simply longing for deeper truth, this episode offers an honest, compassionate, and hope-filled path forward—rooted in wisdom, biblical truth, and the testimony of radical transformation.