The Bryce Crawford Podcast – EP 139

“Battling Cancer For The Fourth Time” – The Dylan Mandell Interview

Released: September 22, 2025

Episode Overview

In this powerful and emotional episode, Bryce Crawford sits down with Dylan Mandell, a young man now facing cancer for the fourth time. Together, they discuss enduring faith amidst suffering, the reality and importance of spiritual warfare, and how personal surrender to God leads to hope, identity, and transformation. The conversation is raw and deeply personal, touching upon major tragedies in the world, moments of miraculous healing, and the role of community and prayer during unimaginable hardship. This episode offers encouragement for anyone suffering, inspiring them to persevere and seek God's presence in the fire.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Setting: Suffering & Spiritual Warfare

• The episode opens with reference to recent tragedies—including the assassination of Charlie Kirk, school shootings, and violence—setting the theme of confronting pain, grief, and a call to stand rather than cower.
• Bryce immediately frames Dylan’s story as a living testimony of hope and endurance (00:41):

  “Through your story, you give people no excuse, bro. You give people no excuse to hide.” (Bryce, 00:41)

2. Dylan’s Background & First Battle

• Raised in a Christian home, Dylan’s faith roots were cultivated by his grandmother, leading to early connections with church and youth ministry (07:59).

• At 18, Dylan was first diagnosed with jaw cancer—24 rounds of chemo, 20 rounds of radiation, and a daunting surgery followed. This season left him isolated, physically weak, and envious as he watched his twin brother thrive in sports while he battled illness (09:59).

  “What seemed like the climax of everybody’s childhood… seemed to be the lowest moment for me.” (Dylan, 07:59)

3. Second & Third Battles: Faith in the Fire

• After recovering and heading to TCU for college, cancer returned during his freshman spring break. This time, the surgery was life-threatening—21 hours under anesthesia, intensive physical preparation required, and major decisions about his own physical future made in seconds (12:52–15:50).

• The discipline and resilience, seen by others as “grit” and “Goggins mindset,” was forged through this preparation and suffering.

  “The birth of that was in preparation for that second surgery.” (Dylan, 13:56)

• In the aftermath, Dylan describes a profound encounter with God:

  “I completely gave my life fully to the Lord right then. I’d been a believer, but I’d been so faith in Christ and faith in other things… God, I need you. I give you everything right now. I have nothing.” (Dylan, 21:04)

• The third diagnosis—junior year—shook his doctors, who delivered a terminal diagnosis; yet, Dylan testifies to a miraculous healing, with no conventional treatment but through faith, diet, and relentless prayer (23:34–23:47).

4. The Fourth Diagnosis and the Challenge of Identity

• The fourth occurrence shattered Dylan emotionally—not for the physical reality, but for the lies of the enemy about God’s favor and his own identity as a child of God (25:45).

  “The enemy said, Did you lose His favor? Are you no longer His child?” (Dylan, 25:45)

• Bryce and Dylan discuss spiritual attacks on identity, linking to both the Garden of Eden and the temptation of Christ in the wilderness, emphasizing the importance of being anchored in God’s Word (27:08–28:59).

  “When I get hit with attacks of the enemy, I am not strong enough to overcome them. I need to go to His Word.” (Dylan, 27:13)

• Dylan stands on scriptures that anchor his worth and calling despite suffering, reading aloud Isaiah 49 and other key passages to counter the enemy (31:52–33:37).

  “I’m more convinced and more certain of [the resurrection of Jesus] than anything else.” (Dylan, 31:00)

5. Suffering, Hope, and Joy – Spiritual Perspective

• Suffering is reframed as a ground for transformation and deepening reliance on God.

  “Dependency on Him is one of the most beautiful things that we could have. Dependency on God is the root of a childlike faith.” (Dylan, 21:50)

• Dylan notes the biblical principle of “counting it all joy” even before the breakthrough, with faith that the promise is as good as fulfillment (James 1, Romans 8:28).

  “God has now given me permission to celebrate the miracle of cancer dissolving before it’s happened.” (Dylan, 48:51)

• Bryce challenges listeners, likening daily choices—whether regarding health, holiness, or discipline—to spiritual warfare:

  “The days that Bryce decides to take joy in his suffering are the days that Satan loses his grip on me with that thing.” (Bryce, 49:36)

6. Advice & Encouragement to the Suffering

• Dylan’s counsel for those struggling:

  “God can shape this for His glory… God takes the hardship in our life, and He might let us sit in the fire and shape us through this process… I am so grateful for cancer because it led me to fear God and be surrendered to Him.” (Dylan, 51:57)

  • Seek the Lord and ask, “How do you want to shape me through this? What do you want me to see or understand through this?”
  • Both suffering and breakthrough seasons have equal value—what matters is openness, surrender, and awareness of God’s purpose.

7. Manifesting Revival & Living Offensively in Faith

• Both men sense an urgent season of spiritual awakening and revival, marked by suffering, tragedy, and the need for believers to stand on offense, not defense:

  “Once you put your faith in Christ, it’s all out war against the kingdom of darkness.” (Bryce, 56:07)

• Quoting Matthew 10, Dylan calls for no fear and full readiness to put everything on the line for the sake of the gospel (60:07).

  “I’ll sacrifice my life. I’ll do cancer over and over again. Put more pain on my shoulders if that means that more souls will be saved.” (Dylan, 58:46)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Dylan’s identity and faith:

  “I’m not stronger than cancer, but God is. And that has to be the takeaway. God is stronger than all things.” (Dylan, 43:38)

• On suffering and surrender:

  “Dependency on Him is one of the most beautiful things that we could have.” (Dylan, 21:50)

• Bryce on daily choices:

  “He does not get to have free real estate on my soul because Christ has paid that price for me.” (Bryce, 37:25)

• Dylan’s hope for revival:

  “The enemy thought he could silence a movement when he killed Charlie Kirk, but he started a revival.” (Dylan, 59:44)

Timestamps for Key Segments

(00:41) – Main theme: Enduring faith in suffering
(01:45–04:56) – Dylan’s emotional struggle and spiritual warfare
(07:59–12:07) – Story of first cancer diagnosis and foundation of faith
(12:52–21:04) – Second cancer battle: preparation, major surgery, surrender to God
(23:34–24:50) – Terminal diagnosis, miraculous healing—faith as the only answer
(25:45–29:00) – Fourth diagnosis and the battle for identity, fighting the lies of the enemy
(31:52–36:26) – Anchoring in Scripture: Isaiah 49, 2 Corinthians 5, Matthew 10
(43:59–46:03) – Dylan’s current season of deep intimacy with Jesus
(48:51) – “Celebrate the miracle before it’s happened”—faith and joy anticipation
(51:57–53:47) – Advice to those suffering: surrender, shaping, and being open to God’s purpose
(56:07–57:42) – The hour of revival and spiritual war in the chaos of the age
(58:46–61:17) – “Willing to die for the faith” and the offense/defense of Christian life
(61:55–65:57) – Dylan’s closing prayer: Revival, empowerment, gratitude for suffering

Final Notes

• Dylan’s vulnerability about the spiritual attacks and breakthroughs leading even into the episode reinforced the cost and power of authentic testimony.
• The episode issues a call to arms for Christians to stand firm, turn suffering into surrender, and expect God to move in often miraculous, if not always comfortable, ways.

Prayer Highlight

Dylan closes (61:55):

“This episode is all for you and your glory and your kingdom and your righteousness… We pray for massive revival… for the empowerment of the youth… for Gen Z to seek your face and to seek the truth of the gospel… Thank you for the miracle that's to come… Use us to advance your kingdom and your gospels… In Jesus name we pray. Amen.”

This episode is recommended for anyone battling personal adversity, questioning their faith in the fire, or seeking spiritual clarity and encouragement for hard seasons.