This week on the Engage Your Destiny Podcast, we step into a conversation most people will never hear inside the life of a Special Forces chaplain who has walked through war, brokenness, and redemption.

From the battlefields of Ramadi to ministering to elite warriors in the Middle East, Justin shares what it means to carry faith into some of the darkest places on earth. This is not theory it is lived experience.

We hear how trauma, infidelity, and despair nearly destroyed his life and how God met him in that place and rebuilt everything. From restoring his marriage to baptizing soldiers on deployment, his story reveals what redemption really looks like under pressure.

But this conversation goes deeper.

It explores the unseen weight carried by soldiers, the reality of evil in modern warfare, and how faith stands in a world of uncertainty, AI driven combat, and global conflict. What does it mean to follow Christ when life and death decisions are happening in real time?

This is more than a story.
It is a call to understand the cost of war on the soul and the power of faith to restore it.

WATCH UNTIL THE END - this story could change how you see pain, purpose and the power of redemption. Engage Your Destiny (EYD) is a 501(c)3 on a mission to help combat the deadly epidemic of military suicide with faith.

📢 WANT TO BE PART OF THE MISSION? | Help us continue to reach U.S. military members, veterans, and their families-
❤️ DONATE TODAY: https://engageyourdestiny.org/suicideispreventable
📕 READ THE STORY THAT'S CHANGING LIVES: https://engageyourdestiny.org/book

NEW EPISODES EVERY WEDNESDAY! SUBSCRIBE to never miss an episode & TURN ON NOTIFICATIONS to see how faith is impacting our soldiers.

Want to see more behind-the-scenes, more interviews, or something different? Drop a comment or leave a review!

LET'S CONNECT:
Follow us on Facebook: / https://www.facebook.com/engagedestiny
Follow us on Instagram: / https://www.instagram.com/engage.your.destiny/
Follow us on Pray.com: / https://www.pray.com/benpeterson

Timestamps
00:00 Introduction
01:00 From infantry soldier to chaplain
03:00 Trauma from Ramadi and losing 120 soldiers
06:00 Marriage breakdown and moment of conviction
08:00 Encounter with God and radical transformation
12:00 Darkness in the military and how faith brings light
16:00 Ministry in Special Forces and earning trust
19:00 Faith in the middle of global conflict
24:00 AI warfare and the future of the battlefield
30:00 Spiritual mission vs modern war
35:00 Finding answers in a world of noise
41:00 Who are you without technology
44:00 How to hear God’s voice
50:00 Final encouragement and mission

This week on the Engage Your Destiny Podcast, we step into a conversation that goes far beyond technology.

As artificial intelligence rapidly reshapes warfare, culture, and daily life, a deeper question emerges—what is it forming in us?

From the frontlines of Iraq to the frontlines of today’s digital battlefield, Ben Peterson shares what he witnessed in combat, the spiritual battles soldiers carry home, and why the crisis of military suicide continues to rise at an alarming rate.

But this conversation doesn’t stop at war.

We uncover how AI is changing the way people think, decide, and relate—and why this moment in history may be more significant than most realize. As nations race to advance artificial intelligence and even deploy autonomous systems, the line between human judgment and machine control is beginning to blur.

This is more than a discussion about technology.
It’s about identity, dependence, and the quiet shift happening in the human soul.

WATCH UNTIL THE END - this story could change how you see pain, purpose and the power of redemption. Engage Your Destiny (EYD) is a 501(c)3 on a mission to help combat the deadly epidemic of military suicide with faith.

📢 WANT TO BE PART OF THE MISSION? | Help us continue to reach U.S. military members, veterans, and their families-
❤️ DONATE TODAY: https://engageyourdestiny.org/suicideispreventable
📕 READ THE STORY THAT'S CHANGING LIVES: https://engageyourdestiny.org/book

NEW EPISODES EVERY WEDNESDAY! SUBSCRIBE to never miss an episode & TURN ON NOTIFICATIONS to see how faith is impacting our soldiers.

Want to see more behind-the-scenes, more interviews, or something different? Drop a comment or leave a review!

LET'S CONNECT:
Follow us on Facebook: / https://www.facebook.com/engagedestiny
Follow us on Instagram: / https://www.instagram.com/engage.your.destiny/
Follow us on Pray.com: / https://www.pray.com/benpeterson

Timestamps:
00:00 – Introduction and why this conversation matters now
01:45 – Ben’s story: Iraq, trauma, and coming home
04:30 – The military suicide crisis explained
07:30 – The pressure on today’s military forces
10:30 – Social media, addiction, and mental health decline
13:00 – “AI is not just automation… it’s formation”
16:30 – How AI is being integrated into the military
19:30 – Autonomous weapons and AI decision-making
22:30 – The global AI race and rising risks
25:30 – The deeper spiritual implications of AI
28:30 – Dependency, identity, and digital influence
31:00 – Where we are headed in the next few years
33:30 – How to navigate AI without losing your foundation
36:00 – Final thoughts and call to awareness

This week on the Engage Your Destiny Podcast, we’re hearing real-time reports from the battlefield—stories most people will never hear.

From deployed units in the Middle East, we’re witnessing something undeniable. Drones that should have detonated didn’t. Soldiers survived impossible situations. Men are awakening to faith in the middle of war.

But this isn’t just about what’s happening on the battlefield.

It’s about the war happening inside people.

In this episode, we break down how spiritual strongholds are formed—and how they are destroyed. Through a powerful framework of wound, message, vow, and mask, we uncover why so many stay stuck… and how true freedom begins.

This is not just a story about war.
It’s about faith under pressure, healing at the root, and the reality that God is still moving—right now.

WATCH UNTIL THE END - this story could change how you see pain, purpose and the power of redemption. Engage Your Destiny (EYD) is a 501(c)3 on a mission to help combat the deadly epidemic of military suicide with faith.

📢 WANT TO BE PART OF THE MISSION? | Help us continue to reach U.S. military members, veterans, and their families-
❤️ DONATE TODAY: https://engageyourdestiny.org/suicideispreventable
📕 READ THE STORY THAT'S CHANGING LIVES: https://engageyourdestiny.org/book

NEW EPISODES EVERY WEDNESDAY! SUBSCRIBE to never miss an episode & TURN ON NOTIFICATIONS to see how faith is impacting our soldiers.

Want to see more behind-the-scenes, more interviews, or something different? Drop a comment or leave a review!

LET'S CONNECT:
Follow us on Facebook: / https://www.facebook.com/engagedestiny
Follow us on Instagram: / https://www.instagram.com/engage.your.destiny/
Follow us on Pray.com: / https://www.pray.com/benpeterson

Timestamps:
00:00 – Introduction and mission update
02:00 – Expansion into military bases (San Diego & Camp Pendleton)
05:30 – Miracles reported from the battlefield
08:30 – The reality of modern warfare and AI drones
10:30 – Faith in what cannot be seen
12:30 – The “Mask Cycle” explained (wound, message, vow, mask)
15:30 – Breaking strongholds through healing and forgiveness
17:00 – Invitation to partner with the mission