As believers, we face personal attacks, which is the most commonly understood form of Spiritual Warfare. However, evangelism is the ultimate spiritual warfare because it involves advancing God’s redemptive plan in the face of opposition from spiritual forces, such as fallen angels and demons. This perspective is rooted in the Bible, which tells us that Satan, as a fallen angel, actively seeks to prevent people from turning to God. Evangelism challenges his domain by moving people from the kingdom of darkness into God’s kingdom of light, which Satan vigorously opposes.
Spiritual Warfare: Offensive and Defensive Aspects
Spiritual warfare is not merely defensive but offensive. Christians are seen as soldiers equipped with spiritual armor, advancing against the forces of darkness. This warfare is explained in Ephesians 6:12-18, where Paul describes the “armor of God” that believers are to wear as they engage in this battle. The readiness to spread the Gospel is likened to shoes that enable believers to stand firm and march forward.
Paul writes, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12, ESV). This passage underscores the reality that the struggle of Christians is against spiritual entities, not merely human opposition. The subsequent verses detail the armor of God, emphasizing both defensive and offensive elements necessary for this spiritual conflict.
The Schemes of Satan
Satan employs various tactics to thwart evangelistic efforts, including distraction, temptation, and accusation. These strategies aim to render believers ineffective by diverting their focus, enticing them to sin, or instilling doubt and shame. Recognizing and countering these tactics with the word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit is crucial for maintaining an effective evangelistic witness.
Distraction
Distraction takes our focus away from God’s mission. The things that Satan may use to distract us are many. What often makes things harder is the distractions Satan uses. The danger comes when they become so prominent in our lives that they negatively affect our obedience and availability to God. A few examples include:
- Materialism: When living for things becomes more important than reaching others.
- Workaholism: When you work so much, your focus is more on your business than God’s.
- Entertainment: When entertaining ourselves through any means is a higher priority than pleasing God.
- Church Activities: If you have little time for non-Christians.
Distractions are not always seemingly good things to keep in moderation. Some distractions take the form of challenging events in life. For example, most people actively sharing their faith will often tell you stories of combating relationship problems, financial problems, logistics problems, and more as they seek to spread the Good News. These problems must be addressed with sensitivity, prayer, and the complete understanding that Satan will try to use them to distract from the mission to be used by God.
The best way to combat distractions is to remain focused on Christ. Doing so will help you keep the main thing, being about His business, the main thing. Ask for God's guidance to arrange your schedule in order to be more effective for Him. This includes focusing on what is important and removing what is unimportant. You should prayerfully prepare yourself for satan's onslaught which could render your evangelism ineffective for God.
Temptation
Through temptation Satan has effectively destroyed the witness of several believers. Temptation causes us to act independently of God. Satan usually appeals to our pride, greed, lust, or other desires. The goal of these attacks through temptation is always the same, to cause us to sin.
When we succumb to temptation, it has several adverse effects. First, sin dulls our senses to the things of God. Furthermore, it can squelch our desire to share the Gospel and mar our communication with God, which is essential in evangelism. It can also affect our witness and testimony to others.
Our escape is the remedy found in 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9, ESV). To confess means to agree with God that we have sinned and ask for His forgiveness and restoration. Remaining free from sin and maintaining our close relationship with God is essential to be used by God as a fruitful and effective evangelistic witness.
Accusation
Satan is called “the accuser of the brethren” in Revelation 12:10. He is a master of intimidation. Just as satan can tempt you to sin, he can also shame you to render your witness ineffective. Thoughts such as, “Your life is not what it ought to be,” “You are not qualified enough to evangelize,” or “God cannot use someone like you” are intended to keep you from sharing the Gospel. These thoughts are all lies from satan, the accuser.
It is important to remember that no believer’s life is perfect. God is calling you now if you wait until you are, you will never share the Gospel. Seek to live the life that glorifies God confessing your sins. Always keep foremost in your mind the Biblical truth that God uses imperfect people to carry out His business.
Knowing Satan’s schemes helps us counter his spiritual warfare attacks. By understanding how satan works, we can oppose him using God's word, we can resist him through the Holy Spirit's power, and we must ask others to be in constant prayer for us as we go on with our evangelism. After all, we are not alone in this battle. We are on God’s side, and He is with us every step of the way.
The Cosmic Struggle
Evangelism is not just a task, but a critical component of the cosmic struggle. By spreading the Gospel, believers actively participate in the battle between light and darkness, advancing God’s kingdom on earth. This is a significant role that each believer plays in the grand scheme of God's redemptive plan.
God is on a rescue mission, reconciling the world to Himself. As believers, we are not mere spectators, but active participants in this mission. God has commanded us to share the Gospel, the message that brings reconciliation. However, there is one who opposes this mission. Satan, as a fallen angel, is hellbent on keeping people from God. Our evangelism encroaches on his territory and threatens to move people from his kingdom of darkness into God’s kingdom of light. In response, he vigorously defends it. This underscores the importance of our role in this mission.
Fortunately for us, the tactics he uses are well-known. In 2 Corinthians 2:11b, Paul reminds us that “we are not unaware of his schemes” (2 Corinthians 2:11, ESV). Paul can say this because there are specific, predictable strategies Satan uses to attempt to render us ineffective in evangelism – and his target is our mind. This attack on us is where the danger comes in.
If we are unaware or unprepared for this spiritual warfare, we will become susceptible to his distractions, deceptions, and accusations. We run the risk of being paralyzed by these attacks and being a non-factor when it comes to winning others to Christ. So, what are we to do?
Standing Our Ground in Spiritual Warfare
The Armor of God
To stand our ground in spiritual warfare, we must put on the full armor of God as described in Ephesians 6:13-17:
- Belt of Truth: “Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth” (Ephesians 6:14, ESV). The belt of truth represents the Gospel’s truth, which holds everything together and gives us confidence to stand against the enemy’s lies.
- Breastplate of Righteousness: “And having put on the breastplate of righteousness” (Ephesians 6:14, ESV). The breastplate protects our hearts and souls, symbolizing the righteousness of Christ that guards us against the enemy’s attacks.
- Shoes of the Gospel of Peace: “And, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace” (Ephesians 6:15, ESV). These shoes represent our readiness to proclaim the Gospel of peace, standing firm and advancing against the enemy.
- Shield of Faith: “In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one” (Ephesians 6:16, ESV). The shield of faith protects us from the enemy’s attacks, allowing us to trust God’s promises and stand firm.
- Helmet of Salvation: “And take the helmet of salvation” (Ephesians 6:17, ESV). The helmet protects our minds, reminding us of our salvation in Christ and guarding us against doubt and fear.
- Sword of the Spirit: “And the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17, ESV). The sword is our offensive weapon, the word of God, which we use to counter the enemy’s lies and temptations.
Offensive Evangelism
Paul’s description of the Church’s evangelistic task corrects some common misconceptions. First, Paul hands this armor to the whole Church, not just its pastors and evangelists. Yes, the risen Christ has given “evangelists” to the Church (Ephesians 4:11, ESV), those wonderfully restless saints who itch to speak of Jesus and seem to do so effortlessly. But Jesus gave such evangelists “to equip the saints for the work of ministry” (Ephesians 4:12, ESV), a work that includes speaking “the gospel of peace” (Ephesians 6:15, ESV). Some Christians are formal, gifted evangelists; every Christian is a messenger.
Second, Paul has in mind proactive, not merely reactive, evangelism. Christians who faithfully follow Jesus may attract notice and questions, and our Gospel shoes prepare us to “give a defense” for our hope (1 Peter 3:15, ESV). But the same gospel shoes that help us stand firm against the devil’s schemes also move us forward into the world, bringing the Gospel of peace where it has not gone.
If our evangelism is going to follow Paul’s, then we will need to tie our gospel shoes and march into the devil’s territory. The commission is worth the conflict. We will make our way to our neighbors, a new town, or another nation, and we will “declare how much God has done” (Luke 8:39, ESV) in Jesus Christ.
Conclusion
Evangelism as spiritual warfare is a profound aspect of Christian theology, emphasizing the cosmic struggle between good and evil. By recognizing the spiritual opposition, equipping ourselves with the armor of God, and engaging in proactive evangelism, believers can effectively advance God’s kingdom and overcome the forces of darkness. As we stand firm in our faith and proclaim the Gospel, we contribute to the ultimate victory of light over darkness, fulfilling God’s redemptive mission.
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