A Spiritual Warfare Reason that Evangelism is Hard

by Chuck Lawless Church Answers Consultant

Evangelism is hard for most believers. Sometimes fear stops them from speaking the good news. Most believers have no strongly evangelistic role models. Many have never been trained in evangelism in the first place. Frankly, some Christians are also simply apathetic about the lost. In this post, though, I want to talk about another hindrance to evangelism we seldom consider: a supernatural enemy who fights against us.

Think about it this way. The Bible is clear about the condition of non-believers, and its writers often speak of lostness in terms of spiritual conflict. The apostle Paul particularly uses this imagery:

Ephesians 2:2 (NLT) – “You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.” 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 – “If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe.” Colossians 1:13-14 – “For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.” 2 Timothy 2:26 – “Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants.” Acts 26:17b-18a – “Yes, I am sending you [the Apostle Paul] to the Gentiles to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God.”

Ephesians 2:2 (NLT) – “You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of…