Three Ways the Power of Satan Can Affect the Work of an Evangelist

By nature, no unbeliever inherently desires to be a Christian.

It isn’t just a stubborn refusal to trust in God’s promises; there is something much more powerful at play. When evangelists fail to acknowledge the spiritual forces behind unbelief, they are ill-equipped to discern them or know how to respond.

The Apostle Paul reminds us:

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:10-12)

Evangelism is literally a battleground. When believers step out in faith to share the Gospel with others, they automatically engage in a conflict of cosmic proportions. We should never be surprised when difficulties arise or when we face sudden opposition.

As Rev. David Valleskey noted, “If we underestimate the magnitude of the battle, we will not be properly equipped for it. We are entering the devil’s stronghold. We need to be armed, then, with something, or Someone, stronger than Satan.”

When the Lord appeared to Saul on the road to Damascus, commissioning him to be an apostle, herald, and teacher (1 Timothy 1:11), he told him that he was sending him to “turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God” (Acts 26:18).

The Great Commission sends believers in Christ on this same rescue mission so we can expect challenges. Here are three ways the power of Satan can affect the work of an evangelist:

1. Stubbornness on the part of the unbeliever
We must remember the spiritual reality of those who do not yet know Christ. By nature, they are born in sin, living in sin, and actively opposed to God (Colossians 1:13). Every unbeliever is trapped in Satan’s “dominion of darkness.” Because they are spiritually dead, this stubbornness is spiritual blindness rather than just a mere intellectual disagreement.

2. Subtle outward attacks on the evangelist
A life in Christ is a struggle, and the enemy routinely attacks our faith through temptation. For the evangelist, one of the strongest and most subtle temptations is the urge to remain silent and on the sidelines. The enemy will use fear, apathy, insecurity, or distraction to convince us not to share the Gospel with others.

3. Impatience with God’s purpose and timing
Our human nature demands immediate results. However, the journey to faith can often be long and arduous, and the enemy wants us to become discouraged when we don’t see instant fruit. In Christ, we are called to be patient and kind rather than impatient and frustrated. We must trust in the power of God’s Word and rely on him to produce the fruits of the Spirit, which are essential for every evangelist to exhibit.

God’s business is rescuing people from Satan’s clutches and restoring them to their rightful place in his family. As evangelists, we are simply God’s agents. We use his means—the Law to convict people of their sin, and the Gospel to reveal his grace—to bring about repentance, faith, and new life. It is a beautiful message of reconciliation: a lost child, once dead, is reborn into a new life in Christ.

This Gospel is what gives certain hope to both the believer and the evangelist. We enter the battlefield trusting that we have a reliable weapon, and indeed, the only weapon we need. Through the faithful work of God’s agents and the powerful message they bring, a lost soul is able to look up and call God their “Father.”