Sustained Satanic attacks on the Church and deadly persecution against its membership will not change the fact that the gates of hell cannot ever prevail against the body.
Satan knows this, but he will continue to deceive many into believing that the Church can be silenced, if not completely eliminated. So, do not think it odd that there is push-back when Christians stand up for Christ.
The Church has endured eons of hostility from the time it first emerged as the dominant spiritual force in the Roman Empire. Christians were persecuted from the get-go, and this only intensified as the movement spread across the regions. Christians came into ideological conflict with imperial cults as they rejected and resisted pagan practices, such as making sacrifices to deified emperors and other gods. They were accused of and punished for treason, concocted crimes, illegal assembly, and for introducing what was described as an alien cult to the people.
The disciples were stoned and endured many forms of brutality, including beheading. Despite this often gruesome reality, they were faithful to the mission of preaching the Gospel and establishing fellowships.
Over the centuries, persecution against believers in many places has only intensified. Last year, 224,129 Christians were forced to leave their homes, go into hiding, or leave their country of abode entirely, on account of life-threatening attacks.
Of the more than 2.4 billion Christians globally, as many as 315 million face very high or extreme levels of persecution in the 50 most hostile countries in the world.
According to the latest Open Doors’ World Watch List, the total number of Christians killed for their faith increased from 4,476 in 2024 to 4,849 in 2025. Africa recorded 4,491 murdered Christians, out of the total of 4,849 who were killed globally. Islam-dominated sub-Saharan Africa continues to be the epicentre of violence against Christians, with thousands losing their lives for following Jesus. In Nigeria alone, 3,490 Christians were killed. Hundreds of believers also paid the ultimate price for their faith in Myanmar, Mexico, and Syria.
More than 721 million people reside in the 14 countries that comprise sub-Saharan Africa, and nearly half of that number identify as Christian. These Christians live among some of the most fearsome Muslims in the world. Almost daily, Christians come under attack by Islamist militant groups. At least one Christian is killed every 1.95 hours in this region.
In many other countries where Christians are not directly attacked by other groups, believers often face social ridicule and are vulnerable to the antics of anti-Christian loyalists in governments and public spaces.
As Satanists push for the complete annihilation of the Christian Church, many believers have been branded as right-wing, Bible-thumping maniacs who should be silenced or ignored. Some are constantly monitored or gagged so that they cannot upset the unrelenting global reset by their declarations.
We are in the end times, and the sad truth is that things are likely to get even worse for the body of Christ. As the LGBTQI+ agenda advances and gains global traction, those who oppose this lifestyle will face even harsher persecution.
Make no mistake, issues such as the definition of marriage, abortion on demand, gender, and age-appropriate sexual relations will become even more fractious and divisive, and eventually drive some to persecute members of their very own families for standing with God.
New age thought has replaced prosperity gospel within religious circles, capturing the imaginations of many, including some of our young people who scoff at Biblical teachings they have labelled archaic, mythical, and irrelevant. Big money is the new god driving industries, politics, careers, dreams, and relationships.
Even within the Church, some who hold fast to the teachings of Jesus Christ, the leading of the Holy Spirit, and the truths of the Scriptures come up for a form of persecution by other members who see them as overly zealous, holier-than-thou, and unyielding to the sugary temptations of the new age and the wider world.
Persecution lurks wherever and whenever the church stands – on street corners, in workplaces, or even on pulpits. But joy in the midst of persecution and suffering is a theme of Acts. When the apostles were persecuted and flogged, they often rejoiced because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name of the Lord. So, rejoice! Even though it may be hard to jig about in merriment while a gun is held against your head.
The unrighteous in governments, the private sector, and in the streets are fodder for Satan, and many will forcefully resist the Gospel. It cannot be easy for corrupt, ungodly rulers, who thrive on exploiting populations, to face the razor-sharp, two-edged sword of the Word. The Gospel shifts the very atmosphere, opens the eyes of the spiritually blind, and delivers the oppressed.
The Word of God is powerful food, served on properly prepared platters in the presence of the enemies of righteousness. It is sweet spiritual nourishment. When appropriately chewed and digested, it breaks yolks, bulldozes strongholds, pulls down wicked governments, and establishes clear and unencumbered steps to redemption. It will offend as it chastises. It will cause turbulence and disturbances as it right wrongs. It will shake up fallow ground as it sets captives free. This Gospel of Jesus Christ will shatter the kingdom of darkness, cause longstanding mountains of oppression to be uprooted, and be cast into the midst of the sea.
Christians on mission will be staunchly persecuted, lives will be snuffed out, but it is all for the good of the Gospel and the saving of lost souls. It is the work of the Lord, and the reward is phenomenal and eternal. Count it all joy.