The Bible teaches that believers have been and will be subject to attacks from the world and from Satan (Ephesians 6:12). The Old Testament contains many examples of faithful believers who lived lives filled with or punctuated by persecution. Daniel and his three friends stayed faithful in Babylon amid persecution for their allegiance to the one true God (Daniel 3, 6). Satan targeted the righteous man Job in hopes that he would turn from God (Job 1—2). Many of God's prophets, such as Elijah and Zechariah, also faced attacks for confronting God's people with their sin (1 Kings 19:1-3; 2 Chronicles 24:20-22). In the New Testament, Christ warned believers to expect persecution
(John 15:20; Matthew 24:9-10; Mark 13:13). But He described those who undergo it as "blessed" because of their eternal reward (Matthew 5:10). The New Testament indicates that Stephen and James were martyred for their faith, and Paul was beaten and imprisoned for spreading the gospel. Paul warned Timothy that believers should expect oppression (2 Timothy 3:12). Because believers' hope is not in this world but in God's kingdom, our reaction to persecution should be to stand with courage and faith, rather than fear and despair (2 Corinthians 4:8-9; 2 Timothy 1:7).
Around the world, Christians really are facing opposition because of their faith. According to Pew Research Center’s latest global analysis, Christians were harassed by governments or social groups in 166 countries in 2022, more than any other religious group. More broadly, religious groups experienced some form of government or social harassment in 192 of the 198 countries and territories studied that year, including everything from verbal hostility to arrests, physical attacks, displacement, and killings. These statistics remind us that persecution isn’t just something Christians read about in the Bible—it is a reality for believers around the world today. But not every attack looks like persecution or violence.
"Attacks" can come in many forms: from armies, from social media comments, or even temptations. Some attacks are subtle. These are the ones that many Christians today face from the enemy, Satan. Satan uses ideologies like relativism, which claims that truth is fluid, based on each individual's circumstance. He uses distractions. He uses persecution. He redefines sin, or at least seeks to make it appealing. Society often approves of and encourages behavior that God's Word clearly shows is sinful. Christians who don't stay rooted in God's Word might be swayed into believing society's definition of right and wrong.
How can we stand firm knowing that attacks will come? We put on the “whole armor of God” (Ephesians 6:11), filling our minds with Scripture so we can recognize lies, praying continually so we remain dependent on God, and staying connected to other believers who can encourage us to remain faithful (Ephesians 6:10–18). We don’t stand firm by becoming experts at fighting the world; we stand firm by becoming deeply rooted in Christ. When temptation comes, we choose obedience; when lies come, we answer with truth; when distractions come, we refocus on Christ; and when persecution comes, we remember that our hope is not ultimately in this world. The goal isn’t to live afraid of every attack—it’s to live so grounded in God’s truth that when the attacks come, we know exactly where to stand.
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