Kim Melnick
Nov 11, 2025
And the Battle is Won on our Knees.
“Evangelism is spiritual warfare.”
Those words stopped me in my tracks yesterday morning as I read a commentary following my reading in Ephesians 6:10-20. I read that line again.
“Evangelism is spiritual warfare.”
As it settled on me, I began to think of our RCS Who’s Your One initiative. The Who’s your One prayer guide I picked up on Sunday was still tucked inside the front cover of my open Bible.
I am excited about the encouragement to consider that one person I will intentionally pray for and share the Gospel with over the next month and I’m in awe, anticipating what the Lord might do as our church engages in this effort.
But spiritual warfare? I have to admit, I wasn’t exactly thinking about that.
“Evangelism is spiritual warfare.”
By God’s grace, these words helped me to see the reality of this battle in which many of us will engage in by choosing and committing to our “one.”
And a word picture helped me to see it more clearly…
Imagine an army of soldiers. They have all the right gear — helmets, shields, armor — but if they are cut off from their commander, the battle is lost. They need communication and direction from the one in charge. They need his strength, his wisdom and his encouragement.
The Lord God is our commander and prayer is our communication line. He not only gives us the orders, but He provides all that we need to advance His mission and His Kingdom. Without prayer, we may have our armor on, but we lack the power needed to engage in work that only the Lord can do.
Sure, we can step into evangelism with friendliness, with good intentions and even with a solid Gospel presentation, but without prayer, we are cut off from the power we desperately need in a battle that we are incapable of winning.
The battle that brings a dead soul to life in Christ is a battle that only the Lord can win.
This is because, as Paul reminds us, we are not fighting 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.”
We need the full armor of God as we wage war for a soul and we need a commitment to prayer as we engage in the battle.
Consider Paul - the great apostle and evangelist; he mentions or refers to prayer 5 times in just two verses found in this passage.
“praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel,”
Ephesians 6:18-19
I think Paul is shouting to us that we must be in prayer if we are to wage war in the spiritual realm. And, that we not only need to be in prayer for our “one” but also for ourselves as we, Lord willing, boldly “proclaim the mystery of the Gospel.”
So, as we commit to choosing our “one” let’s recognize our great need for the Lord’s help. Let’s lean into the Lord as we choose our “one” and as we battle in prayer for our “one.”
I love these words from John Piper regarding prayer,
“Prayer is primarily a wartime walkie-talkie for the mission of the church as it advances against the powers of darkness and unbelief. It is not surprising that prayer malfunctions when we try to make it a domestic intercom to call upstairs for more comforts in the den. God has given us prayer as a wartime walkie-talkie so that we can call headquarters for everything we need as the kingdom of Christ advances in the world.”
Oh how easy it is to squander our prayers on “comforts in the den.”
May we, instead, take hold of the walkie-talkie of prayer and make use of it as we strive, in prayer and in action, to push back the darkness, by engaging in the spiritual warfare of evangelism.