see notes below

Religion

In Chapter 19 of Evangelism Is… Earley points out that evangelism "involves spiritual warfare," a battle that plays itself out in the field of human consciousness. Each and every day, human beings make choices that support either God or the Devil and the choices we make reverberate throughout the planet and human history (156). The Devil's devices may even make it impossible to make conscious choices that support God. We might see evidence of the Lord each and every day, but the Devil is powerful enough to blind us from and make us deaf to the truth. As Earley points out, finding Christ is only the beginning. In some cases, the spiritual battle "intensifies" after giving over one's life to God (158).

Evangelism is one of the most effective and important spiritual weapons implemented on the side of God. However, one of the key ways the Devil interferes with God's will is by steering Christian believers away from the process of evangelism. "Once people are saved, the enemy works against them to keep them from telling others how to be free," (158). The Devil will basically do everything in his power to prevent the Kingdom of Heaven from being manifest. That is his Luciferian duty and motive: to disempower Christians and render them weak and ineffective. To reestablish God's will, it is crucial to recognize the wiles of the Devil. Recognizing Satan's wiles will make it possible to counteract each and every one of them with the light of truth. The battle is ongoing, but ultimately victory in Christ is ensured.

Four primary devices of the devil include denunciation, defilement, deception, and distraction. Denunciation is also known as condemnation or accusation, because it is Satan's toolbox of lowering the self-esteem, self-efficacy, and self-confidence of the evangelist. The voice of Satan might whisper, "You can't do this, you're not good enough," or "No one will listen."

Deception manifests as temptation to do evil, because sin generates the guilt that makes us feel spiritually impotent and unable to share the gospel with others. When we are worn down by shame, the Devil is working hard to win the spiritual war. Deception is another tool of the devil. Manifesting as lies, deception can be anything from "It's not your job to win the world for Christ," or "People will think you are a religious nut," (Earley 160). Internalizing the devil, many believers start to believe in earnest that it is not their duty to deliver the good news. With Christ comes a tremendous responsibility: to cease hoarding God's love and to spread that love outward and onward. Evangelism is the process of spreading God's love, and therefore anything and everything that prevents that process can be considered the work of the devil. The lies the devil tells are easy to buy into because the vast majority of nonbelievers promote the devil without even realizing it.