In my opinion, as we step further into 2025, Christianity is facing not just challenges, but spiritual warfare of historic proportions. What was once cultural resistance has escalated into full-blown hostility against biblical truth. The enemy prowls more boldly than ever, as foretold in Scripture:
“Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” — 2 Timothy 3:12
These are not just difficult times—they are perilous times. And unless the Church awakens, the light risks being overshadowed by darkness.
1. Persecution and Discrimination: The Blood of the Saints Cries Out
Across the world, over 380 million Christians endure violent persecution—a modern-day martyrdom hidden behind political silence and apathy. These are not just statistics. These are brothers and sisters being beaten, raped, imprisoned, tortured, and murdered for simply uttering the name of Jesus.
“They will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake.” — Matthew 24:9
In nations ruled by tyrants, in regions controlled by extremists, believers are hunted like criminals. Bibles are burned. Churches are bombed. Children are abducted. The Cross is illegal.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, protect Your persecuted Church. Strengthen their spirits and deliver them from evil. Let their suffering not be in vain, but a testimony to Your power. Amen.
2. The Falling Away: Empty Pews, Empty Hearts
The Church in the West is bleeding out. Sunday services echo with the silence of missing generations. Entire families walk away from the faith, seduced by secularism, distracted by digital noise, or disillusioned by shallow religion.
“For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching… and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” — 2 Timothy 4:3-4
Evangelism has stalled. Many pastors stand before half-empty sanctuaries, preaching to the faithful remnant while wondering how to reach a culture that views Christianity as a joke or a threat.
Prayer:
Father God, rekindle the fire of revival in our hearts. Fill Your Church with conviction, urgency, and boldness. Raise up laborers for the harvest. Amen.
3. The Crisis of Theological Illiteracy: A Church Without Roots
A growing number of Christians cannot articulate the Gospel, define the Trinity, or distinguish truth from falsehood. The age of shallow spirituality has left the Church vulnerable to deception.
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” — Hosea 4:6
Many believers now form their theology from social media memes and TikTok influencers rather than the Word of God. This famine of biblical understanding weakens the Church from within.
Prayer:
Holy Spirit, ignite a hunger for truth in us. Give us discernment, wisdom, and a deep love for Your Word. Protect us from lies clothed in light. Amen.
4. The World’s Pressure: Conform or Be Canceled
The spirit of this age demands conformity. Biblical convictions are now labeled as hate speech. Those who stand for truth risk losing jobs, relationships, reputations—even freedom.
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.” — Romans 12:2
Christians are cornered into silence on issues like abortion, gender, and sexuality. Even within the Church, division festers. Entire denominations fracture over doctrines that Scripture made clear centuries ago.
Prayer:
Lord, make us bold like lions, gentle like doves, and unwavering like the saints of old. Strengthen Your people to speak truth in love and endure mockery for Your name’s sake. Amen.
A Final Word: Hold the Line
The days are dark, but the light of Christ shines brighter still. We are not called to comfort—we are called to courage. The Church must return to the Word, to prayer, to holiness.
“Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.” — 1 Corinthians 16:13
Now is not the time to retreat. Now is the time to stand.
Final Prayer:
Almighty God, awaken Your Church from its slumber. Let the fear of the Lord fall upon us again. May we endure hardship, rejoice in suffering, and glorify You until the very end. Come, Lord Jesus. Amen.
(CLICK HERE TO PRAY WITH ME FOR STRENGTH!) Please! I Need Strength Today! After What Happened Today, My Heart is Torn! Everyone’s Heart is Torn! Pray with me!
The Christian Tech-Nerd 
Howdy. On persecution: Be careful not to focus on persecution of Christians to the exclusion of other religions. Muslims are persecuted in roughly equal numbers. Jews are persecuted in numbers way out of proportion to their population; Hindus, Buddhists, and even atheists are persecuted, etc.
See https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2020/11/10/harassment-of-religious-groups-continues-to-be-reported-in-more-than-90-of-countries/
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I appreciate the insight here! I will have to ponder
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You claimed that I disliked some of your posts. Then, I have failed you miserably by not making my point clear. Please take the time to read carefully and think carefully my comment to the end. I think it will improve your witness and voice as a Christian writer.
From this post:
“A growing number of Christians cannot articulate the Gospel, define the Trinity, or distinguish truth from falsehood. The age of shallow spirituality has left the Church vulnerable to deception.”
I totally agree with this point. As not only a reader, but as a fellow Christian writer who often fell into the same trap, I find articles that are judgmental fail to “articulate the Gospel, define the Trinity”(especially Christ), and “distinguish truth from falsehood.” Fighting wrong by attacking people, not principles is unproductive and generalizations like “left” and “liberals” exalts others, including Christians outside those labels feel empowered and exalted, yet also remain conformed to those same worldviews and practices.
“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.”
1 Timothy 4:12 NIV
“Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.”
2 Timothy 4:2 NIV
“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 6:12 NIV
“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.”
1 Corinthians 13:1 NIV
I know you want to speak truth. Christ is the Truth. Speak Christ. Testify what he means to you, what you’re learning from him, and how he frees us from being overcome by the fiery darts of the devil like judgment and condemnation and oppression and hate.
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❤️God bless you for being so kind! Thank you for this comment!
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«Biblical convictions are now labeled as hate speech.»
Sometimes, they ARE hate speech. Westboro Baptist Church has done no one any favors. Religion can be used to oppress as much as uplift. Do you believe gay people are going to hell? If so how does that affect your thinking and your speech?
«Now is not the time to retreat. Now is the time to stand.»
Stand for what? It’s a little vague, and I might mistakenly fill in details from your general tone.
I stand for justice, compassion, and the use of the brains God gave us.
I stand for science: for immunizations, for fluoride in the water, for an understanding that we evolved from conditions God set up (without His guidance, because what kind of a system needs constant tweaking?). I stand for impartial inquiry and actions informed by what we learn.
I stand for compassion: I stand for caring for the oppressed and unfortunate, regardless of their religion, and without attempting to coerce conversion. It’s enough that they know I am Christian and I act out of my conviction. If atheists, Muslims, etc. show up and act compassionately out of THEIR convictions, that’s fine, too. I call for a compassionate response to law-breaking, for a response proportional to the crime. No one should get sent to a prison run by a dictator in a faraway country for a speeding ticket.
I stand for justice: I stand for the righting of wrongs, including those done by white Christians against our non-white brothers and sisters, both in the past and in the present. (I don’t want to vacate the land my house is on, though, nor do I want to lose my neighbors. That’s tricky, and I hope we can work something out.) I stand for justice for the Rohingya and Uyghur peoples. I stand for justice for the Palestinian people. (That does not mean I support Hamas. I know some people equate those two positions.) I stand for justice for women: no one should be forced to stay in an abusive marriage. No one should be forced to bear a child they don’t want. No one should be excluded from opportunities at work merely because of their gender.
I stand for self-determination. All people have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. (Except: if oppressing Black people makes you happy, sorry, you don’t get to pursue that.)
I stand for a lot more, but that’s the gist.
And I stand for all of this *in my church*. I will not worship in a place that does not agree with my convictions. I will not surrender my brain and free will to any human minister, only to God’s calling for me. (And even then, boy howdy, am I imperfect, because later today I will be drinking and playing video games instead of reading *The Sum of Us* or figuring out how to talk to Republicans or committing to a zoom call to do the same.)
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🙏🙏 God Bless
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It truly saddens me to think we as a country have reached this point. So many are truly in the dark and even if the “loving light” falls across their path they sidestep it for fear of insults and conviction. Come Lord Jesus! Come!
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Weak Christianity brought on by water-down liberal theology is the biggest challenge to the modern church.
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So much to learn and unpack here. This is a clarion call to our roots, revival and a deep, personal relationship with Christ through the Spirit. I always ask myself, ‘what can I do in my corner to brighten the world with God’s Light’? The change starts with ONE.
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