7 Evangelistic Weapons & How to Use Them: Supernatural Evangelism
(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
In this article we will outline seven powerful evangelistic weapons revealed in Scripture and how to use those weapons effectively in evangelism and Gospel witness. Through the power of the Holy Spirit and the strategic use of the Word of God, the Gospel is preached, and God’s impacting grace is ministered to save souls and transform lives.
Introduction
The Weapons of Our Warfare
In Christianity, our warfare is not fought with carnal means but with spiritual weapons. These weapons, infused with God’s power, transcend the flesh, targeting the unseen strongholds of the mind, spirit, and heart. This divine arsenal equips believers to confront and conquer the forces of darkness, advancing God’s Kingdom through spiritual power.
The Bible reveals that this spiritual warfare underpins evangelism, where the triumph of the Gospel hinges on God-given instruments. Far from literal swords or spears, our seven primary evangelistic weapons, rooted in the Word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, are designed to destroy strongholds and draw souls into obedience to Christ.
We will now identify these seven evangelistic weapons and offer practical application for believers to wield them boldly in the service of God’s redemptive purpose centered in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is the power of God to salvation.
The Name of Jesus Christ
Establish the Name
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
In an evangelistic situation (whether it be open-air preaching, formal public address, or one-to-one or group witnessing), establishing the name of Jesus Christ vocally will exert the supernatural authority of the name, which is above every name.
Because the name of Jesus Christ has been ordained by God as the most highly exalted name, belonging to Him who has been endued with all principality and power, to openly and intentionally vocalize His name automatically shifts the center of power over to the favor of the anointed evangelist.
All spiritual authority and power are sourced and contained in the name of Jesus Christ. Through His name, sin is forgiven and purged, demonic spirits are bound and cast out, and supernatural healing is ministered. Only through the name of Jesus Christ can the lost be saved and born again as children of God.
The name of Jesus Christ induces reverence, activating the human conscience as the judgment of the world and every soul approaches. Because every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord, the human soul, and spirit are brought to attention at the profession of His name.
Once the name of Jesus Christ is proclaimed, the spiritual condition of the unbeliever is exposed. The proud and arrogant instantly reject His name, but the humble acknowledge and pay attention in reverence. The Gospel message is only preached in the mighty name of Jesus Christ—the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
How-to guide:
To intentionally profess and consciously use the name of Jesus Christ as a source of blessing, power, and authority must be recognized as an available and necessary weapon to use in the spiritual arsenal of the evangelist.
This means when in a witness or outreach situation, there must be an intentional profession of His name. For example, in open-air preaching or in a conversational witness, openly introduce yourself as an evangelist who is speaking in the name of Jesus Christ, being clear that you are delivering a message on His behalf with authority.
This will make your intentions clear and honest, gaining the correct kind of attention as a preacher of the Gospel. In doing this, you are activating the spiritual authority and power of the name of Jesus, which both empowers you and protects you.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ
The Power of God
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the primary weapon God has given to His servants for evangelism due to its powerful redemptive and salvific potential toward the human condition. It is the core evangelistic resource under which all other resources are deployed.
The Gospel has been divinely sanctioned as the power of God to save and deliver people from sin and satanic control. It transforms broken lives, eradicates wickedness, and dissolves shame and guilt from the past, present, and future.
The Gospel heals spiritual wounds and breaks psychological strongholds. It relieves heavy burdens and heals physical diseases. It can even break demonic possession and raise the dead. It takes dominion over evil powers and destroys the enemy’s hold on humanity.
The Gospel is designed to heal, set free, open the eyes of the blind, and unstop the deaf ears. If an evangelist is not preaching the Gospel in its simplicity and fullness, there is a vulnerability to demonic overpowering and also a susceptibility to induce false conversion.
How-to guide:
Anointed preaching in demonstration of the Spirit and of power through called evangelists will need no gimmicks or manipulative strategies but will utilize the simple and plainly delivered Word of God to engage unbelievers in the validity of biblical truth and conviction of their seared and corrupted conscience.
The specific commandment is to preach the Gospel because of the effectual power contained within it to save the lost and conquer the kingdom of the devil through the Kingdom of God, destroying his works and strongholds in the life of the unbeliever.
To preach the Gospel this way, the evangelist must focus all their subject material upon Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross. All that is preached must be directly related to conveying the message of the cross and leading the lost to repentance and faith in Jesus. All material must effectively communicate saving biblical knowledge to the lost.
The Sword of the Spirit
A Sharp Sword
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
The Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, is a key weapon in the arsenal of the evangelist. The Word of God is compared to a sharpened sword because it can divide the soul from the spirit by cutting through external circumstances, spiritual identities, demonic strongholds, and facades of persona to expose the true spiritual state of the human heart.
The Word of God is both a sword trained on a target and a sword that is wielded by a trained soldier. The unbeliever has the sword trained on them by default, and it must be the intention of the evangelist, as a trained soldier of Christ, to wield that sword to destroy the works of the flesh and the devil established in their life.
The Word of God must be spoken in its biblical form and intentionally used to expose any truth that is necessary to advance the Kingdom of God in the unbeliever—this was the method of Jesus and the Apostles. The Word of God deals with spiritual realities and opens blind spiritual eyes and must be implanted in the heart to induce salvation.
How-to guide:
The evangelist must be equipped with a sound consciousness of the whole Bible and have a vast recall of Scripture to memory to “be ready in season and out of season.” Before evangelizing, take the time to know and understand the Bible in its entirety and memorize a number of key verses and portions of Scripture.
It is important that evangelists use the Bible correctly by knowing its parts and how to locate relevant portions,. They must also be able to recall a substantial amount of Scripture from memory in order to teach the people the Word of God effectively and promptly.
The Word of God also must be rightly divided, as any exaggeration can obscure and bias the application. This means the evangelist must understand Bible doctrine, which is spread throughout the Bible’s various sections, making it necessary to divide it correctly. The Word of God must be distinguished from traditional doctrines to prevent falling into traditional errors of interpretation and leading others into them.
The command is to “preach the Word,” meaning to declare it publicly, openly, boldly, and in its fullness. Preaching is to be executed without a mixture of human wisdom and without the aid of unnecessary schemes, gimmicks, or tools of assistance, which all detract from the power of God’s Word and simplicity of the Gospel.
The Power of the Holy Spirit
Power From on High
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
The supernatural power of the Holy Spirit is a formidable evangelistic resource and critical to the efforts of the evangelist. The office of evangelist itself is a Holy Spirit-empowered gift and office bestowed on those called by God to be expert fishers of men.
All sanctioned power is distributed by the Holy Spirit, accessed through faith, and exercised upon the requirement of service. The sufficiency to be effective ministers of the new covenant is purely through the power of the Holy Spirit and must not be confused with natural human abilities or gifting.
As commissioned preachers and evangelists under the sanction of Jesus Christ, authority and power have been issued for the advancement of the Kingdom of God through the Holy Spirit. Power to heal infirmities and cast out demons in evangelistic ministry has been issued and should be employed in service. Anointed preaching of the Gospel must be the core resource in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.
How-to guide:
An evangelist can only activate their supernatural empowerment for Gospel witness if they have first received the Baptism with the Holy Spirit. The power of the Holy Spirit is a key evangelistic weapon, and all spiritual gifts and abilities needed for evangelistic ministry can only be obtained through Spirit Baptism.
The Holy Spirit also develops the evangelist’s internal strength, character, and integrity to fully perform ministry tasks even in the harshest environments and conditions. Various degrees of spiritual, psychological, and physical pressure should be expected when carrying out the evangelistic commission. The Holy Spirit will supply strength, wisdom, resilience, and overcoming power to confront these challenges.
The Holy Spirit can also give supernatural power surges for His purposes. The evangelist must be receptive to God’s voice and leading while being aware of opportunities for supernatural ministry. Real-time spiritual transportation or the “catching away” of an evangelist can be employed by the Holy Spirit if He chooses to do so, as well as visions, trances, dreams, and encounters with other believers.
These potential occurrences via the Holy Spirit can greatly assist the evangelistic ministry. The evangelist should be ready for and expectant of these supernatural encounters and occurrences as the Holy Spirit may initiate them at His discretion.
The Gifts of the Spirit
Manifestation of the Spirit
Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
Every evangelist will have particular gift combinations given by the Holy Spirit and differing concentrated manifestations. This distinguishes between divinely empowered Spirit-led evangelism and psychological or human-generated efforts.
The gifts of the Holy Spirit are primarily for the construction and strengthening of the Church, and the office of evangelist is established to add converts to the number. Because of this, certain gifts of the Holy Spirit are used by the evangelist to this end. When exercised, these gifts are visible in nature, though sourced from the unseen supernatural realities and blessings in Christ through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
How-to guide:
The Gift of Prophecy
While undertaking evangelistic ministry, the gifts of the Holy Spirit must be utilized. When evangelists employ the gift of prophecy towards unbelievers, it can convict them of the Gospel truth and reveal the secrets of their heart, proving God is present and all-knowing.
Those gifted in the prophetic must keep their use of the gift sharpened through the Word, prayer, and daily communion with the Holy Spirit, which leads to prophetic revelation.
The Gift of Tongues
The gift of tongues can be employed as a sign to unbelievers and for the empowerment of believers. When the gift of tongues is demonstrated to unbelievers, it acts as a sign, producing skepticism and ridicule because they do not believe in God and cannot understand spiritual realities as yet.
For new believers, the gift of tongues flows from the Baptism of the Holy Spirit which the evangelist can lead them to receive, providing them with edification and power for the Christian life ahead. In evangelistic situations, praying in tongues engages in spiritual warfare surrounding the performance of evangelistic ministry.
Discernment of Spirits
The discernment of spirits is a valuable resource to directly engage wayward, demonic, and erroneous spirits to first expose them and then dissolve their influence. This gift is best used together with prayer and prophecy to destroy spiritual and demonic strongholds obstructing conversion.
Words of Wisdom and Knowledge
Words of wisdom and knowledge are a form of prophetic gifting and provide revelation of specific facts or wise solutions to be used for stronghold destruction and various other purposes in an evangelistic context.
Miracles and Healing
Following the example of Jesus and the Apostles, an evangelist gifted in miracles and healing can exert supernatural power in signs and wonders through various demonstrations according to the Spirit’s purposes.
The potential for divine healing, miracles, and deliverance to produce conversion is high, and if the evangelist has these gifts, they should search for opportunities to exert them together with Gospel proclamation, producing Pentecost-like evangelistic results.
The Gift of Faith
The gift of faith is valuable in its application to unbelievers. When exercising this gift, evangelists can impart faith into the hearts of unbelievers through Gospel witnessing, prophetic testimony, prayer, and messages of and encouragement. Moreover, through the gift of faith, the potential to work in supernatural contexts is much higher.
Prayer and Supplication
The Power of Prayer
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
In evangelistic situations, prayer is a powerful weapon against the forces and strongholds of the enemy. For the unbeliever, prayer is a resource they have no access to unless they have first approached the throne of grace in contrition for salvation. Therefore, when evangelists offer up prayer to God on their behalf, hope can be delivered to their soul.
Prayer is also a demonstration of the Spirit and can induce reverence and humility in the unbeliever through the display of the power and life of God expressed through the evangelist. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man can work miracles, break strongholds, and exert mountain-moving faith on the move.
Prayer is a way of blessing and gaining access to individuals otherwise difficult to approach. Prayer for healing, deliverance, guidance, and lifting of burdens can be offered to the severely burdened, downtrodden, demon-possessed, or hardened of heart for their salvation and exposure to the healing work of Christ and the Kingdom of God.
How-to guide:
Prayer and supplication are important for the preparation of ministry efforts in the favor of God. Preemptive prayer for blessing and protection of evangelistic ministry work is necessary and is a powerful factor when ensuring the success of the work. The same is certain following the close of ministry efforts to ensure the work of the Spirit continues afterward with those ministered to.
Praying in tongues engages in warfare with principalities and powers that are in opposition to the Kingdom of God where evangelistic efforts are directed. Therefore, establishing a prayer campaign for the purposes of “making paths straight” and pulling down demonic strongholds is a necessary protocol for the evangelist.
Prayer invites the blessing of God over the evangelist and their efforts, calling down the heavenly resources needed in the evangelistic warfare undertaken. Praying for supernatural healing and deliverance in an evangelistic context is a powerful weapon and must be intentionally employed to destroy the work of the devil.
The evangelist’s personal prayer life must also be in order, especially if they work in harsh environments and encounter demon-possessed people during evangelistic ministry. It is recommended that those undertaking evangelistic ministry have the support of other Spirit-filled believers who are gifted in prayer and know how to pray in one accord so that all ministry efforts are fully covered by the spirit of prayer.
The Angels of God
The Angelic Hosts
And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.
It is important to be aware of the spiritual reality of angels who are at the command of the Lord Jesus Christ and who may be sent for a range of tasks in the context of evangelism.
The Lord sends angels to bring down demonic principalities and powers over territories to make way for ministry efforts. Legions of angels can be present with evangelists to guard them while they minister. Demonic spirits get agitated around active ministry, so angels are often working in the spirit realm to suppress them.
High-ranking angelic hosts such as the Angel of the Lord, Michael the Prince, or the angel Gabriel may also be sent to protect evangelists at the discretion of the Most High. This does not mean that the evangelist is impervious to persecution, but rather that they can count on potential supernatural deliverance in high-pressure situations.
How-to guide:
The Lord can use angels to communicate with the evangelist, so they must be ready to encounter them for this reason. They can give guidance about the focus of ministry efforts, deliver messages from God, give prophetic warnings or special geographical guidance, and share situational foreknowledge.
Angels can also impart strength, provide encouragement, deliver provision, and arrange occasions of special witness. Evangelists should prepare for such physical encounters with angels as God may send them to aid or assist them. Angelic encounters for deliverance should also be expected, as it may be God’s will in situations involving persecution.
Angels can appear in either supernatural or human form, so it is a matter of wisely discerning when encounters occur. Through prayer, spiritual preparation, a life of holiness, and especially within prophetic ministry, encounters with angels are more likely to occur. It is clear from Scripture that angelic encounters are not something within human control or demand but are initiated by God to achieve special purposes in special contexts.
Conclusion
End-Times Outpouring of the Spirit
The prophetic timeline of Bible prophecy tells us we are to expect the soon return of the Lord Jesus Christ, but not before several end-times events have taken place, including the final worldwide harvest of souls, as the Gospel is to be preached in all nations as a witness before the coming of the Lord (Matthew 24:14 KJV).
This worldwide delivery of the Gospel is a prophetic work of the Holy Spirit, fulfilling the prophecy of Joel 2:28–32 (KJV) echoed in Acts 2:16–21 (KJV) that there will be a last-days outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon all flesh preceding the second coming of Christ.
This outpouring began on the day of Pentecost following the ascension of the Lord Jesus and is ongoing to this day. This means Christians of all abilities can share the Gospel and contribute to the fulfillment of the prophetic Word through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Preach the Gospel in Power
Christians have been given the Great Commission by the Lord Jesus Christ to teach all nations through the proliferation of the Gospel message. We are to preach repentance and remission of sins in His name and share the saving knowledge of His sacrifice throughout all the world as His faithful and empowered witnesses.
Let us then become proficient with our divinely supplied evangelistic weapons outlined in the Scriptures and look to the Holy Spirit’s power and guidance in using those weapons to destroy the works of the devil through the Everlasting Gospel.
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
