How to Witness to Muslims

Muslims need Jesus. They are not the enemy, but are captives of the enemy. Taken by the enemy to do his will. It is a spiritual battle. There is a war in heaven! We have many things here we discuss on the error of Islam in light of Gods glorious gospel. However God wants us to share His Son who loved them and died for them also. It is a war of the forces of Light verses the satanic forces of darkness. See Revelation 12:7 and Daniel 10 for this heavenly battleground. We as Christians once walked in darkness Ephesians 5:8-11, but now are children of the light.

Psalms 119 is a wonderful oration on the many facets of the word of God…Read it and just ponders all the mention of the word of God. Vs.130 says, “The entrance of your words…gives light…” It is the word of God that you will employ in your battle for the salvation of souls, whether they are Muslim or anyone in darkness. The greatest area of darkness where the gospel is nearly absent is called the 10/40 window. It is largely the Arab nations and Asia that are in great darkness.

By Joshua Toupos
We are in a battle with the forces of darkness. (Ephesians 6:12) describes our battle is with the forces of “darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” I will document many scripture references here in this help to witness to Muslims that in hope that you will read these and employ them in battle with confidence. The word of God is the ultimate smart bomb that we can use against the adversary of our soul. Keep in mind some key words as you read the various verses. (Heavenly places, principalities, battle, adversary, enemy, darkness, light, love, the gospel and our position as believers.)Ephesians 1:3- we have “every spiritual blessing in heavenly places.”

Ephesians 1:15-23 in verse 21 “far above all principality”, not some, all.

Ephesians 2:1-6 in verse 2 “the prince of power” that is the devil. Verse 6 shows us sitting together in heavenly places. You are on the winning team.

Ephesians 3:10 demonstrate the purpose of the mystery of the gospel of grace.

I recommend that you read the epistles of Ephesians, Colossians, Romans, with reference to the gospel and our warfare. I have good news; the battle is already been ultimately won. (Colossians 2:8-15)

However we must be a people of faith. The battle will require faith. Note in (Ephesians 6:16) it is “the shield of faith” that is used to absorb the attacks which will come. In battle fire draws fire. The children of Israel did not exercise faith after crossing over the Red sea. They died in the wilderness except, Joshua and Caleb who believed what they heard God say. So should we. Joshua knew this and had a divine encounter with the Lord of Hosts. It is God who will fight the forces of darkness in our obedience to His promises and provision in His word.
Muslims are in a stronghold of the adversary the devil. They have been taken captive to do his will in blinding the people of the Arab world and set them against the people of God and Israel.

What Muslims need to know!

We need to speak the truth in love…so naturally we need to know the truth. It is after all that we know, and that the truth will set them free.
That God loves them and not to fear Him.
Don’t ever compromise the gospel message at any level. The truth will offend people. Compromise is often the first weapon Satan will try to use to get us to water down the gospel.
The truth can set them free from whatever bondage they maybe in.
They need to know that Jesus is the way the truth and the life.
That there is no other name under heaven by which they may be saved.
Without Jesus as Savoir, they are lost and will die in their sins.
Avoid argumentative discussions.

Having said all that above, we need to avoid argument that will only lead to building walls and further hardening of the heart. We want to win souls not arguments. When confronted with a situation that you are not sure what to do or say. Stop, ask the Holy Spirit to give you utterance of what needs to say at that moment. Muslims as you will recall are taught from their youth that the bible in the Old Testament and New Testament is corrupt. Never degrade or discount what a Muslim holds as holy, such as the Quran, Islam and the prophet Muhammad. You need to speak in love and love does no harm. Harmful statements such as “Jesus is alive and Muhammad is dead.” Will only close doors. A Muslim is taught much tradition and may not even know as much about Islam or the Quran as you. If they are seeking the truth your job is to plant the word of God in that needy heart. Once you have established a good report and the gospel is shared you may begin to reveal the true nature of Islam. If they are hungry feed them on the milk of the word until they are ready for meat.

It is only when the Holy Spirit convicts a person of their sinful nature and they realize that need for forgiveness and a savior. (John 16:7-9)Conversion will change mans religion and the Holy Spirit brings conviction which leads to knowledge of the true and living God.

The Sword of the Spirit

Emphasize the word in your speech with anyone that you are witnessing to. It is the word that discovers their condition! (Hebrews 4:11-13) Your confidence is to be the use of Gods word in prayer. (Mark 11:22-24)
“Every word of God is pure.” (Proverbs 30:5)

The purpose of the word will not return void to God. (Isaiah 55:11)

“It is the Spirit who gives life…the words that I (Jesus) speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63) Earlier in the gospel of John in (John 4:24) Jesus said, “God is spirit”. It is Christ in you who speak the word of truth. The Apostle Paul said that Christ dwells in us. That is powerful stuff. If God be for us who can be against us? People have needs and Jesus will meet every one at whatever need they have. Muslims have needs, healing; acceptance, value, deliverance and all have need of a savoir. So we need to use the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God.

The parable of the Sower

Read the parable of the sower and consider the work of the word of God. As noted above it is the word that discovers our condition, it is the word that is spirit and gives life. In James, (James 1:5-8, 12-25) the implanted word of God needs to be used in faith.

Having read the parable of the sower we see the human heart as soil that as a farmer would take great care to plant on good soil. We can prepare the soil and I ask that God prepare their hearts to receive the gospel. We can ask God to break up the clods of their heart. Use the word in your prayer life. We “have been born again…” by what? “…Through the word of God which abides forever” (1Peter 1:23)

The Gospel Message

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation.” (Romans 1:16) It is at the heart of the gospel that the Muslim needs to hear the gospel. See (1 Corinthians 1:18-25) it is in the message of the gospel that the power of God saves souls.

Employ the gospel without compromise…I cannot stress this enough. That attitude got Steven stoned, Paul beaten among much more, and almost all the apostles martyred. Many will reject the gospel to their own shame. We are to “preach the word in season and out of season.” (2Timothy 4:2)

It is the work of the Holy Spirit who will convict the world of sin as it did while the early church preached to some 3000 who where added to the body of Christ on Pentecost. Others reacted by wanting to kill. We are not responsible for the reaction of the hearer, but we are responsible to speak the word with faith and boldness. We are the workmen who plant the word of God in people’s hearts. Keep in mind the parable of the sower. (Luke 8:4-15) Pray that the word of God be not hindered. Pray the Lord rebuke the devil from snatching away the word, for the soil of that heart and that the word be not choked out, but that it will yield fruit to everlasting life.

You can pray the Lord rebuke Satan! Jesus told us he was going to bind the strongman (Satan). (Luke 11:14-23) We have kingdom “authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy…” (Luke 10:19)

Spiritual Warfare

Christ Jesus death on the cross of Calvary is the backbreaking victory that absolutely embarrassed the kingdom of darkness in it. (Ephesians 4:7-16)

The battle has been won. (Colossians 2:15) “Having disarmed principalities and powers. He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.” So if Christ has won the battle then we need to tell people and maintain that which what God has commissioned us to do. We are to hold the ground already won. The enemy will and has been trying to push back the church over the ages. We need to share the good news that Jesus died for their sins. Muslims are taught that Jesus was only a prophet, and that He is not the Son of God or that He died at Calvary.

The Armor of God

Read (Ephesians 6:10-20) Consider carefully all the implements of your warfare and what God has provided. It is faith that in the finished work of Calvary and the Gods promise and provision that allows us to take the fight up against that which opposes and exalts itself against God.

The part I like best is the word of God as the weapon of our warfare. Get to know it and use it in your prayer life and in conversation with those that need to hear the good news.

Faith, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith.’”(Romans 1:16-17) At this point I would recommend that you read the entire epistle to the Romans and give special attention to the role that faith pays in the life of a believer. Further in (Romans 3:21-22) “But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference.” In (Romans 10:1-17) As the gospel is presented it is faith in gospel message that we sow in their heart vs. 8. “That is the word of faith which we preach.” And in vs. 17 shows, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” So our preaching and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ which is in our mouth and in our heart when shared in faith brings a person to a place where the Holy Spirit can bring conviction that He or She needs Jesus as personal savior.

Hebrews is another great epistle that helps us to see faiths part in trusting God on behalf of the things we have not seen, but have indeed believed. Our adversary will and has always sought to sow the seeds of doubt and trouble us with the cares of this world. “Now faith is the substance (realization) of things hoped for, the evidence (confidence) of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1) The big comma, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6) Finally in our race of faith we are to look “unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.” (Hebrews 12:2) It is our faith in the finished work of the Cross-, which a Muslim has rejected and our faith in the weapons of our warfare are key in praying the harvest of souls in. Speak the truth in love and know that we are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus who has not left us as orphans, but given us authority of the host of spiritual darkness. Your faith as the prophets of old will be tested. Stand your ground and rest in the joy that if God be for you who can be against you.

Faiths part in warfare is also mentioned in (1 Timothy 1:19) “Having faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck.” Without faith is a disaster in attempting to navigate in the spiritual realm without all the weapons of our warfare. Consider the account in (Acts 19:11-20) when the seven sons of Sceva tried to use the name of Jesus in battle against a man with an evil spirit. They had no faith in Jesus and they where not in a position of authority and the demon knew it.

The epistles to Timothy are a great learning tool for our preparedness of taking the fight to the enemy. Look at (2 Timothy 2:1-16) and note in the following verses some key points.

Vs. 5 “Compete according to the rules.”

Vs. 6 This warfare takes effort and labor to partake.”

Vs. 9 “The word of God is not chained.”

Vs. 10 It takes endurance to obtain their salvation.

Vs. 11 The word is faithful.

In (1 Peter 1:3-23) Note further the examples of faith in witnessing the gospel message.

Vs. 7 our faith will be tested to praise God.

Vs. 13 trust in the hope of the revelation of Christ Jesus. See also Eph. 6

Vs. 19-21 the gospel revelation. Muslims need to know the gospel.

Vs. 23 again the word of God is compared to an incorruptible seed of God.

It is the word of God that we need to know to sow in the heart of a Muslim his need for a loving creator that sent His only Son to pay for his sins.

A prayer for our witness

It should be our prayer for all people that we pray for to ask that they “be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.” (Colossians 1:9)

Vs. 13 “He has delivered us from the power of darkness”

Vs. 20 “Having made peace through the blood of His cross.”

Vs. 23-29 the mystery of the Christ in you.

Ch. 2 vs. 5-15 our confidence in the finished work and victory of the gospel message about the death, burial and resurrection.

Try going over the book of Acts how the apostles shared the gospel with different folks. It was not always met with gladness, but it is the only way to God. See Acts.2: 14-39, 3:11-26, 7:1-60, 8:26-38, (note here how Phillip was sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. He used and opportunity that was given) 10:34-48, (preaching to gentiles) 13:16-41, 17:16-34. In Acts 19 the apostle Paul gives us a pattern of when a heart hardens to the gospel message he departed from them. (Vs. 9) In the midst of all Paul’s trials in witnessing the gospel he was strengthened by the Lord in (Acts 18:9). “Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not be silent.” Ultimately we learn from these patterns and others in the bible to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit, do not alter the gospel with any compromise even if it offends the listener. They cannot be saved if they don’t hear! We are Christ’s epistles to the world as His ministers. (2 Corinthians 3 thru ch. 4:1-6)

Summary

It cannot be overstated the importance of seeking Gods face before engaging in witness to anyone. You may do more harms than good. Read all the scripture references and commit them to the Lord that the Holy Spirit may bring them to remembrance when needed. Be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Be able to speak the truth of the gospel in love to anyone who asks for the reason of your faith. When you can defend the truth then people will give you attention on other matters of faith. Never compromise the gospel message in any manner. People will be offended on occasion, but people will have the truth and the truth can set them free. Muslims in general are not all Arabs. Most Muslims in America are African American and less than half of all Muslims are Arab. They are taught that man has corrupted the bible over the ages. All the information that you have learned is for your worldview of what they have probably been taught. Never engage in argumentative discussion that will only lead to walls that need to be overcome later.

when presented an opportunity to share your faith. God is faithful, He will help!