Why Christians Are Being Killed in Nigeria and What the Bible Says About It

0:00 Intro
0:17 Nigerian Christian persecution overview, stats, and media/policy response
2:33 Biblical care for suffering believers — NT examples and Christian solidarity
4:18 Joy in suffering for Christ — 1 Peter 4 and faith proven under trials
7:19 Longing for justice — Revelation 6 martyrs and God’s fixed number in sovereign plan
10:58 Be faithful unto death — crown of life and life hidden in Christ
13:33 Why the world hates the church — keep worshiping and preaching the gospel
15:09 Why God allows the church to suffer — persecution spreads the gospel
18:02 Why Islam targets Christians — grace vs works, globalization, and secularism’s dangers
23:12 How to help persecuted believers — prayer, public support, material aid
24:40 Preparing to suffer biblically — believe Scripture, 1 Peter 4, 2 Timothy 3:12
26:24 Practice faith under smaller trials — everyday obedience and evangelism
28:38 Outro and ministry links

Related Sermons

Why are Christians being killed in Nigeria? Why is persecution against believers rising across Africa? What does the Bible say about suffering, martyrdom, and being faithful unto death? In this episode of the Straight Truth Podcast, Dr. Richard Caldwell and Dr. Josh Philpot discuss the growing crisis of Christian persecution in Nigeria and how the church should respond with faith, courage, and biblical hope. This episode offers a sobering and powerful reminder that faith under fire is never wasted. The global church suffering testifies to the truth that Jesus Christ is Lord over all, and that nothing can separate believers from His love. Whether in Nigeria, in America, or anywhere else in the world, Christians are called to remain steadfast, rejoicing that to live is Christ and to die is gain. If you want to understand how Scripture explains God’s sovereignty in suffering and how the church can remain faithful amid hostility, this episode will strengthen your confidence in the Word of God and deepen your compassion for persecuted believers.

Reports show that thousands of Nigerian Christians are being killed every year by Islamic extremist groups. Churches are burned, families displaced, and entire communities destroyed. Yet, in the midst of this darkness, Christians continue to gather for worship, proclaiming Christ with boldness. What drives this faith under such pressure? What gives believers the strength to remain faithful when facing the threat of death? Scripture gives the answer: our faith rests not in our circumstances but in the sovereignty and goodness of God.

Dr. Caldwell reminds us that persecution is not new. From the earliest days of the church, believers have suffered for their loyalty to Christ. The Apostle Peter tells us, “Do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you.” The suffering of Christians, whether in Nigeria or anywhere in the world, is part of God’s sovereign plan for His glory and the refinement of His people. Through suffering for Christ, the truth of the gospel shines brighter, revealing that salvation is real and that the grace of God sustains His people even through death.

The conversation explores how persecution reveals both the hatred of the world toward God and the unshakable hope of believers. When the world attacks the church, it is ultimately venting hatred toward Christ Himself. Yet even then, the Lord uses these trials to advance the gospel. As Dr. Caldwell explains, what Satan intends for evil, God uses for good. In the blood of the martyrs, the seed of the church continues to grow. Martyrdom in Nigeria and across the world demonstrates that the gospel cannot be silenced.

Dr. Philpot and Dr. Caldwell also address the rise of Islamic extremism in Africa and its influence spreading across Europe and even into the United States. While Islam claims to honor one God, its denial of Jesus Christ as Lord reveals that it is not the same faith. The hatred toward believers and the rejection of the gospel expose the spiritual opposition between the kingdom of Christ and the kingdom of darkness. Yet, the Bible calls Christians to respond not with hatred but with compassion and truth, praying for the salvation of their persecutors and standing firm in grace.

What should believers do when they see their brothers and sisters suffering? Scripture calls us to pray, to support, and to bear one another’s burdens. Dr. Caldwell urges Christians to intercede for those facing persecution, to speak publicly on their behalf, and to give materially where possible. Above all, we are to prepare our own hearts for trials by believing and obeying God’s Word. If we cannot endure small tests of faith, how will we stand when the greater trials come?