Winning

the
invisible battle

T O N Y E VA N S
 Winning
the
invisible battle
A few years ago, football player Conrad Dobbler was
featured in a popular television commercial. Perhaps
you remember it; in a matter of a few seconds, he
managed to incite a near-riot among a group of
spectators. At his urging, one side would claim, “Less
filling.” “Tastes great!” the other would retort. As the
controversy was about to turn into a fist fight, the
camera cut to Dobbler, who was sneaking out through
a back exit. Believe it or not, this tongue-in-cheek tactic
concocted by Madison Avenue to sell beer illustrates a
vital spiritual lesson: It’s important
to identify your true enemy.
Those fans in the bleachers
thought their opponents
were those who disagreed
with them. In truth, the
entire audience had only
one enemy: Conrad Dobbler.

Likewise, Christians tend to misplace the blame for the

opposition they face. They look to their boss, their job,
their neighborhood, the social system, the church, the
government, and so on. Any or all of these may be sore
spots in need of attention, but they are not the problem.
The whole of the universe is divided into two rival
kingdoms. The first is the kingdom of light or
righteousness, ruled by God. The other is the kingdom
of darkness or evil, commanded by Satan. He is our
enemy—our only enemy—and our world is the
battleground where his efforts to compete with God
are played out.

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but

against the rulers, against the powers, against the
world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual
forces of wickedness in the heavenly places”
(Ephesians 6:12).

Calvary was the definitive final blow that sealed the devil’s
fate. When Jesus Christ died on the cross, a cataclysmic
thing happened: Satan was soundly and completely
defeated. He was beaten beyond hope of recovery and he
knows it!

You may ask, “If Satan is defeated, how come I have habits
I can’t kick? Why are there problems I can’t overcome
and challenges I can’t face? If this guy has been so soundly
defeated, why is he so powerful?”

Satan is defeated. But, like a person beaten in life, he

doesn’t want to go down alone.

During a recent season, the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks

missed the play-offs by a country mile. They were
defeated long before the season ended. Still, during
their final game, they played with a passion for
victory. Why? Because dealing a late-season loss
to a rival team might affect that team’s chances of
becoming champions. In other words, “We may not
be going to the play-offs, but neither are you!” In the
sports world, that’s the way the game is played.

Satan’s goal is to rob us of our own spiritual

“championship bid” and drag us down to his level. If
you’re saved, he can’t drag you into hell, but he can try
to render you ineffective and miserable on earth.

Satan knows what Paul knew, that God has “blessed

us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places
with Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). The devil understands
our potential; he knows what God can make of us.
And he is committed to seeing to it that we never
reach that potential.

No doubt, this leads you to the next logical question:

Why does God allow a defeated
foe to continue waging
war? The answer is fairly
simple: God uses these
skirmishes to reveal
His glory.
 the
Enemy’s
Strategy
Satan is most effective when he works secretly, behind
the scenes. Like Conrad Dobbler in the commercial
I mentioned earlier, Satan would prefer that others
get the credit for his work. In fact, Satan would be
perfectly happy to convince you that he does not
exist at all.

That’s why most of his attacks seem to be coming from

other sources, most notably from other people.

Wouldn’t your life be wonderful if it wasn’t for

people? Most of our problems can be traced to one
person or another. It may be your mate who is making
life miserable. Perhaps it is your children or your co-
workers or maybe even that guy who cut you off on
the freeway.

Look closer and you’re bound to see Satan behind the

scenes pulling the strings and pushing the buttons. He
uses people to engineer our spiritual downfall by driving
wedges between us that shatter our unity and draw our
focus away from God.
The Christian life is like wood in a fireplace.
Try lighting a single log and you
will find out that it won’t burn
for long. Logs burn best in
the presence of other logs. In
the same way, our ability to
remain spiritually on fire is
a function of our relationship
with the other “logs,” related to
how closely we are related to the
other logs.

our
strength
to do
battle
“Be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might.
Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to
stand firm against the schemes of the devil” (Ephesians
6:10-11).

The strength we need to successfully do battle with

the devil is supplied by God. That may seem obvious.
But, judging from the way we treat this truth, it bears
repeating.
Many of us tend to swing toward one of two extremes
when it comes to the devil. Some overestimate him. They
become fearful and timid, lest Satan leap upon them.
Remember, “greater is He who is in you than he who is in
the world” (1 John 4:4). Others underestimate the devil.
Yes, Satan is a defeated foe. But even though he is nothing
more than a condemned death row inmate awaiting
execution, it is not wise to sleep in his cell.

Notice that, in our text, Paul tells us to be strong in the

Lord. In our humanity, we haven’t the power to overcome
angels, even fallen ones like the devil and his legions.
(Psalm 8 makes it clear that God created us a little lower
than the angels.) The bottom line is this: You can’t beat
the devil on your own. God Himself is the only one
capable of putting the devil in his place and that’s exactly
what He’ll do someday. (That place is described for us in
Revelation 20.) In the meantime, the Lord limits Satan’s
reach. In addition, He empowers us to achieve victory in
our day-to-day encounters with darkness.

In Acts 19:13-17, we read about some nonbelieving

Jewish exorcists who decided to try expelling demons
by magically chanting the name of Jesus. “I adjure you
by Jesus whom Paul preaches,” they’d say. The spirit
answered them, “I recognize Jesus and I know about Paul,
but who are you?” The spirit leaped on them, thrashed
them soundly, and sent them out naked and wounded.

Jesus’ name is not a magic formula, though we see it

used that way by some preachers and TV personalities.
Paul’s strength and ours is the product of an abiding,
growing, personal intimacy with the Lord, not some
high-sounding chant or incantation.

Our strength is not accumulated or earned. It is supplied

by the grace of God, who equips us to live the life to
which He has called us.

the
equipment
for
battle
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according
to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of
the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of
fortresses” (2 Corinthians 10:3-4).

Doing battle with Satan requires

more than a New Year’s
resolution and a dose of will
power. Spiritual warfare requires
spiritual weaponry. Such weapons
are described for us in Ephesians
6:13-17.

I can envision Paul in his prison

cell, dictating this letter to the
Ephesian church. Perhaps he
paused, searching for a proper illustration to help him
communicate this vital truth. Suddenly, his gaze fell on
the Roman centurion to whom he was chained. Noticing
the various components of the guard’s uniform, Paul set
about to describe six vital pieces of armor considered
“standard issue” in God’s army.

“Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you

may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done
everything, to stand firm. Stand firm, therefore, having
girded your loins with truth, having put on the breastplate
of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the
preparation of the gospel of peace, in additional to all,
taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able
to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one. And
take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit,
which is the Word of God.”

the
belt
of
truth
Roman soldiers wore a special belt around their waist. What
made it unique was that all the other parts of their armor
connected to the belt. That way, when the soldier started
running, his armor didn’t rattle and shake; it was stabilized
by his belt. The belt, then, was the central piece of a soldier’s
uniform not an accessory as we sometimes view it today.
The application for us is clear. None of the rest of our
armor will hold together if we do not begin with a
commitment to the truth. In some corners of our society,
truth has undergone a change in meaning. In most school
systems, for example, truth is a relative concept. There’s
my truth and your truth…and they don’t have to be the
same truth. Biblical truth is objective truth. It is based
on the absolute authority of a perfect, holy God. Biblical
truth is not a matter of what you like or how you feel.

Now, why is truth so important? Because Satan is the

father of lies. (See John 8:44.) He is more than just a liar, or
even a “gifted” liar. He is the father of lies. He can make lies
look, feel, smell, and taste like truth. Without having our
waist firmly girded by objective, absolute, biblical truth,
we’re not likely to be able to see through Satan’s illusions.

the
breastplate
of
righteousness
The Roman soldier wore a breastplate that covered his
most vital organ: his heart. After all, an arrow or sword in
the heart meant instant death.

When Paul tells us to wear the breastplate of righteousness,

he’s saying, “cover your heart.” Of course, in this context,
the heart connotes much more than a blood-pumping
muscle. It represents the core of our inner being, the
essence of who we are.
The Christian heart is
Satan’s prime target, for
there resides the conscience,
our internal standard of
right and wrong.

Satan has been all too

successful in blurring the dividing line between right
and wrong in our society. That’s how homosexuality
becomes an “alternative lifestyle,” how raw greed turns
into “upward mobility,” and how obscenity passes off
as “freedom of expression.” Sin is easily rationalized in
the absence of conscience. The conscience is not easily
neutralized. That’s why the first time you do something
wrong, you feel extremely uncomfortable. Succeeding
offenses, however, become less troublesome until, at last,
a new habit has formed.

It reminds me of the story of a young boy who went

fishing one day. While hunting for bait, he happened
upon a nest of small, red worms. He picked one up, and
as he placed it on the hook, the worm bit him. It hurt a
lot, but the boy shrugged off the pain and dropped the
line in the water. A moment later, he caught a good- sized
catfish. Thinking that he had happened upon a tasty
new bait, he reached for another worm. Again, he was
bitten, but the pain was less intense. He baited his hook,
dropped it in the water, and pulled out another fish in a
matter of moments. No doubt about it the fish couldn’t
get enough of those worms.
Some time later, the boy hiked back to the road with
a stringer full of fish. A passing motorist saw the boy’s
catch and stopped to offer him a ride. “How’d you
catch so many fish, son?” the man asked. “I found these
red worms. They bite, but you get used to it.” The man
looked at the boy’s hand and knew at once what had
happened. He rushed to the hospital, but it was too late.
The child died on the way. You
see, those worms
were really baby
rattlesnakes.
Each successive
bite, though less
painful, added more
venom to his system until
the boy was overcome.

If Satan can neutralize our conscience, we become easy

prey for his venom.

So how do we keep a pure heart? By keeping our heart

sheltered behind the breastplate of righteousness, hooked
securely to our belt of truth.

If my heart tells me to do something that contradicts God’s

truth, I know that I have a “heart disorder.” Remember,
only God’s truth is absolute; our innermost thoughts
and emotions must be brought into line with the Word.
In other words, the fact that you feel something doesn’t
make it real.
 Peace
shoes
No soldier can fight without a sure footing. Proper shoes
enable him to move forward in battle.

The Christian stands firmly

on the foundation of peace.
When our passage refers
to the “gospel of peace,”
it infers two specific
kinds of peace: peace
with God and the peace
of God. Peace with God is what
we call “positional” peace, which can be compared to
signing a treaty to end a war. Though the treaty signals
the end of the fighting, it does not necessarily end the
conflict that caused it. In the same way, having peace
with God means that, by His grace, we have come into
a right relationship with Him. Our personal war against
the rule and kingdom of God has ended. Even so, we
may still experience the turmoil and inner conflict that
characterized our old life.

On the other hand, the peace of God is that inner

tranquility and sense of well-being that transcends our
circumstances. That’s why Paul called it the peace that
“passes understanding” (Philippians 4:7). It makes no
worldly sense to be at peace in the midst of chaos, but that
is precisely the promise we are offered in Scripture.

the
shield
of
faith
First off, notice that the shield of faith is the only piece of
armor that is mobile. You can move it around as needed.
If your breastplate is hanging loose on one side, you can
cover the exposed area with your shield. If you left your
belt unbuckled, slide the shield in front of it.

There’s only one part of your

body a shield won’t protect:
your back. The last thing you do
during a battle is show the enemy
your back. We must face our enemy
head-on.

As we do, we can depend on the shield of faith God has

given us to cover any weaknesses that may remain in the
rest of our armor. New Christians who have yet to develop
a mature Christian lifestyle should be encouraged by the
fact that you have a shield to protect you while you cinch
up the loose pieces of armor in your life. Whatever we
lack can be “made up” by faith, which is defined as “the
assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things
not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Wherever we are deficient,
we can depend on God to make up the difference even
if that help doesn’t seem apparent. After all, faith is the
conviction of things not seen.

This armor of faith is designed to deflect “fiery darts” or

arrows. Anyone who’s ever seen a western movie knows
about flaming arrows. Unlike the ordinary arrows, these
were not aimed at people. Buildings, wagons, haystacks,
and the like were their targets. The intent was to start
fires. The strategy made sense: If the enemy can keep
you busy dealing with the fire, you’ll be less able to
defend yourself.

In the same way, Satan bombards us with a barrage of

flaming arrows designed to draw our attention away
from his frontal assault. One arrow may be aimed at
your marriage in the hopes of kindling some tension
between you and your spouse. Another takes dead
aim at your kids. Your health may be a target as well.
Still other arrows land in your workplace, among your
circle of friends, or even in your church. If we become
consumed with putting out fires, we become easy
targets for attack. Ah, but don’t forget your shield
of faith. It’s dependable and mobile. You can easily
maneuver it to stand firmly between you and the
oncoming volley of arrows.

Your faith will protect you, provided it is the right kind of

faith. You could have enormous faith in gifted preachers,
talented choirs, or your most zealous Christian friends.
But that kind of faith won’t get you anywhere. The
intensity of your faith is irrelevant if the object of your
faith is erroneous.

On the other hand, if your faith is centered squarely on

Jesus Christ, a little bit of faith is all you need. If my faith
is genuine, even though Satan may set my world on fire,
I will continue to focus on the Lord Jesus Christ, on the
new life I have in Him, on the supernatural enabling He
has provided to me, and on the authority of His Word.
That kind of confidence is like water to a fire. God throws
open the hydrant of His grace!

the
helmet
of
salvation
The need for a helmet is obvious. You can survive the loss
of limbs, certain organs can be repaired or replaced. But
no one has survived the loss of the brain.

Without the brain, nothing else works. You can’t move,

you can’t think, you can’t speak, you can’t react.

Your brain controls your

body; it calls the shots.
In the same way,
your mind (your
conscious thoughts
and attitudes) drive your spirit. Is it any wonder why
Satan wants access to your mind?

Who has primary access to your mind? If you are feeding

your mind with the resources of hell, then the rest of you
is likely to pursue hell. If you are feeding your mind with
the resources of heaven, then the rest of you is going to
pursue heaven. And that is why the Bible says that our
minds must be renewed. (See Romans 12:2.) Putting
on the helmet of salvation represents our commitment
to restrict Satan’s access to our mind by allowing God to
deliver us from the power of sin by renewing our minds.

the
sword
of the
spirit
The sword is the only offensive weapon listed in
our arsenal of faith; all others are designed for
defense.

The sword of the Spirit is God’s word. It takes

God’s Word to turn our defense against Satan into
a full-scale counterattack.

History’s best example of spiritual swordsmanship

is found in Matthew, chapter 4. At the beginning
of His ministry, Jesus spent 40 days in the
wilderness being tempted by Satan. The devil did
his job well, offering temptations many of us would have
difficulty passing up. So how did the Son of God manage
to maintain His resistance? By quoting Scripture.

“Jesus, You look hungry,” the devil observed. “How about

turning some stones into bread?” The answer: “It is written…”
“Jesus, what do You say about ruling the whole world? Just
worship me.” And the Lord replied, “It is written…”

Of all the responses Jesus could have chosen, He elected to

draw the sword of the Spirit and chop Satan into little pieces.
Matthew 4:11 tells us simply, “Then the devil left him.”

When it comes to the Word, Satan is a lot like

Dracula. You remember those “B” movies,
don’t you? Each night, old Count Dracula
would roam the woods, sucking the lifeblood
out of one aspiring starlet after another. Finally,
someone would remember the prescription
for dealing with vampires. He would fashion
a cross out of two pieces of wood. When the
Count approached, the hero would hold that
cross up in his face, rendering him powerless
and vulnerable.

The Word of God has much the same effect

on Satan. When is the last time you had a
Bible study with the devil? Next time you
find yourself facing a temptation, forget
about will power. Reach for your sword.
 putting
on the
armor
“With all prayer and petition, pray at all times in the
Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all
perseverance and petition for all the saints” (Ephesians
6:18).

God has told us that in order to defeat Satan, we must put

on the whole armor. A single belt or a lone breastplate
won’t do the job.

How do you actually go about

putting on all of these spiritual
resources? You can’t just waltz
into a store and pick up a helmet
of salvation!

Spiritual resources are

appropriated by prayer.
Prayer is the comprehensive means
by which Christians actualize their
spiritual armament. You “get dressed” by prayer.

Have you ever had one of those nightmares where you

drive to work, greet everybody on the job, pour a cup
of coffee, and suddenly realize you forgot to put on any
clothes? Embarrassing, isn’t it? Well, that nightmare
comes true every day for people who try to live the
Christian life with nothing more than their human
resources. Without prayer, you are spiritually nude.

There are many naked warriors in God’s army who think

they’re well-dressed. If your prayer life is anemic, I suggest
you check your armor before testing it in battle.

Prayer is not a very complicated concept to define. It is

simply communication with God. Yet, it is often a very
difficult discipline to develop and maintain. Many people
find it tough to get geared up for prayer. Once you start, it
becomes a challenge to continue. It’s a chore to keep your
mind focused while you’re praying. Where do you think
this difficulty originates? Is prayer really that hard?

I would submit to you that Satan is responsible for

turning prayer from a pleasure into a pressure. He knows
that if he can short-circuit your prayer life, you have no
hope of preparing for battle. That is why the phone or
the doorbell or both will ring when you’re about to pray.
That’s why you have difficulty concentrating, finding
words, or staying awake.

If Jesus, who knew He was God, knew that He could

not function without prayer, how much more should we
mortals long to spend time on our knees?

Let’s take a brief look at the kind of prayer that makes a

difference.
Prayer must be sincere. Prayer has nothing to do with style
or flair. The effectiveness of your prayers is not related to
the eloquence with which you deliver them.

I can recall a man in our church who had trouble putting

two words together without stumbling, especially in
prayer. Though he did his best, his constant stammering,
lost trains of thought, and mangled English began
annoying other members. Eventually some people in
the church confronted him. “We don’t like the way you
pray,” they complained. He responded to their complaint
simply and directly. “I wasn’t talking to you.”

The words we choose mean little. Our earnest sincerity

means everything.

Prayer must be ongoing. “Pray at all times,” Paul told us

in our passage. In 1 Thessalonians 5:17, he admonishes
us to “pray without ceasing.” The kind of constant prayer
Paul is recommending does not mean that you live like a
monk on a mountaintop, spending 24 hours each day on
your knees. In means that you live in a constant state of
communication with God. It means that you are aware
that the channel is always open between you and your
heavenly Father.

Why is this constant contact so vital? Because Satan

never sleeps. He is constantly seeking opportunities to
attack, and we must be ready, through prayer, to don our
armor and do battle.
If you’re the kind of person who prays only in the
morning or just before bed at night, you leave yourself
open to attack the rest of the day.

In Matthew 26, Jesus took Peter, James, and John

with Him to the garden of Gethsemane to keep watch
while He prayed. He came back later to find them
asleep. “Could you not keep watch with me for one
hour?” He asked Peter. The subtle implication in Jesus’
statement is that a full hour of prayer is not considered
a long time. Everybody should have at least that much
staying power.

Most of us fizzle out long before 60 minutes pass by. We

haven’t learned to pray for five minutes, much less an
hour or more.

The length of our prayers is proportionate to the depth

of our relationship with the Lord. Short prayers suggest
a shallow relationship. This same principle works in
marriage.
When partners stop communicating, the relationship
is in trouble. I’ve had many wives sit in my office and
say, “He doesn’t talk to me anymore.” The husband will
shrug his shoulders and reply, “I don’t have anything
to say.”

You can be sure he had plenty to say during their

courtship. Back then, if he found himself without a
topic, he’d make one up. Or, he’d spend time telling
her how beautiful she was, or how much he loved her.
He couldn’t let the conversation lag. After all, she
probably wouldn’t have married him if he acted like
the bore he was later to become!

As your relationship with the Lord grows more vital

and dynamic, your prayer life will flourish as well. To
pray without ceasing will become a natural, effortless
expression of who you are.

Prayer must be spiritually empowered. A little boy

was trying to lift up a rock while his father looked
on. When the rock didn’t budge, the father asked,
“Have you used all your strength?” The boy said, “Yes,
Daddy.” Again, the boy strained unsuccessfully against
the rock, and again the father asked, “Are you sure
you’re using all your strength?” The son said, “Look at
this sweat. Listen to me grunt. Can’t you see that I’m
using all my strength?” The father replied, “But you’re
not using all your strength. I’m standing right here
and you haven’t asked for my help.”
Too often, we grunt and groan our way through life,
doing the best we can, only to hear God ask, “Are you
using all your strength?” We need to recognize that
success is only possible through the empowering of God’s
Spirit in prayer. This is the beginning of understanding
what it means to pray in the Spirit.

Prayer requires that we heed the signs. Since you have

probably never seen me drive, take my word for it it is a
sight to behold! Among my driving habits is the fact that I
don’t mind riding on fumes. When the gauge approaches
the “E,” I assume that means
“Enough to get me where
I’m going.” Running on
empty requires a delicate
combination of hope and
luck and it doesn’t take
much to upset that balance.

Many of us live our Christian lives on

fumes. We know that our spiritual tank is empty, but we
try to push on anyway. After all, how could God allow
a nice person like me to run out of gas while Satan is
gaining on me? I received the answer to that question a
few weeks ago when my car began sputtering and finally
coasted to the side of the road. I prayed, “Jesus, I’m here
on the highway and there’s not an exit in sight.” But, of
course, it was too late. No angel was going to show up and
put a tiger in my tank. Why? Because I failed to watch the
signs. The needle had been sitting on “E” for miles. The
small orange lamp lit up to warn me that my fuel was low.
I chose not to heed the signs. I can’t turn to God and ask,
“Why did You do this to me?” I did it to myself.

Many of us allow our marriages to run out of gas before we

consider spiritual refueling. When the relationship is coasting
off the highway toward divorce court, it is often too late to start
thinking about spending time in prayer, reorganizing priorities,
and restructuring the family to match God’s blueprint.

The same principle applies to every other area of life. Once

you disregard God’s purposes and God’s guidelines, then you
can count on winding up, sooner or later, on the side of some
highway. Be watchful; make prayer a dynamic part of it.

Prayer must not be selfish. Since we’re examining prayer in

the context of putting on our armor, I am obviously not
saying that prayer for yourself is inappropriate. We must
pray for ourselves, but not exclusively for ourselves. In our
text, Paul encouraged diligent prayer for all the saints.

I suggest a hierarchy of prayer that goes something like this:

First, pray for yourself. Confess your sins, and make sure
your heart is oriented toward the purposes of God. Next,
pray for your family. These are the people whom you are
most likely to influence, and for whom you are responsible.
Move on to your Christian relationships. Pray for your
church, your brothers and sisters in Christ who are not part
of your nuclear family, but are part of your spiritual family.

Check out the church prayer list. Find out who is sick
or in need, and pray. If you hear about a believer who is
struggling or suffering, pray. I have witnessed miraculous
healings and other situations in which God supernaturally
intervened.

a
caged
lion
A boy went to the zoo with his dad. As they passed by the
lion’s den, one of the ferocious creatures let loose with a
loud roar. Startled, the child reared back and bumped into
his father. He covered his face and began to cry. The father
asked, “What’s wrong, Son?” The frightened child replied,
“Daddy, didn’t you see the lion?” “Yes, Son,” the father said,
“but I also see the
cage.”

Are you frightened

by the lion or
comforted by the
cage? The cage of Jesus Christ can confine and control this
adversary who has already been judged, condemned, and
defeated. What must you do? One, recognize that he is a
defeated foe. He has no claim over you if you know Christ.
Two, take inventory of the armor God has provided not
only to protect you, but to enable you to do battle and win.
Finally, put on that armor in prayer. The challenge before us
today is to stop letting Satan beat us. How? By fighting with
God’s strength, not our own.
 GO DEEPER

If you enjoyed this, you may also be

interested in other Tony Evans teachings.

Victory in Spiritual
Warfare
In this timely, unique exploration of
spiritual warfare, Dr. Evans unveils
a simple yet radical truth: every
struggle and conflict faced in the
physical realm has its root in the spiritual realm.

Kid’s Guide to the

Armor of God
As one of the country’s most
respected evangelical leaders, pastor
and author Tony Evans challenges
“tweens” (ages 8 to 12) to explore
what the armor of God is all about. He understands
that Christian kids want to be stronger, more confident,
and skilled at living an exciting God-centered life, and
so he presents the unvarnished truth.

HERE'S HOW

TonyEvans.org
1-800-800-3222
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Urban
Alternative
The Urban Alternative (TUA) is a Christian broadcast
ministry founded over 30 years ago by Dr. Tony Evans. At
TUA, we seek to promote a kingdom agenda philosophy
designed to enable people to live all of life underneath
the comprehensive rule of God. This is accomplished
through a variety of means, including media, resources,
clergy ministries and community impact training. The
Urban Alternative’s daily radio broadcast airs on over
1,000 radio outlets in America and in over 100 countries
worldwide. Find us online at TonyEvans.org.

About
the
Author
Dr. Tony Evans is the founder and president of The
Urban Alternative, a national ministry dedicated to
restoring hope and transforming lives through the
proclamation and application of God’s Word. For
over three decades, Dr. Evans has also served as senior
pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas. He is
a prolific author of numerous books, including the
best-selling Kingdom Man. His radio program, “The
Alternative with Dr. Tony Evans,” is heard daily on
over 1,000 radio outlets. Dr. Evans is also the chaplain
for the Dallas Mavericks and former chaplain for the
Dallas Cowboys.
 The Urban Alternative
PO Box 4000 | Dallas, TX 75208
800.800.3222 | TonyEvans.org