Battling the Devil Himself: The Tragedy of Warfare Demands Action

By Sam Childers, “The Machine Gun Preacher”

I’ve met the Devil, in the flesh and in the spirit. I’ve met him with a needle in my arm. I’ve met him while pulling children away from fighting men with rifles in burning villages clinging to their bounty of innocent children.

He’s an enemy with many faces. 

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the Devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” – 1 Peter 5:8

At our raids in East Africa to rescue those children, I’ve looked the Devil in the eyes of militants using the kids for Lord knows what. The men – blank hatred in their eyes influenced by Hell itself – don’t hesitate to use deadly force to keep their captives. 

I’ve spent over 25 years in the heart of some of the darkest places on this Earth. If there’s one thing I know for certain, it’s this: evil is real. We recently released a new documentary – “Never Stop: 25 Years a Missionary or a Mercenary” – to support fighting that evil with Angels of East Africa.

‘Evil is Real & We Must Rise Against It’

It’s not just their eyes. You can see Satan in the destruction rebel militias leave in their wake in places like Uganda, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The broken bodies. The broken souls. The shattered lives.

Because evil is real, we have no choice but to rise against it. 

What fuels us to keep fighting despite the danger, the sleepless nights and the constant weight on our shoulders? I’ll tell you plain and simple: it’s faith in God.

Christ died on the cross to teach us that evil CAN be defeated. By accepting Christ into your heart, Satan and his minions have no power against you. Through Christ, I have the strength to stand up against it, no matter how dark it gets. 

Faith That Fights Back

People sometimes ask me, “How can you still believe in God when you’ve seen so much evil?” And to that, I always answer, “How could I not?” If there’s ever a reason for faith, it’s the obvious presence of evil.

When you face the horrors of war — children forced to kill, young girls stolen into sexual slavery, entire villages wiped off the map — you need something stronger than fear to keep you moving forward. 

I didn’t grow up in the church, and I didn’t live a life of righteousness from the start. As a younger man, I was lost in a world of violence, drugs and everything you can imagine. I used my friendship with some of the clubs (hardline biker 1%ER gangs) to live recklessly. I was not just a tough guy – I was the meanest of the mean you could ever imagine. I'd take to someone with a baseball bat for a stupid comment.

But everything changed when I accepted Jesus into my life in 1992. I didn’t just experience a new sense of peace. I felt a fire ignite within me. That fire told me I was meant to do something bigger than myself. And for me, that “something” was helping the most vulnerable children of East Africa.

Battling Evil With Love & Justice

“As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.” – James 2:26

Faith without action isn’t faith at all. It’s just talk. This verse has stuck with me through all the years I’ve been fighting to save these kids. 

It’s not enough to just say we believe in justice or to pray for peace. We have to act. Faith in action means putting ourselves on the line, risking everything to be God’s hands and feet in this broken world. That’s why I’ve picked up a rifle when necessary, why I’ve driven into the heart of conflict zones, and why I’ve faced down warlords and their armies. 

Because sometimes, doing the right thing means being ready to die while fighting fire with fire.

You can’t face evil with a kind smile. You have to confront it head-on. Warlords – militia leaders like Joseph Kony – are doing the devil’s work. They’re spreading terror, enslaving children and inflicting suffering on the most innocent among us. 

If that’s not the work of Satan himself, I don’t know what is. But I also know that God has called me to stand in the way.

The Power of Redemption

Redemption is the core of my faith. I know what it’s like to be lost, to be caught in a cycle of sin and destruction. But I also know what it’s like to be redeemed, to have my life turned around by the grace of God. That’s why I believe in fighting for these children — not just to save their bodies from the horrors of war, but to save their souls from the trauma evil causes. 

At our East African orphanages and homes, every child we rescue is given more than just a safe place to sleep. We offer them love, community and the opportunity to heal. 

So many of them have deep physical and emotional wounds. They deserve a redemption story on their own terms. We’ve set up schools and training centers because education and skills are the tools these children need to rebuild their lives. 

Most importantly, we teach them about the love of Christ. For many of these kids, the idea that someone loves them unconditionally is brand new.

These are God’s children. In the end, good will win. Love will prevail. The horrors of war will not have the final word.