Nigeria’s Dark Side: Christians Facing Rise of Islamic State Persecution in African Country
As U.S. military strikes once again target Islamic State forces in Nigeria, a long-simmering religious war is re-entering the global spotlight — one that many Christians recognize not as an isolated security crisis, but as part of a far larger spiritual conflict. Mark Biltz, founder of El Shaddai Ministries, is available to help media audiences understand what is happening in Nigeria through a biblical lens often missing from mainstream coverage.
Islamic State–aligned militants have expanded their influence across large swaths of northern Nigeria, embedding themselves in communities where Christianity has been steadily growing. While Western media often frame the violence as “insurgency” or “instability,” the lived reality on the ground is far more personal and theological. Churches are burned, pastors abducted, Christian villages emptied, and believers targeted not for politics, but for their faith. Older extremist movements such as Boko Haram laid the groundwork, but today’s threat is more ideologically disciplined, more globally connected, and openly aligned with ISIS.
For Christians, Nigeria has become a frontline example of how radical Islam functions as a religious bully — using terror, intimidation, and forced submission to dominate religious minorities. This is not random violence. It follows a familiar pattern seen across the Middle East and Africa, where Christian populations shrink under pressure while Islamist movements grow bolder, more organized, and more unapologetic about their aims.
Mark Biltz places these developments within a biblical worldview that recognizes persecution as both a warning and a refining force for the global Church. Scripture repeatedly describes a time when believers would be targeted for their faith, when spiritual darkness would intensify, and when discernment would be essential. Biltz challenges Christians to see Nigeria not as a distant tragedy, but as a signal — one that calls for prayer, clarity, and courage rather than denial or political convenience.
As ISIS extends its reach beyond traditional battlefields and into Africa’s most populous nation, Biltz helps audiences understand why Nigeria matters spiritually, not just geopolitically. He speaks to the urgency of supporting persecuted Christians, confronting radical ideology honestly, and preparing the Church for an era in which faith itself increasingly becomes the dividing line.
Mark Biltz is available for interviews and commentary to provide insight into how Nigeria’s crisis fits into a broader biblical and prophetic framework — and what Christians must understand now, before the silence grows louder.
Relevant articles:
Trump says US military struck ISIS terrorists in Nigeria | CNN Politics
Q&A:
- How does the rise of ISIS in Nigeria change the way Christians should understand persecution in the modern world?
- Why do you describe radical Islam in Nigeria as a “religious bully,” and how does that pattern align with what we see elsewhere globally?
- From a biblical perspective, are events in Nigeria isolated tragedies, or part of a larger spiritual conflict Scripture warns about?
- Why has Nigeria become such a focal point for the persecution of Christians compared to other African nations?
- What do Western media and policymakers consistently misunderstand about Islamist violence against Christians in places like Nigeria?
- How should Christians respond spiritually and practically when fellow believers are being targeted for their faith?
- Do you see prophetic significance in ISIS expanding beyond the Middle East and into Africa’s most populous nation?
- What must the global Church understand now about persecution if it hopes to remain faithful and prepared in the years ahead?
ABOUT PASTOR MARK BILTZ…
Pastor Mark Biltz was born and raised Catholic. He spent four years in a Catholic Seminary studying to become a priest. He not only knows Latin, but he knows how to conduct the entire Latin Catholic Mass. Biltz is also extremely familiar with the Catholic hierarchy, doctrine and culture.
Today, he is the founder and Senior Pastor of El Shaddai Ministries in Washington State. He is a well-known and popular speaker on the Feasts of the Lord and has authored four best-selling books and videos on the Feasts that have gone global.
Mark Biltz has lectured at congregations and conferences all over the world including twelve countries on 5 continents. He’s been on the cover of several magazines and has been interviewed many times on national radio stations as well as appearing on several different television programs.
Pastor Biltz has a local congregation in Washington State and live-streams their weekly service on their website at www.esm.us as well as on face-book and you-tube to over 200 cities from 20 nations.
You can learn more about Pastor Biltz’s ministry and his book, America at War: 2024 – 2026 by visiting www.esm.us
CONTACT: Todd Baumann of Special Guests Publicity
512-966-0983 / Todd@SpecialGuests.com
To learn more about becoming or booking a guest CLICK HERE.
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