Nigeria (MNN) — Christians in northern and central Nigeria endure a seemingly unending stream of attacks by Fulani ethnic militias and radical Islamic groups.

There are many layers to this conflict. Yet there is an overlooked element that Christians around the world need to be aware of and pray over.

Greg Musselman with Voice of the Martyrs Canada shares the sobering reports that his team receives: some Christians in Nigeria who have been attacked then turn and attack Muslims — or sometimes even other Christians from a different tribe. It leads to a spiral of violence. 

Musselman says that not long ago, Nigerian Christian leaders gathered to hear biblical teaching about persecution and discipleship. 

“We actually had some of the leaders there saying, ‘You guys don’t know what you’re talking about. You’re coming from the West — from Canada, America, wherever — and you’re telling us that we need to forgive and we shouldn’t take up arms,'” he says. “[It] got a little tense.”

But studying more Scripture led to a change. 

“By the end of the week, several of these leaders actually had said to us that they had called back to their villages and told their young men to put the arms down,” Musselman said. 

Pray for these brothers and sisters living out the love of Christ in a costly way. It can be the turning point for the very people who were once their enemies. 

“When you see this level of violence, it causes some even within these radical groups actually [to look] at it and say, ‘Why are we doing what we’re doing?’” says Musselman. “And if they encounter believers — Christians that know Jesus, know His love — that’s where you start to see the change starting to happen. But it’s in the midst of incredible persecution.”

A persecuted Christian learns how to sew so she can be self-supporting.
(Photo, caption courtesy of VOM Canada)

In Matthew 5:10, Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” Jesus also said, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” In that light, pray for Nigerian Christians to navigate well what is happening in their communities. Pray for them to have vision to see their situation the way God sees it.  

“Often it is Christians being attacked because of their ministries, or their identification with Christ. But then you’ve also got the tribal [elements] that get mixed in, and it just escalates, and that’s the challenge,” says Musselman. 

“We’re going to continue with Voice the Martyrs to support our brothers and sisters in Christ that are suffering. That’s our ministry, but then also [we are] trying to prevent our brothers and sisters from attacking Muslims.” 

Read our recent coverage about the layers of the crisis facing Christians in Nigeria, a recent suspected ceasefire between Boko Haram and Nigeria’s government, and mobilization efforts to spread the gospel in the north.  

Header photo: A church in Nigeria. (Photo courtesy of VOM Canada)