Steve Deace never set out to write a book about a demonic takeover of America, but as he told “The Christian Post,” “inspiration struck me out of nowhere, and I just had to follow where it led.”
That inspiration has since turned into a best-selling novel, a hit film and now a highly anticipated sequel, “Nefarious 2.”
What makes “Nefarious” so compelling is its unapologetic confrontation with real evil. Unlike typical horror films that rely on cheap scares, the movie forces audiences to reckon with the supernatural battle raging all around us. “We didn’t want to make a cheesy faith-based film,” Deace explained. “We wanted to confront real evil in a way that forces people to think.”
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And confront it they did. The production of “Nefarious” faced an unusual amount of resistance—both spiritual and physical.
Deace himself nearly died from a severe MRSA infection on the day of the film’s premiere. Crew members suffered car accidents and even a Catholic priest involved in the production required emergency surgery.
These unsettling occurrences only reinforced Deace’s belief that the film was exposing something the enemy did not want revealed. “If the enemy didn’t want this movie made, that just means we were onto something,” he said.
/**/Despite this opposition, “Nefarious” resonated deeply with audiences, spending weeks as a top-selling film on Amazon Prime and drawing both believers and skeptics alike.
Deace shared that he has received countless messages from people who found their way back to faith after watching the film. “I didn’t think I could get my son back in church. I didn’t think I’d get my prodigal daughter to come back, and your movie helped me bridge a divide,” he recalled hearing from viewers.
The upcoming sequel, “Nefarious 2,” will dive even deeper into spiritual warfare, exploring the impossibility of neutrality in the battle between good and evil. Deace warned that the protagonist, Dr. James Martin, will learn firsthand that “there’s only two sides to the war.” Neutrality, as “Nefarious” reveals, is a dangerous illusion.
As reported by “The Christian Post,” Deace sees this project as more than just entertainment; it’s a mission. “We have to stop playing nice and start confronting people with reality.” In a culture that increasingly rejects the concept of sin and spiritual warfare, ‘Nefarious’ serves as a much-needed wake-up call.
For Christians, the battle against darkness is not theoretical—it’s real, and it’s relentless. The apostle Peter warns us in 1 Peter 5:8, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” The success of “Nefarious” is not just a testament to good storytelling, but a reminder that spiritual warfare is ongoing, and ignoring it only makes us more vulnerable.
The devil doesn’t need you to worship him—he just needs you to believe he doesn’t exist.
“Nefarious” is here to remind us otherwise.
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James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.
