Tim Tebow on battling spiritual warfare in fight against human trafficking: 'Overcome the world'

Football star and Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow discussed how he and his team overcome spiritual warfare during a discussion with The Christian Post about his foundation's latest initiative to combat human trafficking and child sexual exploitation.

The former University of Florida Gator is the founder of the Tim Tebow Foundation, an organization that advocates for victims of human trafficking and child exploitation, as well as other vulnerable people in need of the Gospel.

Last year, the foundation launched a campaign titled "Unknown," named for the nameless victims of human trafficking. This year, Tebow and his team added "Unfinished" to the campaign title because numerous children facing sexual abuse and exploitation are still in need of rescue.

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The "Unknown & Unfinished" campaign's goals include expanding global rescue operations to identify exploited children and equipping law enforcement with the resources to increase its capacity to locate victims and offenders. 

In an interview, the Christian former professional football and baseball player shared that his team feels they are fighting something "very dark," but they encourage one another spiritually.

Tebow, the son of missionaries, quoted John 16:33 as one of the Bible verses that help the team stand against spiritual warfare.

"The night before Jesus goes to the cross, He tells His disciples, and they don't really get it," Tebow told CP. "A lot like me! Sometimes, you just don't really get it. But He said, 'For in Me you have peace. In the world, you will have trials and tribulations, but take heart, I have overcome the world.'"

According to the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime, one in three victims of human trafficking globally is a child. As the Homeland Security Council reported in June, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received more than 36 million tips in 2023 concerning suspected online child sexual exploitation and abuse.

Tebow said Jesus Christ has overcome sin and death on behalf of His children through His sacrifice, even if humanity is often undeserving of His love. He cited his faith in the knowledge that Jesus had won the victory.

"And we need to remember that where we find peace is in Him; we know there's going to be trials and tribulations, but we can take heart," Tebow said. "We can choose courage."

Tebow's interest in this issue started when his father was preaching at an underground pastors' conference in a place of religious intolerance. Tebow's father saw four girls for sale at an auction and used all the money he had to purchase their freedom.

"And he called me afterward, and it's hard to explain," Tebow said. "I just knew that this is one of the areas that we've been called into and that I knew I was called into. And that we had to step up and stand up for those four and the rest like those sweet, poor girls."

Tebow's latest anti-human trafficking campaign has partnered with over 20 organizations and nonprofits to meet its goals. Many of the campaign's partners wish to remain anonymous, according to Tebow, as they are working to punish criminals and need to remain nameless for security reasons.

The campaign is working with law enforcement agencies throughout the world, Tebow said.

According to the campaign's website, the initiative has helped tentatively identify more than 800 sexually exploited children through its partnership with law enforcement. 

Regarding the financial support he has received for this latest initiative, Tebow said that while many Christians have given to the campaign, people who feel protective of children and care about justice also want to see this effort succeed.

The television analyst added that an issue like this has to "break our hearts." 

"It has to do something that's enough for people to say, 'Oh my goodness! Look at the number of kids in the country and around the world,'" he said. "Around the world and in our backyard, so many boys and girls are in their darkest hour of need. That's the heart of why we care so much about this and why we are trying to rally people to this."