I don’t know of any persecutor who would publicly say, “I hate God and I’m persecuting this man because I worship satan!” If you’re expecting to hear that before you grant persecution then Jesus, Paul and Stephen weren’t persecuted either. Also, don’t forget that those who persecute Christians are under demonic influence. It’s as if many in the church no longer believe in demonic oppression. Demons influence people, cities and countries.