In communist Romania, the Bible was viewed with great suspicion and to be a Christian was social suicide. Still, at times, local State authorities would quote passages like Romans 13 back to Christians. Other times they would remind Christians of their duty to truth, often when it needed names of Underground Church leaders.

In Nazi Germany (where it was socially advantageous to be a Christian) the State often quoted Scripture. Now what does Christian-German Nazism have to do with Romanian atheistic communism? Both used Scripture as a means to control citizens. How then should Christians respond when the State uses our holy book today? We should respond, first and foremost, with suspicion. 

When the State quotes Scripture, we should respond with suspicion.

The Seduction of Power plus Power

The Word of God is powerful. If you’ve been a Christian for any time, you likely know this first hand. A sermon that will remain in your heart forever, or a song capturing a Psalm perfectly, or an intimate moment in a Bible study or prayer gathering. But there’s something eerie when someone in a political position begins to use Scripture in order to make their points, or justify themselves and their actions. They are already in a position of great power. Now, with Scripture in their hands, there is power upon power, and this is indeed a dark thing. 

One of the mistakes some Christians make is to assume that someone who quotes from their holy book must be their friend. Both Satan and Jesus quote Scripture; it is our job to discern when God’s Word is distorted for someone’s gain (generally by someone in power, be it an abusive pastor wanting something from you, or a politician craving control). 

Here’s another reason why it’s tempting to buy into secular leaders quoting our holy book: them doing so appears to legitimize our religion, our beliefs, and our values. Finally the big guy is standing up for us! But when did God ever need kings or governments to be legitimate? What if our buying into this only weakens our witness rather than strengthening it? What if God is enough? 

As Texas has decreed that Christianity be taught in schools, many Christians themselves are objecting. In my mind, they are not objecting because they are self hating Christians; rather the unified theme seems to be that the US government is preferring a type of Christianity to enforce, a Christianity that prides itself on forcefulness and has actually little to do with the Jesus of the Gospels. It is not a Christianity that prizes self-denial but rather preaches patriotism as our Christian duty. Furthermore, there are many stripes of Christianity: why should only one version he taught? And how do we decide which one to teach? Why can’t we teach the Mennonite tradition, or the Catholic tradition? The Founding Fathers themselves were divided on which kind of Christianity was best for this infant of a nation, and they left this open-ended rather than wanting one version to be preferred by the State. 

When your government is telling you how to do theology, there’s a problem. When it’s telling you which Christianity is authentic, run!

Pete Hegseth and Warriors for God

Men fighting for God has made a resurgence in the US, and Pete Hegseth appears to be taking advantage of this trend. For example, he quotes the Lord’s Prayer in a dramatic video in which US soldiers are risking their lives for the US, and the implications are clear enough: to fight for the US is to fight for God. But when does the Bible teach that discipleship and patriotism are synonymous? 

In that video, great bombs are being dropped as he quotes Jesus’ “Thy will be done.” How can we assume our nation’s wars are God’s wars? This is pure idolatry and pure biblical illiteracy. Unfortunately, in the US Church, the theology of politicians and Tik Tokers can carry more weight than that of priests, pastors, theologians, and scholars, who actually invest their lives in the study of God. 

Unfortunately in the US Church, the theology of politicians and Tik Tokers can carry more weight than that of priests, pastors, theologians, and scholars, who actually invest their lives in the study of God. 

Christopher Wright notes that “It is God who fights for us, not we who fight for him. We are called to witness, to struggle, to resist, to suffer. But the battle is the Lord’s, as is the final victory” (Here Are Your Gods p. 51). While Wright is talking about missions and spiritual warfare, his words still very much apply. Our battles are not God’s battles, and our nation’s wars are certainly not God’s wars. 

Christian, be wary when the State tells you how to theologize. History is fraught with examples of naive Christians deceived by political snake charmers. The Bible is powerful because of it’s Source, but politics are also powerful because of their Source (the Evil One). Should we rejoice if the Bible is being forced to be taught in our schools? Or should we mourn for how poorly God is being misrepresented to our most impressionable?

Pastors ought to be pastors, and politicians ought to be politicians. It’s an eerie thing when the priest is also the king. 

Pastor ought to be pastors, and politicians ought to be politicians. It’s an eerie thing when the priest is also the king.

Now what are we to make the plethora of T-shirts worn by proud patriotic Christians that elevate the sacred cross of Christ with the passing flag of one nation? Or how the flag of this nation is treated (in some worship services) with as much reverence as the Bible itself?!  I’m with Wright when he states, “Peter tells Christians to honor the emperor, and Paul tells them to pay their taxes. But it is hard to imagine early Christian gathering for worship around symbols of the Roman empire” (Here Are Your Gods, p. 99).