On page 10 of his book, Wild at Heart: Discovering the Secret of a Man’s Soul, by John Eldridge (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2001, 2010), the author asserts, “God is a warrior; man is a warrior.” The God of the Old Testament was a warrior, and when Jesus returns, he will reappear as a mighty warrior. The God of the Old Testament is the God of the New Testament, but how he interacts with his creation has been vastly different since the Incarnation. This talk uses the Scripture the author misused to demonstrate the faulty theology that helped give rise to Christian Masculinity, which some have tied to the surge in Christian Nationalism. Christian Nationalism has been linked to the rise of Donald Trump, racism, and the January 6th U.S. Capitol insurrection. Jesus’s message was one of love, peace, unity, and reconciliation during his earthly ministry. Our king is the Prince of Peace. And we, his faithful followers, are to be known for our love.
Politics is poisoning our relationships. Satan is attacking the church in America by using divisions created by Donald Trump. Friendships, families, and even churches have fallen victim to this tool of the Devil. In itself, politics is neutral. Yet, it has the potential to become a destructive idol. It is easy to blame President Donald Trump or Christian Nationalism as the source of the conflict. Still, the real issue is Christians turning politics into idols and allowing it to overshadow our view of God’s kingdom. When anything causes us to take our eyes off Jesus, that thing has become an idol. Satan is using politics in general, and Donald Trump in particular, to wage war on the Body of Christ. Jesus assured Peter that the gates of Hell will not prevail against his Church, but that doesn’t mean the enemy of our souls won’t leave hurt feelings and broken relationships in his wake. Jesus said that if we love him, we will keep his commandments; the greatest commandment is to love God and others. The Apostle Paul stated that our lives would reflect the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Galatians 5:22-23 | NIV).