“Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11 NIV).
The church in America has been asleep and is slowly waking up. God’s people can no longer stay silent as we are faced with following new government policies that are opposed to God’s laws. We need to wake up. We need to stand up. We need to speak up.
Historically, the church has been through at least two periods like this before—the First and Second Great Awakenings. These were seasons shaped by local evangelical revivals leading to nationwide religious movements that reformed our nation. The Great Awakenings called on believers in Christ to defend their God-given civil and religious liberties. The Great Awakenings reformed policies based on Biblical truths and were led by churches adhering to the doctrine of Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone). These churches preached the authority of the Bible.
The Great Awakenings called on believers in Christ to defend their God-given civil and religious liberties.
The First Great Awakening inspired colonists to declare independence from Great Britain and to fight for our nation’s freedom in the American Revolution. The same guiding principles were preached during this period and shaped the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights, which followed our independence and formed our constitutional republic.
During The Second Great Awakening, the church preached against slavery and raised up the abolitionist leaders of the Civil War; these leaders secured rights for freed slaves by leading the campaign to amend our constitution through the ratification of the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments. These amendments abolished slavery, guaranteed equal rights at the state level, and gave black Americans the right to vote. The Great Awakenings saw the church join the fight for freedom and preach against laws that contradicted God’s laws.
Today, the church is waking up to a deluge of unjust laws that threaten our free speech rights as we proclaim the truth found in the Bible. We face an overreaching government that can restrict our rights and arrest us, as we saw during the pandemic, or force us to acknowledge a new definition of men and women based upon a fluid construct of gender identity and sexual orientation. Laws are passed under the auspices of equality and freedom, and if you challenge or reject these liberal ideologies, you will be punished. You may lose your job, your business, or be censured, silenced, or canceled. If your organization stands for Biblical truths and parental rights, you will be labeled as a transphobic, bigoted hate group.
As the only conservative commissioner on the Fort Lauderdale City Commission, I spoke against abortion and transgenders in women’s sports, in support of parental rights in education, and in defense of my church. I found it odd that I was attacked at a commission meeting for being a Christian, yet against the transgender agenda. I was featured on the cover of the South Florida Gay News and labeled a hypocrite.
It was then that I realized that the body of Christ must speak up and stand firm on the truth found in every word of the Bible.
Alexander Hamilton summarized the beliefs of his fellow founding fathers in 1774 when he penned “A Full Vindication of the Measures of Congress” and said, “Remember civil and religious liberties always go together; if the foundation of the one be sapped, the other will fall.” His exhortation rings true today: “May God give you wisdom to see what is your true interest and inspire you with becoming zeal for the cause of virtue and mankind.”
May we become inspired and zealous today—for, as Hamilton wrote, “the cause and virtue of mankind.” As we prepare and pray for the future of our nation, let us find strength in God’s Word:
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand….With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people” (Ephesians 6:10-18 NIV).
It’s time to shake off the spiritual slumber and stand firm on God’s Word to preserve this great nation for generations! It’s time to wake up and fight this spiritual battle for the next Great Awakening in America!
“A Full Vindication of the Measures of the Congress, &c., [15 December] 1774,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Hamilton/01-01-02-0054. [Original source: The Papers of Alexander Hamilton, vol. 1, 1768–1778, ed. Harold C. Syrett. New York: Columbia University Press, 1961, pp. 45–78.]
