Worship is Warfare

The Left are the people who practice the religion of Woke. The Left are in charge of about half of our states and the national stage – but as big of an issue as that may be, it is not nearly so important as the Left being in charge of the media; of the narrative. And as we are now post-modern and without Truth, narrative is what matters. Narrative is power, and power is the goal when there is no fear of God. Money is a player in this scenario, but its purpose is to buy the narrative – just ask George Soros. That is the government of the United States in 2023 and, it seems likely, the whole of the western world.

Do you remember back in February of 2022 when Putin said that his invasion of Ukraine was to take on the Nazis and the New World Order? I think YouTube has memory-holed that speech, as I can’t find it – but it doesn’t really matter because he was speaking Russian and I was trusting in the subtitles.

As Christians, we acknowledge that our governments are put in place by God, and as such we are instructed to obey our civil power-players as we obey God, while to disobey our government is to disobey God – as explicitly stated in Scripture1.   And yet Scripture also shows many examples of when Godly people were disobeying their government, some simply as a matter of course and some out of God’s command.

Moses led the Hebrew people out from under pharaoh, as instructed by God – yet the Hebrew people were not the ones rebelling, rather they were following God’s instrument of rebellion.2  Daniel, later in his life, would pray openly in defiance of the law of the land.3  God understood how he (and He) was trying to be canceled, and heard his groanings.15

Peter and the apostles were told not to preach Jesus as the Christ by their authorities, who were, as you know, within the church.4,5  Paul received lashings for doing the same by his authorities who were at times within the church.6  And many other followers of The Way continued to defy their authorities by declaring how Jesus was the Messiah, both publicly and privately. 

Those at various levels of power and authority were flexing against God and His people, expecting that those chosen by God could be bullied into obeying lesser magistrates in opposition to the Supreme Magistrate. Those placed in power by God were to use that authority to serve and protect those in their keeping, yet instead they thought of themselves as being in the place of God – you can tell because they defined and authorized their own brand of worship while limiting, or outright canceling, worship to the True God.  Obedient believers worship the living God regardless – even if doing so is in defiance of their government’s rebellion against God.

Worship sure seems like warfare.

In America today, the media identify our elected representatives as our “leaders”, yet that’s not how our Constitution views those we elect. Those who represent us in government are our servants who are called to protect what God ordained. The founding fathers of our once-united states understood that the civil government answers to God – not the other way around. The Woke religion thinks like secular tyrants.

Boiling it all down, the American experiment was birthed from defiance to the Church of England and its monarchy, which declared what worship was to look like. Sure, more was going on, 3% taxes and all, but that generation of Christians was ultimately defying tyrants who were rebelling against God.   What makes it tricky is that these enemies of God were also in the church buildings and quoting Scripture – just like the Sanhedrin; just like the Woke.

Those in charge of the narrative at the time branded those who wanted independence from the Church of England as rebelling against the crown, which was true enough, but only partly true. Beyond that, those ‘rebels’ were protecting the Biblical faith and defending the Truth against those who were more egregiously rebelling; those who were rebelling against God and His Law. God does not take kindly to His creation acting as if He is not above all things (see the first commandment), and those who bear His name won’t either.

The revolutionaries of 1776 took up arms in recognition that the lord of England is not the Lord of lords. Are we called to take up arms 250 years later, to preserve a government that used to recognize its proper place as being under God? I hope not. Even still, our Second Amendment was written just in case our government lost sight of who they ultimately serve. It wasn’t needed back then, in the wake of victory, but those who wrote “shall not be infringed” after acknowledging that God granted us the “right to keep and bear arms” foresaw such a time, potentially and realistically, in the future – in our present-day.

There was Gideon who stepped in to defend God's people, and Elisha who stepped back to witness God defend His people.  Even though David used weapons of war, he didn’t fight against God’s anointed.7  Nehemiah and his people had a sword in one hand as they were rebuilding the wall in obedience to God and His command.8  Many years later Jesus told Peter to put away his sword as the Romans were taking him away.9  Being faithful places us in dangerous situations. Whether our sword is updated to an AR-15 with a 100-round magazine and a bump-fire stock, or if it is purely spiritual – we are in enemy territory.10

I’m thinking wisdom, discernment, and the Holy Spirit are needed regarding the possibility of physical warfare. Hopefully it doesn’t come to that. Yet the balkanization of these once-united states is happening on a practical level, and it may yet take form on a legal level – a legal separation may prevent our arms from having to be taken up.  All the while, our ultimate hope is in Christ’s return.11

We are in a war, called to worship the One, True, Living God.12  Stand like Gideon.13  See like Elisha.14  Pray like Daniel.15


1- 1 Peter 2:13-14 (NLT) For the Lord’s sake, respect all human authority—whether the king as head of state, or the officials he has appointed. For the king has sent them to punish those who do wrong and to honor those who do right.

2- Exodus 6:27 (NLT) It was Moses and Aaron who spoke to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, about leading the people of Israel out of Egypt.

3- Daniel 6:9-10 (NLT) So King Darius signed the law. But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God.

4- Acts 5:27-29 (NLT) Then they brought the apostles before the high council, where the high priest confronted them. “Didn’t we tell you never again to teach in this man’s name?” he demanded. “Instead, you have filled all Jerusalem with your teaching about him, and you want to make us responsible for his death!” But Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than any human authority.

5- Acts 5:40b (NLT) They called in the apostles and had them flogged. Then they ordered them never again to speak in the name of Jesus, and they let them go.

6- 2 Corinthians 11:23b-25a (NLT) I have been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again. Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned.

7- 1 Samuel 26:9 (NLT) “No!” David said. “Don’t kill him. For who can remain innocent after attacking the LORD’s anointed one?

8- Nehemiah 4:15-18a (NLT) When our enemies heard that we knew of their plans and that God had frustrated them, we all returned to our work on the wall. But from then on, only half my men worked while the other half stood guard with spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail. The leaders stationed themselves behind the people of Judah who were building the wall. The laborers carried on their work with one hand supporting their load and one hand holding a weapon. All the builders had a sword belted to their side.

9- Matthew 26:52 (NLT) “Put away your sword,” Jesus told him. “Those who use the sword will die by the sword.

10- John 12:31-32 (NLT) “The time for judging this world has come, when Satan, the ruler of this world, will be cast out. And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.”

11- 2 Peter 1:16 (NLT) For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We saw his majestic splendor with our own eyes…

12- 2 Corinthians 6:7 (NLT) We faithfully preach the truth. God’s power is working in us. We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defense.

13- Judges 8:23 (NLT) But Gideon replied, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son. The LORD will rule over you!

14- 2 Kings 6:16 (NLT) “Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “For there are more on our side than on theirs!”

15- Daniel 9:20-23 (NLT) I went on praying and confessing my sin and the sin of my people, pleading with the LORD my God for Jerusalem, his holy mountain. As I was praying, Gabriel, whom I had seen in the earlier vision, came swiftly to me at the time of the evening sacrifice. He explained to me, “Daniel, I have come here to give you insight and understanding. The moment you began praying, a command was given. And now I am here to tell you what it was, for you are very precious to God. Listen carefully so that you can understand the meaning of your vision.