America and Spiritual Warfare

By: Steve Huston

John Daniel Davidson opens his book, Pagan America, with this warning: “America was founded not just on certain ideals but on a certain kind of people, a predominantly Christian people, and it depends for its survival on their moral virtue, without which the entire experiment in self-government will unravel. As Christianity fades in America, so too will our system of government, our civil society, and all our rights and freedoms. Without a national culture shaped by the Christian faith, without a majority consensus in favor of traditional Christian morality, America as we know it will come to an end. Instead of free citizens in a republic, we will be slaves to a pagan empire.” He rightly states, “There is no secular utopia waiting for us in the post-Christian world now coming into being, no future in which we get to retain the advantages and benefits of Christendom without the faith from which they sprang. Western civilization and its accoutrements depend on Christianity, not just in the abstract but in practice.” (emphasis mine)

Mr. Davidson is describing that of which what John Adams warned, as he wrote to the Massachusetts Militia in 1798: “Because We have no Government armed with Power capable of contending with human Passions unbridled by morality and Religion. Avarice, Ambition, Revenge or Gallantry, would break the strongest Cords of our Constitution as a Whale goes through a Net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

What both of these men, historically and contemporarily, are pointing to is the fact that this nation, its culture and its individual states, are in a battle that we Christians recognize as spiritual warfare. It’s not simply a culture war or Marxism vs. Capitalism or Constitutionalism; it’s spiritual warfare and the stakes are incredibly high: the “soul” of our nation, the “soul” of the organized church, and our individual souls.

Where will we land? If our moral/governmental choices of late are any indication, we’re in trouble. As someone once said, “The true character of a people is revealed in the uses it makes of its freedoms.” American Decency has stood for truth and righteousness while often lamenting the decline and degradation of our culture and many churches as we’ve watched our nation “unbridle” itself from “morality and Religion,” watching “the strongest Cords of our Constitution” being broken “as a Whale goes through a Net.”

Of course, each of us can see pockets or righteousness here or there. Who hasn’t been the recipient of a “Good Samaritan” whom the Lord sent along for “such a time as this”? For these good folks and places, we can and should give God thanks, but we still mustn’t ignore the direction which things are going. We can also see the “othering” of Christians and give witness to the fact that “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Even in this, it’s painfully obvious that “the rulers of the darkness of this world” use “flesh and blood” individuals, groups, and governments, to bring these spiritual battles to our front door.

It’s obvious that every state is embattled with spiritual warfare, if we have eyes to see it. In some states, like my own state of Michigan, it would seem that the “powers of darkness” are winning. In other states, like Louisiana, it might seem that Light is overcoming darkness. In both cases, we must remember that 1. God is in control. 2. We can’t always see behind the scenes. And 3. As John David Danielson reminds us, it’s not just the principle or ideal that counts; righteousness must be put into practice. It’s not enough to give mental ascent to its goodness or correctness.

Let’s look at Louisiana’s Republican-led legislature and its governor, Jeff Landry, as an example. They are taking steps that make sense and lead to their state’s safety and security, yet, the spiritual warfare taking place in this state is undeniable.

I recently wrote about Louisiana bringing the Ten Commandments back to every state-funded classroom from kindergarten to college, but the pushback is astounding. One of the articles I read regarding the governor’s signing that bill into law had almost 1,500 comments at the time, almost all of them strongly opposing the posting of God’s commands in public school. As my article states, for real change in that state, God’s law must become posted to the student’s and people’s hearts.

Louisiana has also enacted sound money legislation, declaring gold and silver to be legal tender. They’ve also taken steps to protect babies and mothers through the Abortion by Fraud Criminalization Act, a bill that criminalizes poisoning a woman with an abortion pill or obtaining an abortion drug without a prescription. Of course, our vice-president, Kamala Harris, was quick to speak out against this on X: “Extremists in Louisiana just passed legislation to criminalize the possession of safe and effective abortion medication with penalties of several years of jail time. Donald Trump is to blame.” (Breitbart)

However, perhaps their greatest feat, from a sovereignty point of view, is their nullifying globalist groups by signing legislation that bans the implementation of policies from the United Nations, World Economic Forum, and the World Health Organization. Click here to read The New American article on this or click here to watch the signing and comments on X.

In regard to our upcoming election in November, Louisiana just passed eleven laws that are meant to promote election integrity, thereby making their elections more secure.

If each state in the union would protect the minds, bodies, finances, votes, and sovereignty of its people, we would be a stronger nation, regardless of the federal government’s actions. Yet, each of these actions face pushback, often on a grand scale, because spiritual warfare abounds. Even though these actions are meant to protect the citizens of Louisiana, until there is a change in their hearts, until the reformation and transformation of Christ takes place within them, until these things are “not just in the abstract but put into practice” where a “majority consensus in favor of traditional Christian morality [exists], America as we know it will come to an end.”

Sometimes, spiritual warfare is more visible and easily recognizable. Take, for instance, this prayer offered by an Islamic imam in Lafayette, Louisiana on June 21, 2024: “Oh Allah, annihilate the Jews and the Christians… Oh Allah, annihilate the Jews and their helpers, for they are no match for You. Oh Allah, count them, kill them one by one, and do not spare a single one of them, oh lord of Mankind.” Yet, mainstream media does not report on this as “hate speech” or “incitement to murder.” Is this an indication as to which side they take in spiritual warfare?

We must never forget that the “weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty though God to the pulling down of strong holds.” (2 Cor. 10:4) To that end we pray as though it’s all up to God (for it is), and we work as though it’s up to us, thereby fulfilling our responsibilities.  We must do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God. (Micah 6:8)

To this end, I encourage all believers to follow the leading of Tennessee’s governor, Bill Lee, who has signed a bill that calls for 30 days of prayer and fasting in his state, starting July 1^st. Resolution 0803 is meant to “seek God’s hand of mercy healing on Tennessee.” It further acknowledges God as Creator, having the “authority to judge and to bless nations and states.” It also lists its state’s woes and sins, humbly asking for forgiveness.

Finally, the bill asks “all those who are physically able and spiritually inclined to do so to join in a thirty-day season of prayer and intermittent fasting … as a means of seeking God’s blessing and humbling ourselves to receive His Grace and Mercy, transforming ourselves, our communities, our State, and our Nation.”

In these “perilous times,” it’s a bold move, but, realistically, where else – to Who else – can any of us turn?

 

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