What are Christians to do?  How do we handle fear?  How do we handle anger? I am sure the answer to these questions will vary greatly in Christian circles because of the multitude of theological presuppositions.  I suspect the issue will divide the church even more in the future than it already has.  However, in order to promote a helpful discussion, I thought it might be beneficial if I listed the most common responses (I’ve chosen nine) to these questions that you will hear in coming days.  

The elections are over and the political left has taken over the national government in the United States.  They own the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the White House.  The tyranny of the Cancel Culture is now in total power, and their agenda is to crush all opposition.

With the departure of Donald Trump, don’t be betrayed by the language of unity and reconciliation.  It is a red herring.  We are in spiritual warfare.  The battle has never been purely political because politics is downstream from culture, and culture is downstream from religion. The U.S. has enjoyed the blessings of a Christian culture for many years, but I fear that it has now come to an end.

What are Christians to do?  How do we handle fear?  How do we handle anger? I am sure the answer to these questions will vary greatly in Christian circles because of the multitude of theological presuppositions.  I suspect the issue will divide the church even more in the future than it already has.  However, in order to promote a helpful discussion, I thought it might be beneficial if I listed the most common responses (I’ve chosen nine) to these questions that you will hear in coming days.  Finally, I will offer my own views. What then will be these responses?

1. Escapism Option – The most prominent reaction in the Christian Church will be to ignore politics and wait for the second coming of Christ. This view is popular because of the prominence of the Theology of Dispensationalism.  It will also be popular in R2K churches where there is a radical kingdom separation between religion and politics. Maintain pure worship and wait for persecution.  The suffering in the Apostolic Age has become the template for all generations. The idea of Christendom is a pipe-dream.  The cross has preeminence over glory (as if you could separate them), and we must suffer faithfully unto death. This is your calling in life and this will be your joy in death.
2. Conciliation Option – “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live in peace with all men (Rm 12:18).” If we deny the serious character of the war, we can live in peace with Marxist ideology.  Afterall, there has been mistreatment of blacks in the past.  The Church has had a bad attitude toward homosexuals.  Some people are just born with in the wrong bodies.  We need to align ourselves with the just tenets of Cultural Marxism and work together to right the wrongs of the past.  Christianity and Marxism are compatible.  This appears to be the avenue taken by the evangelical elite in our churches.
3. Vigilantism Option – The more Marxists push their agenda, the angrier the opposition becomes. If there is no justice, then furious men must take the law into their own hands.  There will be war between Marxists and the opposition. There will be bombs in the buildings and blood in the streets.
4. Civil Disobedience Option – This is not violent but peaceful. It will be civil disobedience or civil resistance when the time comes.  This could take the form of refusing to remain quiet or refusing to obey unjust laws. Expect many protests and Christians being carried off to jail.
5. Secession Option – Since the Civil War ended, there has been only small discussions about states leaving the Union. The federal government has become the great Leviathan and the states have become feudal subjects.  Washington, D.C. controls everything from the money supply to education.  The states are so dependent financially on the federal government that it is almost impossible to talk about secession, but it may be still viable.
6. Supreme Court Option – We must take a signature case all the way to the Supreme Court seeking to regain free speech, especially in the university and the workplace. Even though the Supreme Court has been disappointing in many respects, in the midst of the covid-19 pandemic it has been favorable to churches in regard to the free exercise of religion.  Before any packing can take place on the Court, a free-speech win may impede the censorship that is so prevalent in our Cancel Culture.
7. Trumpism Option – Trump may be back to run for President again, even though he is growing older. While he is out of office, he will be the leader of at least 75 million American voters.  He may very well create alternatives to Twitter and Facebook.  He is still a hero to many Americans and, even with all his personal problems, his followers have never seen a man stand up to the Swamp, the Deep State, and the Mainstream Media as he has.  To many Americans, Trump stands out as a great giant.  Continuing to hear the voice of Trump will help many Americans endure this crisis.  Maybe it verges on idolatry, but it is real.  This is the Trump Option.
8. State’s Rights Option – We all know very-well now that the state legislators have the right to choose the members of the Electoral College who consequently chooses who will be President of the United States. We have forgotten how much power resides in the state legislators.  Prior to the Civil War, state governments were considered more important than the federal government.  For many Americans, the hope for the political future resides in the state governments. Expect to see more discussion about such powers as nullification and the powers of the lesser magistrates.  Trump was the only shield between us and Cultural Marxism, and therefore we should now expect the state legislatures and state governors to take his place.  In two years, the states can clean-up the election process.  State governments also have power to protect their borders from illegal immigration.  So, the States must take back the power granted to them originally in the 10th Amendment of the Constitution.  Before we can take back America, we must take back the States. Watch for much more activity around state capitols.
9. The Sovereignty Option – In the long run, we know that God is in total control. Nothing happens apart from his good pleasure.  Even the events of the past few months have been ordained by God.  All things work together for a good purpose in the end.  This is always our fallback position.  Even if we must suffer loss in the short-run, God will win the victory for us on this earth before he returns again.  The glory and knowledge of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea.  There is hope for the future because God is on his throne, and he will distribute justice fairly.  Those who perpetrate fraud, unless they repent, will pay the price, not only on the Day of Judgment, but in this life too.  This is a great comfort in time of trial. The sovereignty of God is not just one option but indeed our great comfort.

There you have it, nine options, and there are probably more.  My own assessment of our predicament is probably a combination of these options.  I obviously don’t believe in escapism.  The church must begin speaking to the cultural issues of the day.  Our people must be taught how to think biblically.  I think conciliation is a betrayal of Christ. We cannot bury our heads in the sand.  Vigilantism is lawlessness. Violence is only acceptable in a just-declared war or in self-defense. Civil disobedience may come to be an option in the future.  Secession is far-fetched today, even though I think it was a right originally inherent in statehood.  I think, with a majority of conservatives on the Supreme Court, if we act fast, we might be able to salvage some of our free-speech rights.

I believe the time has come to encourage state civil magistrates to recapture the powers given to them in the Constitution.  They will need to stand against federal encroachment, and they will need our support.  With Trump gone I am now depending on them to protect me from the ravages of Cultural Marxism and the Cancel Culture.  This will require a re-education of our leaders as they are floundering now with newly discovered powers they have.

In conclusion, I will not forget that God is sovereign and that all things work according to his own will.  Be faithful to your church and pray.  I have an optimistic eschatology and thus I have a great hope for the future.  God is just and God is fair.  He will cause all the nations to turn to him and bow before his holy name.  The love of his law will dwell in men’s hearts and they will cry out for leaders to implement the word of God in all areas of life.  Then, Christ will return to a victorious church and we shall be with him in a new heavens and a new earth where only righteousness dwells.  My prayer is that Jesus might come quickly and accomplish this.  I know he will at the right time, and thus I have a way to handle my anger and fear in the midst of the rise of rampant Marxism in my homeland.

Larry E. Ball is a retired minister in the Presbyterian Church in America and is now a CPA. He lives in Kingsport, Tennessee.