Called to be Peaceful, but Not Pacifists
Central to historic Christian doctrine is the principle that genuine faith cannot be produced by human force or coercion of any kind. The New Testament presents a clear paradigm for the believer: We are called neither to wield physical violence to establish our faith, nor to adopt a passive, indifferent posture toward evil.
Falsely Accused
During the 2020–2024 antichrist federal administration, some political figures, pastors, and other Christian leaders criticized believers who spoke publicly against government actions that clearly violated God’s moral law. This criticism maligned us and our responsibility. The question was not whether Christians should pursue politics for its own sake, but whether we should remain silent when governing authorities impose policies that impose harm on the innocent and directly contradict God Himself—especially in light of the fact that this nation was founded on Judeo/Christian ethics and has existed this long only because of that.
When political leaders make moral law a matter of public policy, Christians should be compelled to respond with truth, courage, and conviction. Speaking into such matters does not necessarily mean abandoning the gospel for partisan politics, although that too, can happen. Rather, it reflects our God-ordained responsibility to resist wrongdoing and defend those who cannot defend themselves against politicians who have made themselves gods!
Christian resistance to injustice should not be confused with political ambition, and passivity from leaders to such antichrist, egregiously criminal behavior as we witnessed for four years should absolutely tell us which Christian leaders are not worthy to wear their title.
Believers are called to be peaceful, but peace and passivity can be two completely different things.
Neither Violence nor Pacifism
Scripture explicitly forbids believers from using physical violence or weapons to advance Christ’s kingdom.
When Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, He commanded Peter to put away his sword, establishing that “all who take the sword will perish by the sword” (Matt. 26:52). In John 18:36, Christ declared to Pontius Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight… but My kingdom is not from here.”
The Bible continually teaches us that spiritual rebirth and life transformation is a work of the Holy Spirit achieved through the grace of God drawing us to Himself. It comes through our proclamation of His saving grace and through personal conviction of the hearer but never through physical or psychological subjugation.
- John 6:44 & 6:65 (God Drawing Believers)
“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day… Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.”
- Ephesians 2:8–9 (Salvation as Grace)
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
At the same time, the peace of biblical Christianity is distinct from pacifism.
While we are called to love our enemies, and to non-retaliation when persecuted for our faith, (Matt. 5:39), the Bible establishes the legitimate role of civil authority to bear “the sword” specifically to punish evil, maintain order, and protect the innocent for the benefit of all (Rom. 13:1–4). Secular authority is given to control the secular world. That goes for local and national government levels. The Bible also makes clear that, as Christian men, we are to protect our families and others who cannot protect themselves from those who would harm them.
We are called to resist moral evil, spiritual falsehood, and tyrannical mandates that impose hardships on the innocent and especially when in direct contradiction to God’s Word. “We ought to obey God rather than men.” — Acts 5:29
This Biblical model of voluntary faith and moral resistance stands in direct opposition to totalitarian governments and religions that demand outward conformity by force.
Extreme Leftism
Authoritarian political movements have often relied on state power, social pressure, and legal coercion to compel compliance. Whether by restricting assemblies, imposing ideological requirements, or suppressing dissenting speech, these treat individual conscience as subordinate to the state.
Coercion & Islam
Islamists use violence, persecution, and legal and government pressure, as well as social subjugation, to enforce their religious conformity.
They are simply acting out their religious order, for example, in Surah 9:29, which refers to fighting “those who do not believe until they pay tribute while humbled,” and Surah 9:5, which refers to fighting “idolaters until they repent, establish prayer, and give zakah.” Islam denies freedom of religious conscience and expression and much more that is born of the spirit of Satan himself. The unthinkable abuse of children by forced child conversions and marriage, the deplorable abuse of all women, and the ruthless beatings among Muslim men and women for anyone who defies them is beyond the pale.
Unless God is merciful to those of us in the USA, we will find ourselves in the same awful position of the citizens of Canada, the UK, and other countries or regions of the world. Their governments are aggressively protecting the Satanic acts of Islam while at the same time shutting down and persecuting loving, and peaceful Christians. Pray now about how you may manage that if it happens here.
Conclusion
True biblical Christianity rejects both the weaponization of faith and indifference toward the suffering of the innocent. Faithful believers are called to stand on the truth of God’s Word, resist unjust human mandates, and refuse coercive forms of violence wherever they appear. In doing so, they bear witness to a Kingdom defined not by earthly compulsion, but by divine truth, faith, and ultimate loyalty to God.
