“Nothing is more wonderful than the art of being free, but nothing is harder to learn how to use than freedom.” -Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America
By Brad Ward, Director, Armor of Truth
Reviving the Republic
On Independence Day in America, we reflect on our freedoms and the current alarming state of our nation. In 2024, our nation is in the cold grasp of lying tyrants who hate liberty. How do we make America great again? The answer is self-government, but there are conditions. First, we must make America good again.
We must re-commit to governing our lives, homes, communities, cities, states, and our nation ourselves. It’s not just the right thing to do; it’s our Constitutional duty and a Christian principle to protect and preserve freedom for the sake, first and foremost, of the gospel, and for the good of all people.
In his book, “If You Can Keep It” Eric Metaxas writes:
“There's a paradox at the center of what's been called American exceptionalism. It's that a significant part of what makes us exceptional is that in some sense we are a nation with a mission beyond ourselves and beyond our borders. We are a nation with a mission to the rest of the world. This idea is startling but inescapable. If we are to keep the republic, then, our keeping it is not merely for our own sake. …it's a testimony to America that the ideas we alone embodied at our beginning have been exported to many nations around the world, and this quality — one might even call it a kind of generosity — has much to do with our success.”2
This spirit has been obfuscated by warhawks, greedy tycoons, and would-be tyrants who use America’s power for their own personal gain. But that is not who Americans are. That is our sin, but our sin does not define us, as the Woke mob and “anti-racists” would have us believe.
Those of us who love God and want to see the nation restored by the grace of God must work to reclaim the ground we have lost to the screeching mob on the Left and the corporate shills on the Right. The survival of America is crucial to the safety of the world. Because, as Metaxas writes,
We therefore must apprehend the idea that if we cease to be the America we were at first the whole world will suffer. So, if for no other reason than that, we must care about America.2
So many of us are perplexed, worried, tired, and afraid of what may come next. We need to know the way out of this. We need to be reminded of what it means to be free and what is required to remain free. Metaxas writes,
“Most of us don't understand the idea of self-government enough to be properly astonished by it. [Even in] the day of our nation's birth … the idea of self-government was so new [that] it was shocking even to some Americans, who during the revolution simply rejected it, choosing instead to side with the British Crown as Tories. …
Why in the world did the founders think it would work? … in a word, religion. …the founders understood that freedom and religion went hand in hand, that freedom must have religion and religion must have freedom. One without the other was in fact neither. …
And perhaps one of the most important truths about freedom and self-government,
The founders understood that the more each person governed himself, the less there would be a need for strong government, and by their estimation the American people were ready. The faith and the virtue of the American people made possible the most free nation in the history of the world.2
The fuel that ran the engine of American freedom was virtue, a strong understanding of self-government, and the acknowledgement that freedom and faith sustain each other. If we can return to being a virtuous people committed to self-government according to the principles set forth by the commands of Christ, we can revive the republic and actually make America good again.
“When the righteous thrive, the city rejoices, and when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy…When the righteous flourish, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan.” (Proverbs 11:12; 29:2)
Here's the point: We must set aside our ideas and urges of how things should be and recognize that what makes us worthy of self-rule is virtue which comes from submission to Christ our King. On our own, with Enlightenment principles and philosophy as the supreme source of law and justice, our “righteousness” is nothing more than self-righteousness, vain, hypocritical, and doomed to repeat our failures.
What is Freedom?
Galatians 5:13-26 is an excellent text for grasping what it means to be free in Christ.
“For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity to indulge your flesh, but through love serve one another… For the whole law can be summed up in a single commandment, namely, ‘You must love your neighbor as yourself.’ However, if you continually bite and devour one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another. But I say, live by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh… Now those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also behave in accordance with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, being jealous of one another.”
Paul is saying that freedom is essential being a Christian; it is the fundamental basis of all Christian living. Jesus came to set the captives free. The Christian life is a life of liberty, but what is meant here by the word and concept of freedom?
Freedom from tyrants? No, not in this context. Freedom from tyrants is an effect not a cause. Christ is the cause that brings freedom from sin and the ways of the flesh. The way we achieve the effect of freedom from tyrants is to receive the freedom that only Christ gives so that we may be capable of virtuous self-government. When we are virtuous as a nation, we are too strong in God’s grace to be overwhelmed by tyrants.
“For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” (Romans 13:1)
The question is this: once you have been set free, how will you use your liberty?
In John chapter 8 Jesus is recorded as saying, “The truth will set you free” (v. 32). This quote is used often deployed infamously as a justification for autonomy. But, in context, the truth Jesus speaks of is a higher form of knowledge. It is this form of knowledge that makes us capable of self-government.
At that point in history, the Jews were under the rule of the Roman government. Even though Rome gave them an exceptional amount of autonomy, they were keenly aware of the Roman presence around them in the form of soldiers, governors, and kings appointed by the emperor. When Jesus said the truth would set them free, He was not talking about political freedom. Jesus explains His own statement in verse 34, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.” Being a slave to sin is the ultimate bondage.
The Truth Will Set You Free
The freedom Jesus offers is a spiritual freedom from the bondage of sin—that is, release from the lifestyle of habitual lawlessness. He continues with an analogy: “Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever” (v. 35).
Jesus is the Truth (John 14:6). Knowing the Truth will set one at liberty—free from sin, free from condemnation, and free from death (Romans 6:22; 8:1–2). Jesus came to proclaim liberty to the captives (Luke 4:18). “Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God” (1 Peter 2:16, ESV).
Only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh: The great fear of the legalist is that liberty will be used as an opportunity for the flesh. The idea is that people will just go out and sin as they please, then say to a spineless God, “I’m sorry, please forgive me,” and then go on doing whatever they want again. Paul recognized the danger of this attitude, so he warned against it.3
We are tempted to use the freedom Jesus gives us as an excuse to trample on others. We want others to conform to us, and our way. But when we use our freedom to serve one another through love, we conquer the flesh, we conquer sin. That is true liberty that can bear the fruit of virtuous self-government.
This is exactly the pattern set by Jesus. He had more liberty than anyone who ever walked this earth, yet He used His liberty to serve even to death.
Should A Christian Submit To Government?
Many people believe that our need for governing authority is a flaw that needs correcting. But, God has said differently. From the beginning (Genesis 2:16–17) God’s instituted law or boundaries and violation of those boundaries must have consequences. Without consequences, opinions become law, and everyone has a different opinion.
Romans 13:1–7 tells us that God designed government primarily to avoid anarchy, autonomy, and the proliferation of evil. Living apart from God’s law has been tried a few times. When “everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:6, ESV; cf. Deuteronomy 12:8). It does not end well.
When a nation turns from God, idolatry necessarily follows, then more lawlessness, and society falls apart because our nature is not “basically good,” men’s hearts love darkness rather than light (John 3:19).
It is understandable that we don’t like what we see in unjust laws and unwise, rebellious lawmakers. But, we can still thank God for the system we have that is still protecting our freedoms and our lives and do our best to govern ourselves, live peacefully under that system, and pray for those in authority over us.
“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth…I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling…” (1 Timothy 2:1-4, 8)
A Christian’s fundamental orientation to the world is service. Government is one of the most effective ways one can serve the world. And when the ways of the world are opposed to the will of God we must obey God rather than men and stand firm especially when we are mocked, criticized, or persecuted for it.
The system established by the founders of the American government was a one-of-a-kind order of popular sovereignty where the ruling power was placed in the hands of the people. The checks and balances baked into the American Constitution and branches of government were formed specifically to restrain the evil tendencies of fallen man. Virtue is a necessity for this to work.
Jeremiah 29:7, speaks about God’s people living in the middle of a pagan nation (Babylon) and how they must live,
“Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”
What we see happening all around us in our world today affirms the sovereignty of God and the truth of His revealed word. We are called to be engaged with the world, not to follow its ways; to be salt and light so that our influence would purify the putrid, preserve the good, expose evil hiding the shadows, and light the path to Christ for the world. We’re called also to exercise dominion that God granted us, not to invade and conquer nations and governments, but live out the gospel in our actions and in doing so, Christ sets the captives free through us, through our actions.
Those who are true followers of Christ will not only accept His teachings as truth, they will also obey His teachings. Action is proof of faith (cf. James 2:17).
Be Encouraged
We acknowledge, on this special occasion, one of the most persecuted men in the West, British activist Tommy Robinson, who said to the UK establishment,
“You underestimate the human spirit. We are a free people, and you cannot take that freedom away. We will fight you to preserve it. Our love for freedom will always conquer your lust for power. Your tyranny will fail.” — Tommy Robinson
As for the rest of us — I am speaking to my American compatriots and especially to my Christian brothers and sisters — our freedom has allowed us to become complacent. We have allowed the worst among us to gain and hold the reigns of our institutions for too long.
The four stages of subversion of a nation from within are: demoralization, destabilization, crisis, and normalization. We are now living in the crisis stage. If we allow them to achieve the final step of normalization of their upside-down new world order, we may lose the greatest temporal gift God has ever given to any nation.
Everything you’re witnessing in the world and directly in your life is all related to God’s perfect plan of redemption. His people, and His creation will be redeemed, and restored in His time and in His way. But, a faithful response to trials brings about blessings from God (James ch. 1-2). Therefore we can trust that the answer to this threat is a widespread change of heart, a great awakening to eternal truth and exhort the church to wake up now and serve God with our actions.
What God has said:
The Bible’s perspective on prosperity is holistic, emphasizing that true prosperity is found in living a life that is aligned with God’s will and purposes. The national prosperity mentioned in Scripture encompasses more than just material wealth. It includes spiritual, physical, and emotional well-being.
In Confessions, Augustine described the restlessness of the human heart until it finds rest in God, emphasizing that true happiness and prosperity come from God alone and are found in seeking Him above all else. John Calvin cautioned against equating godliness with material wealth, pointing out that true riches are found in the spiritual blessings of Christ.
“The Lord will grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground—in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you.” (Deuteronomy 28:11)
Moses tells the Israelites that if they fully obey the Lord and carefully follow all His commands, they will be set high above all the nations on earth. Blessings will come upon them in various forms—agricultural prosperity, health, victory over enemies, and overall abundance. God promised Solomon in 2 Chronicles 7:14 that if the people “will humble themselves and pray and seek [His] face and turn from their wicked ways,” that He will hear them, forgive their sin, and heal their land.
“Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.” (Psalm 1:1-3)
Jesus, in His Sermon on the Mount, emphasizes seeking God's kingdom and righteousness as a prerequisite for receiving God’s provisions.
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33)
There is one sovereign over all the earth with the power to bring peace and change the course of history.
“I am the LORD, and there is no one else; There is no God except Me. …Causing well-being, peace and creating disaster; I am the LORD who does all these things.” (Isaiah 45:5-7)
“He makes the nations great, then destroys them; He enlarges the nations, then leads them away.” (Job 12:23)
The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of The Lord; He turns it wherever He pleases.” (Proverbs 21:12)
Obedience to God often brings tangible benefits, but the Bible reminds us to seek first the kingdom of God, knowing that true prosperity and freedom are found in a relationship with Him. If we are to make America great again, we must first make America good again, and this is the remedy God has provided for all nations.
“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!” (Romans 11:33)
References:
1. De Tocqueville, Alexis. Alexis De Tocqueville: Democracy in America (LOA #147):
A new translation by Arthur Goldhammer. Library of America, 2004.
2. Metaxas, Eric. If You Can Keep It: The Forgotten Promise of American Liberty.
Penguin, 2016. Chapter 1, America as an idea.
3. “Bible Commentary of the Whole Bible with Pastor David Guzik.” Enduring Word,
October 13, 2022. https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/.
For a free Bible and tracts (available to ship in the U.S.A. only) please email us
Download the Armor of Truth Mobile App Free
Armor of Truth, Inc is a 501(c)(3) Non Profit Organization
Donations are tax deductible
By supporting Armor of Truth you are helping to reach thousands of people daily with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and encouragement to persevere in a world that is hostile to the gospel. Please consider making a donation to help support this mission.
Support Armor of Truth, official donation page: Donate
CashApp $aotmin