Reforging the Blade of Christian Authority
We cannot be afraid of ruling, because if we don’t, our enemies will. Our nation is ours only if we have the will to keep it.
I am Aragorn son of Arathorn, and I am called Elessar, the Elfstone, and the Renewer, and I am the heir of Isildur, Elendil’s son. I go now to Minas Tirith, to meet my fate, be it good or ill.
One of my favorite themes in Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, which the Peter Jackson movies unfortunately miss, is Aragorn’s burden to claim the throne of his forefathers and rule as King of Gondor.
In the Jackson films, there seems to be an internal conflict in Aragorn—a chink in his armor, a doubt about whether he is the right man for the throne. This stems from modern sensibilities that suggest a man cannot desire power and remain virtuous. Villains desire power; villains wield authority. But the good guys? The only "right" way for them to gain power is if it falls upon them against their will. Consider this: if typical Americans met a young man in their church who genuinely aspired to run for President one day, how would they react? Most would assume he has pride issues or an unhealthy fixation on power and glory.
This is how Peter Jackson portrays Aragorn: humble, unassuming, and almost allergic to his destiny as king. Make no mistake, this sort of humility is false and not the least bit virtuous. Humility, after all, is when you willingly submit yourself to the station God has placed you in. This misunderstanding of true humility has led to significant losses for Christians.
The reality is that power will exist whether you’re willing to wield it or not. Someone will sit on the throne; someone must bear the responsibility of the crown. If Christians reject power out of a false sense of humility, someone with less-than-virtuous motives will seize it. Tolkien’s Aragorn understands this and marches toward his destiny, not in pride but in magnanimous duty to his forefathers and countrymen. He is not allergic to power; rather, he wields it like an iron fist against evil.
Wielding power for good is no sin! As our President, quoting Napoleon, tweeted not long ago, “He who saves his country does not violate any law.” A Christian should have no problem with this statement. A Christian should be willing to do anything within the bounds of God’s law to save his country. And brothers and sisters, our country is in need of saving.
The point is this: Peter Jackson’s portrayal of Aragorn reflects a larger American problem: a deep allergy to God-ordained powers of good being used against the very real powers of evil. The power of the Ring was brought down in part because Aragorn did not shrink from the kingly power that was his divine right.
Our moment in history is not too dissimilar. Our country is sick because for too long men of God have abdicated their rightful place in the home, the church, institutions, and government. The result? Degenerates and the wicked have run amok in our nation.
Under the Spell of Libertarianism
Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.
—Matthew 10:16
We know what it means to be innocent as doves, but I’d wager few could articulate what it means to be wise as serpents while remaining innocent as doves. We must not pit innocence and shrewdness against one another lest we miss the command of Christ entirely.
What American Christians lack is the ability to be shrewd within the boundaries of innocence—shrewd enough to outsmart our enemies, all while maintaining innocence before God. Shrewdness without boundaries leads to degeneracy and underhandedness, but shrewdness within the boundaries of innocence enables God’s people to carry out his mission on earth effectively.
To draw again from The Lord of the Rings, it’s worth noting that there exist two power structures. One is the divergent and evil power of Sauron and the One Ring. With this power, he commits all sorts of atrocities, unbound by the duties of goodness. But the power Christians need to embrace is the very natural and hierarchical power of authority. Just as Aragorn was called to rule and reign for the good of his people, so too are Christians free to wield what authority God has given them for the good of all.
We fail to see the goodness of Christian authority because we’ve fallen under the spell of libertarianism. That’s right—our anti-authoritarian roots have become our undoing. Some of you have broken this spell and can attest to the trap that is libertarianism. Others may wonder how libertarianism could be a bad thing. Don’t we want a small, unobtrusive government? Can’t we just leave our enemies alone and they leave us alone? If only it were that simple.
For many, COVID broke the spell, revealing that our enemies never intended to leave us alone. As C. Jay Engel puts it, “The side that just wants to be left alone will always lose to the side that wants to win.” Unfortunately this “just want to be left alone” spirit has seeped into the common thinking of almost all Americans.
The issue with libertarianism is that it is utopian and egalitarian. It thinks the idea that evil people would use our common liberties against us is inconceivable. And that the idea that there is such a thing as hierarchy and that some are fit to rule while others are fit to follow is morally repugnant. But Christians should have no problem affirming the goodness of God’s hierarchical design and the ever-present reality of enemies who seek our destruction.
A Libertarian Conundrum
Consider this: How can Christians be good libertarians who “live and let live” when surrounded by hosts of enemies? How can we do so when they come after our children, our livelihoods, or our very faith? One issue exacerbated by our libertarian mindset is the immigration crisis. What can be done when thousands of Somalis are plopped into your town? The libertarian mind has no mechanism to solve this problem.
And what’s worse is that it won’t even see this as a problem. If a Somali breaks the law, surely prosecute and deport them, but all the law-abiding ones can stay. But what if the laws are bad to begin with? And what if I don’t want my country to be Somali? What if I want it to be an American country with Americans? Good luck having this conversation with a libertarian. He will tell you that an American is simply anyone who wants to be one, so long as the person has papers.
For someone like this, it is completely lost on him that our enemies are the whole reason the Somalis are here in the first place. They’re the ones who loosened the immigration laws. They’re the reason many Americans cannot answer the simple question, What is an American?
My problem is not with Somalis, primarily. I want Somalis to be Christian, and I want them to save their country. They can’t do that if they’re here. My problem is that hundreds of issues like this have piled up, and libertarian thought has left us utterly defenseless to solve them. All the while, our enemies have gained ground, enjoying the freedom of shrewd authoritarianism, unfettered by innocence because they do not fear God. They’ve become like Sauron; they wield the One Ring with absolute prejudice.
It’s time to admit that classical liberalism has been woefully inadequate at defending us. We’ve lost too much ground. We, like Aragorn, need to reforge the blade of Christian authority. It is ours by right; this is our Father’s world, and he has commanded us to go and baptize the nations in Christ.
We cannot be afraid of ruling, because if we don’t, our enemies will. We mustn’t worry so much about wielding power poorly because almost anything is better than this. We’ve become the country of baby-murders, the country of not knowing what a woman is, the country of child mutilation, the country of perversion—all because good men failed to lead, and the wicked took their place.
It’s time to stop fighting our enemies with one arm tied behind our backs. We will always lose if we refuse to use all the tools God has given us. To be clear, this isn’t about winning or losing—it’s about saving our country. As Americans, we have a blessed inheritance and a rich Christian heritage. Our nation was recently spared from president Kamala Harris. But understand this: there is no promise that God will spare us again from such a president or worse if we continue in the same foolishness that led us here. Our nation is ours only if we have the will to keep it.
Wielding the Sword
The blade of Christian authority has been reforged in our hearts and minds, but what we truly need is to wield it in our homes, churches, and nation. To do this, I offer two observations and one application.
We Have the Momentum
We must understand that our movement is small, our enemies are numerous, and that there is much work to be done; but we also must not let this discourage us.
In some ways we are beginning to see God’s people wake up. For the first time in decades, the decline in American church attendance is reversing. Many Americans are no longer afraid to be labeled racist, sexist, or misogynistic. They are no longer afraid of being canceled. If there were ever a time to throw off the postwar liberal consensus, now is the time.
This ought to give us courage and drive us to more ardent prayer. Though we are a small movement, we must not underestimate the power of momentum. Now is not the time to sit on our hands. Now is the time for action.
Remember the words of Stonewall Jackson: “An army routed, if hotly pursued, becomes panic-stricken, and can thus be destroyed by half their number.” May God use our small movement of God-fearing men to destroy his enemies.
We Are Living in an Opportunity-Rich Environment
I work with many young men, and I often tell them that in many ways, I envy them because so many of their peers are wholly unimpressive and inadequate for the tasks at hand. Our culture has been so degraded and filled with incompetence that the bar for excellence has never been lower. A Christian with a strong work ethic and a little ambition should have no trouble distinguishing himself from his peers. Even Harvard is offering remedial math classes for its students.
Now is the time for us to produce Christian lawyers, professors, doctors, and politicians. Every position of influence can and should be filled with the best the church has to offer. If institutions are not your calling, consider Christian entrepreneurship. We need businesses, tradesmen, and landlords who prioritize and enable Christians to work and provide for their families. The opportunities are abundant, and the country is ours for the taking if we have the will to seize it.
Discipleship
This brings me to my final application: discipleship. Fathers, you must get serious about discipling your sons. Teach your sons to embrace righteous Christian authority. Prepare them for the mission ahead. Pray that God will establish their paths, and if it is his will, enable them to do great things in service to our country.
But don’t stop there. There are countless fatherless men in your churches and communities—do not neglect them. Many are hungry for the gospel and for discipleship. They need older, wiser men to serve as spiritual fathers. Do not despise this calling.
Brothers, our country is sick, but it is not lost. Let us reclaim our God-given responsibility to rule justly, confront evil, and restore our nation to its rightful Christian heritage.
