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Writer's pictureBible Brian

Donald Trump: Probably not who you think he is


Historical context: This article was originally written in August 2024, during the U.S. presidential race between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. Eventually, a lot of this specific information will become irrelevant, but the Biblical principles in view will still be important.


The modern world contains few figures as controversial as president Donald J. Trump. From the moment he announced his first presidential election campaign to the modern day, people have both demonised and idolised him. To many, he is the biggest existential threat the Western world has ever faced. To others, he stops just shy of being the promised Messiah, who will restore the Kingdom to America at this time (see Acts 1:1-6 if you don't understand that reference).


All cards on the table, I'm quite supportive of Donald Trump as far as politicians go. He was a good president, and I believe he will be again. And for reasons I consider to be obvious, I'm not a huge fan of either Joe Biden, or Kamala Harris, whom I believe are extremely destructive, to put it mildly. That being said, I have absolutely no intention of writing a defence article of Donald Trump on Bible Brain. The reason for this is that, as far as the Bible goes, Donald Trump simply isn't that relevant.


But the Bible isn't quite so irrelevant to him. He is a political figure, and Biblically speaking, there are many political figures that are worth paying attention to, with some of them being explicitly mentioned in Scripture. Some of them are recorded in a historical sense. King Solomon, for example, is a historical politician whom the Bible draws our attention to. It tells us of the things he did, and what we should think about them. Others are recorded in a prophetic sense. The anti-Christ, for example, will be a politician who does certain things. As of yet, however, we do not know his exact identity.


There are also senses in which politicians are described. King David, for example, is supposed to be viewed in a shaded, but positive light. Because of his sin, we cannot say he is an altogether perfect figure. In fact, that is an attribute we can ascribe to Christ alone. We are intended to understand that anyone besides Christ, regardless of their standing with God, is a sinner, in need of grace, just as we are. However, for various reasons, David is an overall positive figure.


Other politicians, such as Pharaoh, are shown to be negative figures. They are still relevant to us in many ways, such as showing the power of God, but because of his negative posture against God, he is a negative figure. That being said, God makes it clear that He gave Pharaoh his power. We are supposed to learn from this, too.


Donald Trump is not directly mentioned in any of these senses. He is a modern figure, not a historical one. Nor does he fit any particular prophecy. Because of this, he is not directly mentioned in a positive or negative light.


This can, and often does lead Christians to be entirely apathetic towards him. However, as the Bible is not silent on politics, this isn't really an option that is available to us - especially not in societies where we have the privilege to actually vote.


Setting Trump aside for a moment, it's important for us, as Christians, to know that God judges the heart more than success. When we look at the Exodus, for example, we see that from the very beginning, God was "...sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not even by a mighty hand." (Exodus 3:19). That is, while He was commanding Moses to speak to Pharaoh on His behalf, He knew full well Moses would fail. Pharaoh would not do as God commanded.


In much the same way, we, as Christians, must participate in Democratic processes in a way that is pleasing to God, even if, by His wisdom, He does not bless our efforts. Remember, He is judging every vote we cast (or abstain from), regardless of whether or not that vote leads to victory. To put it in a semi-Biblical way, God may raise Pharaoh up, but we must vote for Moses.


It's also important for us to note that things can actually go poorly for us if we take the Godly route (whatever that may be, Trump is still not directly in view at this point). John the Baptist, for example, was a Godly figure whose primary purpose was preparing the way for the Lord (Matthew 3:1-3). That is, his life's purpose was heavily Gospel-focused, yet what ultimately got him martyred wasn't his Gospel preaching. Rather, he preached on marital ethics to none other than King Herod, to whom he said "It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife." (Mark 6:18). This same passage explains that this is why John was ultimately beheaded.


This, again, shows us that apathy is not an option. We often hear from supposedly "apolitical" Christians (who, more often than not, are really just using it as a cloak to shut down discussion against their own political views) that if something isn't a Gospel issue, we should just leave it alone. But here is John, a man not even granted the luxury of the right to vote, and also a man dedicated specifically to Gospel service, forfeiting his Earthly life to speak truth to power. This is the hill he chose to die on!


Finally, it's important to note Jesus' words to Pilate when Pilate threatened to crucify Him. We read in John 19:10-11: "Then Pilate said to Him, “Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?” Jesus answered, “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.”"


This sums up the entire issue. In effect, God controls politics almost entirely. He raised up Pharaoh, who refused to free the Jews. He raised up Herod, who married his brother's wife and murdered John the Baptist. He raised up Pilate, who gave Christ over to be crucified. These are all very bad leaders who did some very bad things, all of whom were in the position to do so by the power of God. Thus, whoever our rulers are, we, as Christians, must obey God primarily, voting for Godly leaders and speaking truth to power, regardless of the Earthly outcome, and even if God does grant victory to wickedness, we must not join in with it.


So now we go back to Trump. How are we to view him? The two extremes are viewing him as some kind of Messiah, and seeing him as some kind of antichrist. For many, Trump is God's anointed. Even some so-called "prophets" foretell of his victory in the upcoming election. It's important to note, they did the same during the 2020 election. Even after Biden was declared the victor, these "prophets" still maintained that Trump would somehow get back in anyway. Key dates continued to fail, excuses continued to pile up, and to this very day, none of the prophets who promised the Trump presidency would continue have repented of the falsehoods they spoke in Jesus' name.


So, first, it's important for us to use discernment. Just because there are scores of so-called prophets promising us God is backing Donald Trump doesn't necessarily mean He is. We cannot take a Trump victory for granted, nor does his support from Christian leaders necessarily mean he is a Godly choice.


Now again, there is nothing up my sleeve here: I am pro-Trump, and I'm not going to attempt to hide that bias. However, it's important for us not to become so focused on one man that we trust in him to solve all our problems. When we look at Donald Trump, what we must see is a flawed human being. That does mean, first of all, we must recognise his flaws, too. Many pro-Trump Christians get quite upset at the slightest hint of a criticism. It is as if he has become a substitute for Christ.


But much like David, he has his sins. Amazingly, not as much as he is accused of. Try though they may (and they did, and they are), Trump's enemies have failed miserably to get him on anything beyond the usual. As far as politicians go, Donald Trump is perhaps the cleanest figure who has ever made a bid for the White House, at least in my lifetime. Nevertheless, Donald Trump, much like all human beings, is a sinner, and we must acknowledge that. Aside from the fact it is a requirement for justice, we cannot allow the world to think otherwise.


It's also important for us to recognise the ultimate purpose of government. When Paul speaks of this issue, he says "Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am speaking the truth in Christ and not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth." (1 Timothy 2:1-7).


The purpose of government is not, as some Christians suggest, to enforce the Christian faith by law. Christ Himself denounced this idea, saying "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here." (John 18:36). Thus, we do not fight for some modern Theocracy. In due time, Christ will take His own throne on the Earth, for which He will need no help what so ever from us. In the mean time, we are to act as Christians in whatever system we find ourselves.


Suppose Donald Trump loses, and Kamala Harris becomes president of the U.S.A. This would be tragic, for sure, but we do have to acknowledge the possibility. If it happens, first, the faith of many Christians may be shaken. But this will be because false prophets failed, not because God did. And that's really the main problem I'm trying to address here. When we look to man, man can fail. Donald Trump can fail. And so we need to look at him as simply the most likely candidate to give us the peaceful lives Paul tells us to pray for. Donald Trump is very pro-First Amendment (which, for my non-American audience, is a constitutional guarantee that the government cannot legally prohibit the free and peaceful expression of political or religious views), whereas the Democrats actively campaign against it. Thus, there can be no doubt that Donald Trump is a significantly better candidate than Kamala Harris.


But we also need to prepare for the very real possibility that Trump will lose. If he even survives. Attempts have been made on his life, one of which literally missed by less than an inch. If Trump loses, God did not fail. It's just that, in His infinite and unsearchable wisdom, He can raise up tyrants, just as He did in the past. We must trust Him in these cases, and as hard as I know it is (as a British citizen living under the rule of Two Tier Kier, I know it's hard to pray for evil rulers), we must pray for the current ruler so that we might live peaceful lives in all reverence.


But perhaps more worrying than those who trust Trump so much that their faith will be shaken if he fails is that there are some Christians actively routing for him to fail. I remember a while back, the worship leader one Sunday actively prayed against both Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in the same prayer. When I gently took him aside after the service, he claimed Trump incites violence among his followers. Of course, as he's a Brit, I can't blame him for this mistake. British propaganda outlets, such as the BBC, are certainly no friends to Donald Trump.


Nevertheless, it's a fact that many Christians are opposed to Donald Trump to the extent that he is as much their focus as those whose faith will be shaken if he loses. So much so that they don't just want him to fail, but are actually supportive of his opponents. The very same opponents who, as I have already pointed out, support legal restrictions on the free expression of Christian faith. I even recently encountered a woman who is so laser-focused on her opposition of Trump and, more explicitly, his running mate J.D. Vance, that she saw a meme promoting marriage on a Christian page and immediately began ranting against him. The meme did not mention Donald Trump, J.D. Vance, or Project 2025 (which neither Trump, nor Vance, actually support), yet it immediately brought her mind to them, and no one could get her back.


Now, marriage is a good, Godly thing. God loves marriage, hates divorce, judges adultery/fornication, requires monogamy of his pastors, and asks for us to bear and raise Godly offspring within its context. Obviously, this is only an ideal, it's not always possible. In a sin-stained world, there are many obstacles to the ideal.


But one cannot deny, whether it is the will of God for Donald Trump to be the man to do it, it is the will of God for marriage to be a protected institution. Thus, if memes promoting this idea conjure negative images in your mind, you have a problem. This is especially the case if Godly concepts cause you to think negatively against Godly politicians, or positively towards reprobate politicians.


So, I suppose the summary here is that there are three very bad views regarding Donald Trump, but a fair few Biblical ones. The first bad view is to love him so much, it becomes a distraction from the Gospel. Remember, Jesus is our Messiah, and human solutions are only duct tape on a leaky pipe. Great for a short while, but it won't hold for long. Ultimately, God is sovereign, and He may return Trump to the White House, but He may also thwart him. Our trust must be in Christ, not in Trump, and especially not in the false prophets who failed to accurately predict the election results. Worryingly, if Trump becomes our central focus, God may even thwart him just for sake of bringing our minds back into focus.


The second bad view is to hate Trump so much, it becomes a distraction from the Gospel. The Gospel is an opposition to the sin which brought us death, and the promise of forgiveness for those who place their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Sin, and by extension the devil who drives us to it, are the enemy, but Donald Trump is merely another sinner in need of God's grace. As Christians, we do not war against flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12), which means really, even the sinners who abuse political office are not our true enemies. God will judge their sins, but it is our place to trust in Him and pray for them. If they get saved, great for us. If not, we're due for some troublesome times on Earth, but Jesus promised us we would experience trials and tribulations (John 16:33).


The third bad view is apathy. There is a saying, "don't be so Heavenly minded that you're of no Earthly good". While it can often be abused, being thrown at anyone who so much as hints at having a Heavenly mind, it's actually true. God didn't leave us in this world to think only of Heaven. We are supposed to speak truth to power, not just the specifically Gospel-related truths, but all Biblical truths.


But then what are the good views? In truth, a mixture of the three. Of course, I firmly support Donald Trump, I pray he wins the 2024 election, and I'll be quite sad if he doesn't. We've already seen the absolute destruction - on a global scale - that comes from an incompetent president. If Kamala Harris enters the White House, the whole world is in for some serious problems, and only Christ will be able to save us. But we do need to call Trump out when he does wrong, especially since whatever he does wrong will reflect poorly on the God he now gratefully credits with saving his life. Souls are at stake! But finally, we need to remember that whoever rules a given country, God rules the Heavens and the Earth. There is nothing a leader can do, good or bad, that is outside of God's power. Thus, we should speak, act, and vote as if we can change things, but understand in our hearts that we can't. We just know the God who can, and He will reward us for what we do, not the results thereof.


In short, therefore, our posture should not necessarily be pro-Trump, but ultimately, pro-Christ. Where Trump is pro-Christ, we should support him. Where Trump falls short, we should admonish him. Whoever wins an election, we should trust in God, knowing that He holds the future, and He is the sole flawless King in a Kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it know the turmoil common on our planet. Donald Trump rose, Donald Trump fell, Donald Trump may rise or fall again, but Christ alone raised from the dead, incorruptible, and able to grant that same eternal life to those who place their faith in Him. Therefore, our view of Donald Trump should simply be whatever is most conducive to building, and populating, the Kingdom of God.

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