Election Day may determine leaders, but Christ alone is King. His sovereignty challenges us to look past slogans and political cycles, anchoring our lives in His truth and reign. Before we cast our votes, let’s examine where our true allegiance lies—and what that means for every sphere we influence.
Moving Beyond Election Day Slogans
Every time a major election rolls around, the same truisms are regularly heard in churches across the nation: “Jesus isn’t on the ballot,” “Whoever wins, Jesus is still King,” and of course, the constant citation of Psalm 146: “Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man in whom there is no salvation” (Ps. 146:3). These are all valid points and essential reminders, yet, like with so many other things in our Christian life, the sheer repetition and empty recitation of such words can have the effect of turning these into mere slogans rather than radical proclamations of profound truth.
So rather than repeat the lines that we have become so accustomed to, let us instead, on this election day, meditate on what the kingship of Christ actually demands of us and so better comprehend and take rest in the fact that we indeed have received a kingdom that cannot be shaken (Heb. 12:28).
The Election Outcome and the Christian Response
Whatever the result of this presidential election ends up being, it will not be ideal for Christians. To be sure, one outcome would be better for the church than the other, yet in the case of both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, the reality of an administration brazenly operating outside the law of God will be manifest. So whether that administration is one that is willing to ignore the Lordship of Christ for the sake of pragmatism or one actively engaged in total war against the risen King, Christians must not rest on the laurels of a relative “victory” nor despair over a potentially deepening darkness in the days ahead.
Unlike so many of our fellow citizens, Christians must not get caught up in the fashionable narratives of the day or the fanatical fervor of our elections, which are increasingly resembling a high-stakes sporting event (even more so now that legalized gambling has become pervasive even in politics) rather than the sober selection of civil servants. We must remain balanced and steady, a clear and consistent voice amid chaotic clamor and news cycles that are obsessed over and forgotten in less than 24 hours.
If we are to embody this kind of balance, and if our mottos and slogans that come out every election season are to ring true, then we must carefully and continually consider what the fact of Christ’s kingship means for us.
Living the Reality of “Christ is King”
“Christ is King” has relatively recently become a provocative slogan on the right, characterized by some as being a tagline for “White Christian Nationalism.” The disappointing reality is that, while it is refreshing to hear the actual statement of Christ’s Lordship proclaimed by conservatives, these words for those activists often amount to little more than just that: a slogan, a line, a new way to irritate the hyper-sensitive and anti-religious left.
When divorced from a life that demonstrates loyalty to the crown of Christ, the words “Christ is King” become all but meaningless. The Christian faith does not believe in magic words or manifesting; God is the only one whose words accomplish action in themselves. For us, simply saying something true cannot itself do anything. If Christ is King (and He is), we must actually order our lives around this reality. If there is no concrete action in our lives that demonstrates that we actually believe Jesus to be the Sovereign over all creation, then saying the words “Christ is King” will only prove us to be hypocrites. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 7:21).
The reign of Christ is a reality that makes serious demands on our lives. As we prepare to cast our ballots for and inaugurate a new president, we must consider our duties to the King regardless of the outcome of this election. Only when we have these duties straight and are resolved to live self-consciously under the rule of Christ can we say with integrity, “Put not your trust in princes” or “Christ is King.”
Obedience Above All
Of primary importance, then, is that we resolve to obey the Lord above all. When we hear an exhortation like this in the context of an election, our minds tend to go to the anxieties of persecution. If some element of our faith becomes outlawed, if the government is unjustly leveraged against Christians, will we have the strength to stand firm no matter the cost?
This kind of framing also tends to manifest itself in a sort of online “martyr complex.” There can be almost an intentional effort to provoke on social media, to look for ways to incur outrage in order to gain a following and a reputation as a courageous dissident. Now, we must proclaim the truth, even if that truth is outlawed or discouraged, however, before we take to the internet to make our brave stand, we must be doing the thing that is much less public, receives much less praise from man and will not gain us a following, and that is obeying Christ consistently in our own lives, households, and churches.
Faithful Living: The Mark of Kingdom Citizens
It is easy for Christians who are politically engaged, who recognize clearly the wickedness of our government, and who refuse to believe any of the narratives that come from it, to make a public stand in the face of the latest outrageous overreach. Indeed, this ought to be the case; Christians must be at the forefront of speaking up biblically against wicked civil magistrates while faithfully laboring for public justice and righteousness to be enacted.
However, if we ourselves are not honoring Christ as Lord in our own lives, if our character does not reflect Him, and if we are not living as faithful citizens of His kingdom, then all of our activism and outspokenness is hollow. This is not an argument for pietism or privatism; Christ is not merely King in your heart, yet if you have not recognized Him as King in your heart, then you have no business complaining about a nation and its government in rebellion. Consistent, steady obedience and growth over time is the mark of Christ’s kingdom people. If we wish to proclaim Christ is King, and for that message to begin to transform the culture around us, then we need to show forth the radical reality of Christ’s authority in the things we do every day.
Expanding Christ’s Kingdom Through Daily Obedience
So on this election day, examine your heart, life, and sphere of influence first. Are you consciously considering how Christ’s rule is to be applied in the things over which He has made you a steward? Are you actively endeavoring to honor God’s law in every area of life? Are you taking responsibility and dominion in the small things over which God has set you?
Or are you constantly distracted by the latest false narrative pushed out by the political establishment? Are you watching the polls day after day? Are you fretting over whether the elections are fair and above board, are you being continually sucked into the endless pit of information available to us in our modern age? It is easy for us to imagine that because we are informed and up to date, we are effective and potent, yet these do not necessarily correlate. More critical than examining every conspiracy or receiving every update is applying the word of God, by the power of the Holy Spirit, in our lives and among those spheres over which God has granted us influence.
Christ came for the nations, but the nations are made up of individuals, and the chief manner in which you as an individual in this nation show allegiance to Christ is by bringing all that you have into subjection under His law, to rule well in your own household, to fulfill with righteousness your station in life.
Growing the Kingdom, One Small Sphere at a Time
As this is done, every one of us ought to be looking to increase the scope of our sphere, take on greater responsibilities, and have a broader impact on the kingdom according to our abilities. “For to everyone who has more will be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away” (Matt. 25:29). These words of Jesus recorded by Matthew express the same idea as another word He spoke earlier in Matthew’s gospel: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matt. 5:5).
Those who are disciplined in their faith and obedience, who are humble in their reliance upon the Lord, and who exercise their strength and dominion under the law of God, these are the ones who inherit the earth, the ones who have and to whom more will be given. So, as we are faithful in the small things God has given us, He tends to add more responsibility and greater fruitfulness. Therefore, as we order our lives according to the word of God, we ought to consider where else we may bring Christ’s reign to bear within our sphere.
Have we taken responsibility for ourselves within the church and in our communities? Are we actively serving the people around us and giving of ourselves, our time, and our resources? Beyond this, are there actions that we can take at the local and state levels of our government wherein we can bring the law word of God to bear on the scale at which God has placed us? These are the opportunities we should seek after and pray for, all in obedience to God for the sake of His glory and the advance of His kingdom.
Preparing for Persecution
As this occurs, as the reach of faithful Christians and godly churches increases in our own contexts, we may naturally come into conflict with wicked rulers and corrupt authorities. This is a far cry from being online provocateurs bemoaning our grievances over our social media accounts being shut down. The Lord never commanded His people to seek persecution, yet He assured them that persecution would come simply on account of their faithful living.
The apostle Paul reinforces this warning: “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Tim. 3:12). Living explicitly under the reign of Christ as King, following His commands no matter the cost, obeying Him over every other rule, beginning simply with your station in life will bring you into conflict with the world. When this occurs, we do not waver but continue to serve the King. And this is the glorious testimony of faithfulness, the kind of testimony that brings glory to Christ and allows all to see that the exclusive claims of competing sovereigns are at stake. There can be but one ultimate authority and Christians know that it is Jesus; when we simply obey Him and seek to bring that which has been entrusted to our sphere of influence under His dominion and we stalwartly suffer for it, this demonstrates to all that the actual battle is between the risen King and those who would usurp Him to steal His crown.
Therefore, we must take up our cross daily. This means, in the most simple terms, that we must deny ourselves and bring our lives into subjection under Christ, who was enthroned as King after suffering for our sins on the cross. Bring all that you are responsible for into conformity with Christ’s law, no matter the cost. Make no excuses for disorder and disobedience under your dominion, be diligent in bringing God’s word to bear on every area of your life, even where it is uncomfortable, and be ruthless in attacking all sin revealed in you. And as you do this, the Lord may add to your load; He may give you greater crosses to bear, perhaps even the crosses of political persecution, imprisonment, and martyrdom. This is the Lord’s prerogative alone (Jn. 21:18-22); our obligation is simply to obey wherever He has us.
Faithful Obedience in All Spheres: Christ’s Method of Subduing
The fact that Christ is King means that He is subduing all of His enemies; this He does through the methodical, consistent, disciplined faithfulness of His people, by the power of His Spirit, in every sphere of life and culture. Never forget that Jesus said the kingdom is like a mustard seed, small and to some noticeable, yet over time and almost imperceivable, it becomes a mighty tree (Matt. 13:31-32). Our instinct is to do everything big and fast. Like Christ’s disciples, we want to ask, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6). Sometimes, the big elections dominate our attention to the point that we begin to act as if the success or failure of Christ’s kingdom is dependent upon their outcome, and we wish to pour ourselves into the high profile, immense power, big money races in order to exercise big influence and implement significant top-down change. Yet that is not the way of Christ or of the cross. Christ has laid on you, as a citizen of His kingdom, a duty to obey Him in all of life, to bring your sliver of the kingdom into obedience under His reign, and to be spent doing it.
And it is only when we live according to this duty we can resist anxiety regarding this, or any, election and honestly and effectively proclaim, “Christ is King!”
