Spiritual Warfare Rhetoric Dangerous to American Democracy

Last month, JD Vance appeared at a Pennsylvania town hall hosted by a self-proclaimed prophet and political activist, Lance Wallnau. It was part of the Courage Tour, aimed at charismatic and independent Christians (those who embrace the so-called “gifts of the Spirit,” such as modern prophecy, supernatural healing and “speaking in tongues”) in key counties in the battleground for mobilize for Donald Trump.

As documented in “The Violent Take It By Force: The Christian Movement that is Threatening our Democracy” by Matthew D. Taylor, Wallnau is a leading figure in a radical Christian supremacist movement known as the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR). Taylor demonstrates how the NAR has become a powerful new political force within the MAGA movement and the Christian right.

NAR leaders believe that Christians are divinely destined to govern society. They promote the so-called “Mandate of the Seven Mountains,” a plan in which God orders conservative Christians to conquer seven spheres of influence in society: government, religion, media, arts and entertainment, education, family and business.

This idea has spread widely beyond NAR circles and has greatly influenced the views of many American Christians on the relationship between religion and politics. According to a June 2024 poll by the Public Religion Research Institute, 39% of Republicans, 48% of white evangelical Protestants, and 51% of Americans who most trust conservative news sources agreed that “ “God wants Christians to take control of the 7 Mountains.” of society.

These Christ-authoritarians also use the inflammatory language of “spiritual warfare” to irritate their followers by demonizing fellow Americans who disagree with them. Neighbors are considered spiritual enemies. Democrats are considered to be possessed by demons. Legitimate political differences are presented as part of a supernatural struggle between good and evil, God and Satan.

Wallnau has declared that “the left is loaded with demons,” Kamala Harris is “the devil’s choice,” and her campaign is under “demonic power.” He alleges that Harris represents “the spirit of Jezebel,” referring to an old misogynistic trope, based on the biblical story of the evil Israelite queen Jezebel, who used her seductive powers to usurp male authority and spread evil. That language portrays Harris as the archenemy, an unholy and amoral danger to right-wing Christians in their holy war to reclaim America for God.

This spiritual warfare rhetoric has become widespread within the Republican Party. Shortly after the 2020 election results were announced, House Speaker Mike Johnson, along with many other Republican leaders, participated in prayer calls hosted by NAR Apostle Jim Garlow to invoke divine intervention to keep Trump in power. In one of those calls, Johnson said Garlow has been “a profound influence on my life.” The language of spiritual warfare also played a key role in the mobilization of the January 6 insurrectionists.

On January 31, 2024, President Johnson and two dozen members of Congress met with NAR and other religious right leaders for the “National Gathering for Prayer and Repentance” in DC. They spent hours in prayer and repentance mixed with spiritual warfare on behalf of the nation. At the Republican National Convention last July, a Heritage Foundation event promoting Project 2025 culminated in a speech by Tucker Carlson, who told attendees that they are in a “spiritual battle” against “anti-human” forces that want eliminate Christians.

This careless and dangerous rhetoric creates a structure that allows violence, the resort to extreme measures to obtain the desired result. If political elections are seen as part of an apocalyptic spiritual battle between God and Satan, then your fellow Americans become your enemies and the path to constructive dialogue is obliterated. In the end, it is democracy that loses.

(Dr. Peter Jauhiainen is a professor of religious studies at Kirkwood Community College specializing in American religious history.)

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