“A time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace” (Eccl. 3:8).

“From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force” (Matthew 11:12, ESV).

Immediately when considering what to do with cultural-Marxists, I resort to my evangelical slogans – love the Marxist hate the Marxism. After all, God is love. Those who love are of God.” Isn’t that right?

In cases where an avowed enemy has declared and acted in accordance with a view of annihilating the Christian faith, believers, and families, this seems like too tepid a response. Protestantism has a long and distinguished history of resisting oppressive authority. One might rightly argue that it was in fact oppression by ungodly authority that necessitated the movement in the first place.

The Scottish and English, in particular, made great academic strides in this field. De Jure Regni apud Scotos Dialogus, A Dialogue on the Law of Kingship among the Scots, by George Buchanan was the fountainhead of a cascade of works that led to the elimination of the notion of “divine rights of kings.”

The next landmark work was by Rev. Samuel Rutherford writing Lex Rex or The Law and King: A Dispute for the Just Prerogative of King and People. This work, drenched in scripture, lays out the case that all rulers were to be subject to the laws of God. Any supposed king, ruler, who failed to do so lost his [or her] moral authority to exercise rule. This paved the way for a path for the obedient to oppose the crown.

Protestant leaders like Johnathan Mathew who preached from Psalm 74:1,8 and applied it to the Repeal of the Stamp-Act. Jacob Duché preached from Galatians 5:1 on, “The Duty of Standing Fast in Our Liberties.” Samuel Langdon preached on Isaiah 1:26, “Government Corrupted by Vice.” William Smith preached from Joshua 22:22 on “The Crisis of American Affairs.” The list is full of evangelical pastors who provided the moral framework for the War for Independence – John Joachim Zubly, John Hurt, William Gordon, Nathaniel Whitaker, Oliver Hart, Samuel Stillman, David Tappan, John Rodgers, and George Duffield among others. Those preached sermons against the tyranny of George III and provided theological weight to what constituted governance by God.

It is a grave miscalculation to assume that Protestant clergymen had little to do with the Revolution. Historian Alice Baldwin (1958) wrote, “There is not a right asserted in the Declaration of Independence which had not been discussed by the New England clergy before 1763” (p. 170). He further lauded that “the pulpits have thundered” in the cause of liberty (Vol. III, p. 354).

Although Adams was cautious regarding revivals of religion. He claimed they “… attend the most cruel extremities of anarchy, despotism, and civil war [noting popes, Jesuits, Inquisitions, Sorbonnes, and massacres]” (Vol. X, p. 174). He did not liken the Protestants to these extremes, however. Instead, he identified two Congregationalists ministers among the four most “ardent and influential” leaders up to the Revolution – namely Drs. Jonathan Mayhew and Samuel Cooper (Vol. X, p. 268).

It was not just Adams who held this view. Countless newspaper op-eds and pamphleteers rolled out sermon after sermon. Less than a generation after the events, The American Quarterly Register (1833) would summarize, “As a body of men, the clergy were pre-eminent in their attachment to liberty. The pulpits of the land rang with the notes of freedom” (p. 217).

On occasion, after the sermons, some would grab their muskets and lead
their flock to wage battle. This resulted in freedom, affluence, and
spread of Christianity throughout the country and world.

So, what must we do with the Cultural Marxists? If they can be obstructed by all social, educational, political, and legal means, then that is the first recourse. However, if they attain unobstructed power such that all of their ideologies are creating a tyranny, taking a page from Bonhoeffer, the following list is by no means comprehensive or sufficiently granular to address all contingencies. …

1. Think through a Biblical theology on the use of force and use it to deconstruct those power-centers who are hostile to the rightful rule of King Jesus (I John 5:19; ).
2. As the apostles taught that “judgement must begin at the house of God,” exercise Biblical church discipline (I Peter. 4:17). Not mere disassociation, but exercise the powers given to the church to bind the rebellious and loose things on earth that comport with the will of God as revealed in the Scripture through the Holy Spirit. Those who are unrepentant, give them over to Satan in order to restore them to community with God and the church.
3. As Christ taught us of millstones being hung around the necks of any who cause a child to stumble,” return our children to an educational system that reflects the Christian faith and values (Luke 17:2). If it cannot be done in public schools, then in Christian schools, the church, or home.
4. By asserting Christ’s Word as the highest law that supersedes all other obligations by the church, extricate all entanglements between the church and state (Matthew 4:4; Ephesians 1:22).
5. Develop associations with other Christian churches beyond the restrictions of denominations who have a vested interest in securing religious freedom (I Corinthians 1:10-17).
   
6. Coordinate a convocation of evangelical churches and draft something like the 6 Principles of the Barmen Declaration that specifically assert the sole authority and headship of Christ over the church – not to be subordinated by any state or institution. In turn, use this as a platform to “push back” against state over-reach.
7. Increase evangelism, church-planting, and renew a focus on home missions, using all of the means of communications afforded by Divine Providence (Matthew 28:18-20). 
8. In cases where worldly powers are directed to demolish the church and/or bring harm to its members, use all means necessary as made clear in sound Biblical interpretation and theology of a Just War to protect and defend fellow believers and extend protections to the oppressed as is afforded by Divine Providence.
   
9. Take a page from Martin Luther King. Non-violent resistance. Overcome evil with good. Overcome hate with love.

Sources

Baldwin, A. M. (1958). The New England clergy and the American Revolution. Frederick Ungar.

Cochrane, A. C. (1962). The church’s confession under Hitler. https://sacred-texts.com/chr/barmen.htm

Lewis, C. S. (2001). Mere christianity. Zondervan.

The American Quarterly Register. (1833). History of revivals of religion, From the settlement of the country to the present time. Vol. 5. Perkins and Marvin.