Charlie Kirk was a luminary, the likes of whom are born to this world perhaps once in a lifetime.  For the past ten years of his foreshortened life, I’ve marveled through hundreds, if not thousands, of hours of his speeches, punditry, sermons, and debates.  His gift for the craft of communicating was uniquely unequaled, yet I cannot remember an instance of him thumbing through notes.

Who is praying on the wall?

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His mastery of subjects like history, philosophy, theology, sociology, and the American formularies confounded his detractors, yet he reveled in boasting that he never went to college. Charlie’s savant-like ability to recall cited statistics during a debate was almost as impressive as his ability to deftly deconstruct tranches of voter data on election nights.

He was bolder than most preachers, and some of his most rousing, seat-shifting messages were delivered in churches. Friends and colleagues attest that Charlie was precisely the same person on stage as off, and every indication confirms that his prayer closet was the most visited space in his life.

Erika and his girls are the most exquisite fruit of Charlie’s life.

His public execution sews trauma in us all. Yet, as vigils and tributes to this astounding man emerge across the country and around the world, the shrieks of the disturbed slice through the mourning with ghoulish pitch.  Similarly to how Pro-Hamas rallies ignited before the slaughter had abated in the Israeli Kibbutzim on October 7, the blood was still wet on Charlie’s microphone when the rabid protestations of his character erupted.

. . .

Stephen, who was a man full of grace and supernatural power, performed many astonishing signs and wonders and mighty miracles among the people. This upset some men belonging to a sect who called themselves the Men Set Free . . . They all confronted Stephen to argue with him.   

~ The Acts of the Apostles, 6:8-9

The Book of Acts presents to us Stephen, the first martyr of the Church. Scripture tells us of his magnificent, yet foreshortened public ministry, which included pubic debate, signs, wonders, and miracles. Charlie may not have been granting sight to the blind — Or was he?

Countless testimonials continue to emerge from the numerous young adults who credit the awakening of their faith in Jesus Christ with TPUSA, the organization Charlie founded and led as CEO for the past 13 years. TPUSA’s billions of views across social media platforms undoubtedly tipped the last election, but more so are eternally responsible for rescuing students from ideological capture. These two factors made Charlie especially dangerous.

Though 2000 years apart, might Charlie’s days and Stephen’s days portray to us the same ongoing war between two kingdoms? The war between the Kingdom of Light and the Kingdom of Darkness.

Men Set Free?

In Acts 6, when an activist organization lends itself the moniker “Men Set Free,” we can predict with 100% certainty that they were neither men nor free. Like today’s swarming hive that calls themselves Antifa — They are neither against fascism nor can they define the word. And they certainly have neither the intellect nor the maturity to hold reasoned conversations.

When [Stephen’s opponents] heard these things, they were overtaken with violent rage filling their souls, and they gnashed their teeth at him. But Stephen, overtaken with great faith, was full of the Holy Spirit.

His accusers covered their ears with their hands and screamed at the top of their lungs to drown out his voice 

~ Acts 7:54, 57

The maelstrom of invectives being hurled at Charlie’s empty chair is both dispiriting and demonic. The predictably dim, collectivist insults are chumming the cultural waters as trained petulant piranhas emerge from their murky lairs to lather and froth into their next feeding frenzy. The game makers open their rusty tackle box and sinisterly muse; What are the fish biting on today?

The worn-out lures with dulled hooks are tied to the lines, and the broadcasting begins.  The luring slurs of racist, bigot, homophobe, fascist, misogynist, white supremacist, xenophobe, Christian nationalist, Nazi, and transphobe haplessly hit the waters, and the ferocious churning roils the waters.

The fish can’t tell the difference between a lure and a slur, but the game maker’s goal is not to catch fish. The game maker’s goal is to agitate the otherwise peaceful waters into violent chaos.

The Men Set Free agitated the crowd, the elders, and the religious scholars, then seized Stephen and forcefully took him before the supreme council. One after another, false witnesses stepped forward and accused Stephen.

~ Acts 6:12

Subdue Or Be Subdued

Christians all too casually speak of spiritual warfare as if invisible poofs of misty thoughts flit about, tempting us to lie or swear.  But when the Apostle Paul explains that the invisible realm is densely populated with world forces of dark power, invisible wickedness, the devil’s strategies, and rulers and authorities in the unseen territories, the post-Enlightenment Western mind goes on the fritz.

Creation’s enemy is not flesh and blood.  But it is perilously foolish not to perceive that these evil, spiritual forces animate flesh and blood all around us every day.  And always have.

It is the grandest of errors for preachers to avoid politics because by doing so, only the opposing kingdom is pleased.  Politics, simply put, is the ordering of communities in a manner to maximize human flourishing.  Christians should never let fear, corrupt politicians, or captured media trick them into abdicating their immutable Edenic calling: To fill the earth and subdue it.

The Hebrew word used for “subdue” is intentionally forceful.  In its context, it means to bring under control and make subservient.  Practically speaking, if we don’t subdue the earth, the earth will subdue us.

Churches that feign neutrality in politics are often the most political in their influence, ceding their God-given authority to the many dark forces eager to have a go at societal subjugation. Imagine preachers trying to reach the world with the Gospel, yet are desperately afraid to confront the gaping divisions sitting in their pews.

The Real Enemy 

Resist the principality of cable news and corporate media outlets because they are part of this most dangerous game.  The teleprompter talking heads pretend to commentate on this cosmic chess match, but they have been subdued by the game makers who want you to view our citizenry as pieces on the board. However, none of this is perceptible until you realize they are projecting a simulation, the board is not real, and the rules on the box top are hidden.

Take Charlie’s shooter.  At the time of writing, the official investigation is wholly unreliable, but emerging evidence reveals he was radicalized with Antifa ideology.  The time has come for us to know the difference between being radicalized and being demonized.

This is where the chessboard metaphor becomes both clarifying and terrifying. For the last ten years, the malevolent media has actively engaged in a carefully choreographed symphony to foment the luring slurs listed earlier. When one team is labeled Nazi’s, fascists, xenophobes, and misogynists, the other team believes the only noble thing to do is resist, riot, intimidate, and shoot.

What we fail to realize is that it’s the same game makers who orchestrate, fund, and control both sides of the board.

It’s at this point that the Christian hops onto the board, trying to engage in a meaningful debate.  What they fail to realize is that whether they are standing on a red square or a black square, they have already lost because they are playing by the other kingdom’s rules.

. . .

One of Charlie’s last tweets lends us insight into his understanding of the war between these two kingdoms:

No civilization has ever collapsed because it prays too much. But a civilization that abandons God will deteriorate and ultimately collapse from the inside out, or because it loses the will to repel a malicious, external force.

~ Charlie Kirk on X, September 3, 2025

The microphone was to Charlie what length of hair was to Samson.  While each possessed the outward sign of their inward calling, their power against malicious forces was unmatched.  But unlike Samson, whose source of power was a secret, Charlie proudly proclaimed the source of his strength.

The Holy Spirit gave Stephen remarkable wisdom to answer them. His words were prompted by the Holy Spirit, and they could not refute what he said. 

~ Acts 6:10

Samson lived to see his locks hit the floor.  Charlie’s last breath was with his microphone in hand. And both will be revered throughout the ages and beyond.

Charlie Kirk is a Christian martyr. The Kingdom of Light, which he represented on earth, has now received him with joy and exultation.  At the same time, the kingdom of darkness is being more and more revealed as the death cult it is.  And in the uncovering, we should all see more clearly now.

The Father has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness, transferred us to the Kingdom of His beloved Son, and promises that the Kingdom of God is within those who will receive Him.

Therefore, may each one of us receive Christ and live in the fullness of this heavenly transference from darkness to Light.  May we tend well to the garden of our hearts. And then, from that place, may we subdue the gardens the Lord has placed each one of us in. May our lives bountifully bear in these gardens robust fruit, human flourishing, and peace with God.

Then I heard a voice from the heavenly realm, saying, “Write this: Blessed are those who die in the Lord . . . they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”

~ Revelation 14:13

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Keith Guinta blogs at www.winepatch.org. He is a husband and father, and he has been a worship leader and church planter. Photo Credit: CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images.