Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Progressive Christian
Politics and Religion
How ‘God’s Will’ Became a Campaign Strategy

How ‘God’s Will’ Became a Campaign Strategy

Last updated on: October 1, 2024 at 3:45 am by Stuart Delony

1 Comment

How ‘God’s Will’ Became a Campaign Strategy 2024-09-30T16:53:26-04:00 Stuart Delony

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Image created via Leonardo.ai

Lance Wallnau has earned a spot in the Christian Crazy Hall of Fame on Snarky Faith. If you’re not familiar with him, don’t worry—you will be soon.

You’ve got to hand it to Wallnau. Not everyone can get 700 people to believe that the path to eternal life involves campaigning for Donald Trump and JD Vance. But here we are, America, where reality has taken a detour, and apparently, immortality is just a voter registration drive away. You might think this sounds absurd, but Wallnau’s traveling circus—sorry, I mean, Courage Tour—has turned into the hottest show in town for anyone looking to mix prophecy with politics.

So what’s the pitch this time? Well, according to Wallnau, your ticket to cheating death involves becoming a poll watcher or knocking on doors for Trump. God apparently has a list of “unfulfilled assignments” that’ll keep you out of the grave as long as you’re passing out MAGA flyers. Because, sure, that’s how divine plans work now. Forget miracles; the key to eternal life is canvassing in swing states.

The Prophecy Hustle

Wallnau’s revival isn’t just a church service; it’s a campaign strategy session wrapped in a Pentecostal bow. The man’s managed to fuse PowerPoint slides with speaking in tongues, turning a basic political rally into a bizarre mashup of spiritual warfare and multi-level marketing. And at the center of this cosmic pyramid scheme is—you guessed it—Donald Trump, who’s apparently on a mission from God to save America from the “forces of evil.” If you’re wondering when the Bible started reading like a bad action movie script, so am I.

Here’s where it gets fun: Wallnau’s followers are all in. They’re convinced Trump is some modern-day Cyrus the Great, destined to lead them to the promised land of low taxes and high drama. And somehow, they’ve managed to ignore the fact that Trump couldn’t tell you a Beatitude from a Big Mac if his life depended on it. But hey, when you’re selling a prophecy, who’s got time for details?

Spiritual Warfare or Just Campaigning?

Wallnau’s favorite phrase is “spiritual warfare,” but let’s be real—it’s just code for political power-grabbing. His followers aren’t battling “the gates of hell”; they’re just trying to make sure their guy wins the next election. And yet, they’ve somehow managed to convince themselves that casting a vote is the equivalent of smiting demons. This is what happens when you mix religion with a Red Bull-fueled obsession with political dominance. They’re not interested in finding Jesus; they’re interested in finding a path to the White House.

And that’s the rub. The whole thing is a cosmic joke—if it weren’t so terrifyingly real. Wallnau isn’t peddling faith; he’s peddling fear, and it sells like hotcakes to anyone desperate for a sense of purpose. The folks under that big white tent aren’t there to save souls—they’re there to save America, one conspiracy theory at a time.

When Politics Becomes a ‘Divine’ Mandate

Here’s where it goes off the rails: Wallnau and his crew have turned their beliefs into a zero-sum game, where anyone who isn’t on Team Trump is automatically a minion of Satan. They’ve convinced themselves they’re on a holy mission to rid America of evil, and they’ll do it by any means necessary—facts, logic, and basic decency be damned. When you start believing your political opponents are literal demons, you’re not just playing a dangerous game—you’ve chucked the rulebook out the window.

This isn’t faith; it’s fanaticism dressed up in a suit and tie. It’s a quest for power masked as a spiritual journey. And what’s worse is that Wallnau’s managed to rebrand religious zealotry as a patriotic duty. He’s not saving souls—he’s stirring the pot, and it’s bubbling over with bad theology and even worse intentions.

Blurring the Line Between Church and State

Wallnau’s vision is clear as mud: a future where America bows to a Christian nationalist agenda, one Trump rally at a time. It’s not about bringing people to God—it’s about bringing them to the polls. And if you’re scratching your head, wondering when faith became a stepping stone to political power, welcome to the club. Turns out, the line between church and state isn’t just blurred; it’s been erased, redrawn, and then scribbled over with a Sharpie by folks who think God’s only job is to be their campaign manager.

You see, Wallnau’s game is simple: convince enough people that Trump is the chosen one, and suddenly, politics isn’t just a dirty business—it’s a divine mandate. It’s a power grab in Jesus’ name, and if that doesn’t make you question everything you thought you knew about faith, then congratulations, you’re probably already on the mailing list.

The Gospel According to Trump

As someone who’s been inside organized religion and watched it warp into something unrecognizable, I’ve seen this dance before. Wallnau and his traveling band of prophets aren’t bringing anyone closer to God. They’re bringing them closer to the ballot box, and they’re doing it with a wink, a nod, and a shofar blast for good measure. They’ve turned Christianity into a political rally, where the altar call involves pledging your vote instead of your soul.

And as we march toward yet another election cycle with shofars blaring and tongues wagging, you’ve got to wonder: When did following Jesus mean following a political candidate?

Maybe that’s the real prophecy we should be paying attention to—that in their quest for power, Wallnau and his crew have lost sight of the very thing they claim to be fighting for.

For more Snarky Faith, check out the podcast:

Evangelical

Religion News

Christian Nationalism

Lance Wallnau

New Apostolic Reformation

Politics and Religion

spiritual warfare

Trump prophecy movement

About Stuart Delony

I’m Stuart Delony, a former pastor who walked out of the church but couldn’t shake the ways of Jesus. These days, I host Snarky Faith—a podcast and platform that wrestles with faith, culture, and meaning from the fringe. I’m not here to fix Christianity. I’m here to name what’s broken, find what’s still worth keeping, and hold space for the questions that don’t have clean answers. If you’ve been burned, disillusioned, or just done with the noise—welcome. You’re in good company. You can read more about the author here.

Previous Post

September 24, 2024

Biblical Doomscrolling: The Holier-Than-Thou Way to Miss It

Next Post

October 8, 2024 The Cure for Loneliness

Recent Comments

1 Comment | Leave a Comment

"I've seen Noah believers use the claim "every culture tells stories of a flood, so ..."

EarthGrowl

Noah Was Never About the Animals

"So we shouldn't obey God?"

Harold Porter

Noah Was Never About the Animals

"Great article, Stuart. Important insights.For many years, as a theologically "educated" Evangelical (all well pre-MAGA, ..."

Howard Pepper

Noah Was Never About the Animals

"https://media1.giphy.com/me..."

Stuart Delony

Noah Was Never About the Animals

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Abuse & Power abuse coverups Abuse in the Church Advent AI AI and Technology American Christianity American democracy American Evangelicalism American Governance Antisemitism Apocalypse Culture Apocalyptic Theology Authentic Love Author Insights Authoritarianism Bible Bible & Scripture Bible Criticism Biblical Authority Biblical Interpretation Biblical Satire Book of Revelation book reviews Books and Reviews Capitalism Catholicism Charismatic Christianity Christian Activism Christian apocalypse culture Christian Commentary Christian Conservatism Christian Critique Christian Culture Christian History Christian Literature Christian Living Christian Music Christian Mysticism Christian Myths Christian Nationalism Christian Satire Christian Traditions Christian Zionism Christianity Christmas Church & Culture Church Abuse Church Accountability Church and State church corruption Church Critique Church Culture Church History Church Leadership Church Power and Abuse Churches of God Civil Rights Comic Book Analysis Commentary community Complementarianism Conservative Politics Conspiracy Theories Consumerism conversations cosmic philosophy Creation and Spirituality Creationism Critical Essays critical thinking Critique Cults Cultural Commentary cultural identity culture Culture and Society Culture Critique culture war Christianity Culture Wars Current Event Data & Religion Deconstruction Dominionism Dunning-Krueger Effect Easter Economics Editorial Education and Religion Election Emotional Health in Religion Emotional Wellness Empire End Times End Times Theology Environment Environmental Collapse equality Eschatology ethics Evangelical Culture Evangelical Hypocrisy Evangelicalism Evangelicalism Critique Evangelism existential journey Exorcisms Faith Faith & Culture Faith & Deconstruction Faith & Doubt Faith & Identity Faith & Politics Faith and Culture faith and doubt Faith and Mental Health Faith and Power Faith and Spirituality Faith critique Faith Deconstruction Faith Exploration Faith Formation faith journey Faith vs. Science Faith-based Scams False Prophets family Family and Relationships Family Gatherings Feminism Feminism and Conservatism football Gaza gender Gender and Power Gender Equality Gender Roles Geopolitics gospel music Grace Grief and Loss Growth and Change Gun Violence Hamas Healing and Recovery Healthcare Justice historical analysis History History and Religion Holiday Survival Holidays hope Humor Identity Idolatry in Modern Christianity Independence Day Intellectual Reads Interfaith Dialogue interview Israel Jesus' Teachings Kamala Kamala Harris Lament Late-Stage Capitalism leadership LGBTQ+ Literary Analysis Love MAGA Masculinity Meaning & Ethics Media Analysis Media and Religion Memorial Day mental health Militarism mimetic theory Misinterpretations Misogyny Modern Christianity modern culture modern faith Monasticism Music Music and Culture Mysticism Nationalism Nature and the Divine NCAA NDA opinion Orthodoxy vs Orthopraxy Pacifism Patriarchy Peace Personal Development Personal Growth Personal Reflection philosophy Philosophy of Faith podcast Political Commentary Political Humor Political Theology politics Politics & Culture politics & current events Politics and Religion pop culture Post-Evangelical power and control Power and Religion Power Dynamics Privilege Progressive Christian Progressive Christianity Prophetic Satire Prophetic Witness Prosperity Gospel psychology Psychology and Society Purity Culture Quantum Physics radical love rapture theology Recognizing Cultish Behavior Reflection and Critique Refugee & Immigration Policy Relationships Religion Religion & Culture Religion & Politics Religion & Spirituality Religion and Ethics Religion and Politics Religion and Public Safety Religion and Science Religion and Society Religion History Religion News Religious Accountability Religious Criticism Religious Critique Religious Diversity Religious Hypocrisy Religious Propaganda religious satire Reproductive Rights Resilience Resurrection Revelation sarcasm satire Satirical Guides Scandal Science & Spirituality Science and Religion science fiction review scriptural interpretation scripture Scripture & Misreadings Seasonal Holidays Second Amendment Sermon on the Mount Sex Sexuality and Culture Skepticism Snarky Faith Social Analysis Social Commentary Social Issues Social Justice Social Media Critique Social Trends society Society & Culture Soul Southern Baptist Convention Spiritual Abuse spiritual exploration Spiritual Growth Spiritual Practices Spiritual Psychology spiritual truths Spirituality sports Storytelling and Theology suffering Superstition & Faith Technology & Religion Televangelists Television Thanksgiving theocracy Theology Theology Gone Wrong Toxic Theology Trump Trump and Religion U.S. Politics UFO Uncategorized War War and Religion weaponized scripture Weaponized Theology White Supremacy Women’s Autonomy Worship Worship Culture

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

At Jesus' crucifixion what did the soldiers place on His head?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Crown of Thistles Crown of Nettles Crown of Jewels Crown of Thorns