United we Stand, Divided we Fall

Saguaro Cacti; Saguaro National Park; Arizona

August 7, 2021

At the time of my writing this article, America is in the throes of a major division. We are divided ideologically, which is the most difficult type of division to attempt to bridge and recover from. We are essentially divided into two main camps–Liberals and Conservatives, or more specifically at the present, Democrats and Republicans. Whether you are a Democrat or Republican, your allegiance is often intensely personal and defines your very identity as a human being. Thus, in this circumstance, when your beliefs are attacked, it is not much different than attacking the very validity of what makes you you, and calling into question your very reason for being here on earth. This leads to the intense battles and fights we see today between politicians, scientists, and individual citizens. Our very identities and what we stand for in life are at stake, and you see people willing to fight to the death to defend their form of truth. Our nation is being torn apart, and the very fabric of society which keeps us united is beginning to rip apart. I see our times as that imperiled! We need to identify the very root of our problems if we are to make any real progress.

The title of this article comes from the last public speech that Patrick Henry gave in March of 1799. Yes, this is the same Patrick Henry who uttered his famous fighting words, “Give me liberty or give me death” on March 23, 1775, which became a prelude to the Revolutionary War. In his 1799 speech he said, “Let us trust in God, and our better judgment to set us right hereafter. United we stand, divided we fall. Let us not split into factions which must destroy that union upon which our existence hangs.” This major battle in which people are engaged in America today that I’ve generally described as liberal vs. conservative, whether they know it or not, is just a surface manifestation of an underlying conflict that has been with us since the dawn of time. It has many names besides liberal vs. conservative and is fundamental to life: Good vs. evil; the eternal vs. worldly; selflessness vs. selfishness; humbling self vs. praising self; seeking heavenly treasures vs. worldly treasures; righteousness vs. being self-righteous; true wisdom vs. the world’s wisdom; reality vs. fantasy; and faith in God vs. faith in man. There are many more pairings that I could cite, but I’m sure that you get the picture.

Our current conflict in America brings out into the open the vast divide that separates us and defines the two opposing positions very clearly. One camp tends to believe that the world is all that there is to reality, denies the existence of God and the spiritual world, and fights to the death in pursuit of all that the world has to offer. The opposing camp sees that the world is merely temporary, that it was conceived and created by God for the purpose of testing us, and that our main goal is not worldly, but rather that we are working towards spending eternity with God in bliss in heaven forever. This camp knows that the world and the whole universe will eventually be destroyed by God and be no more. Only the spiritual world will remain. As you can see, these two camps of belief have little in common, and are bitterly opposed to each other.

Going back to Patrick Henry’s 1799 speech, he says,”Let us trust in God, and our better judgment…….”. This is the key to why our nation attracts millions of people from all over the world every year who want to become Americans–because we were founded on trust and faith in God. This brought the presence of God to dwell with America from the very beginning, who taught her what real freedom is, brought her the truth of what life is all about, and who inspired the creation of a just governmental system and constitution that is the best in the world. America was not created by humans, but by God. That’s why all our money has printed on it ‘In God we Trust’. Check it out and you will find this motto on every denomination of our paper currency and on every coin, even the lowly penny. God is the foundation that makes America great and keeps America great. I can’t emphasis this too much! Every American needs to realize this, as well as every nation on earth that wonders why America has been so successful, prosperous, and blessed. America’s strength lies solidly in her faith in God and her people’s efforts to learn about and obey his will. If we let his presence slip away from us, we will effectively have sown the seeds of our own destruction! No one in America should want this or allow this. Without being truly united with God we will inevitably fall. We began our present conflict in earnest when we banned teaching about God in our schools, calling it the separation of church and state, and largely abandoned the morality of holiness and purity of character as taught to us in the Bible. This conflict has now come out into the open, and it is critical that we side with God over man, and God’s goodness over man’s goodness. That is our only hope!

We have to give up our seeming embarrassment of publicly proclaiming and obeying God, and making known his status of being Lord of our nation and of ourselves. We need to have the courage to put God back into politics, back into our schools, and back into our public lives. Scripture teaches us about God’s gift of Jesus Christ to the world:

“At this they said to him,’What must we do to perform the works of God?’ Jesus replied: ‘This is the work of God: Have faith in the One whom he sent (Jesus).'” John 6, 28-29

“Jesus explained to them: ‘I myself am the bread of life. No one who comes to me shall ever be hungry, no one who believes in me shall ever thirst.'” John 6, 35

“Indeed, this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks upon the Son (Jesus) and believes in him shall have eternal life. Him I will raise up on the last day.” John 6, 40

Do you fear offending the world and being exposed to its ridicule by publicly declaring that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior? Are a majority of the believers in America in the ranks of ‘closet Christians’? I fear that that’s the case. This must stop if we are to have any hope of uniting America. Be bold, take your stand publicly, and be part of the solution!

And know that we are in times that closely resemble the Last Days, if we are not actually in the Last Days. In those days the Devil will come out of hiding and try to seduce away from God as many people on earth as possible. In this battle, both the godless and those who merely give God lip service while advocating for man’s way and evil rebellion, will be on one side–inspired and empowered by Satan and his demon followers. Satan is a master at sowing conflict, discord, and division, which pits people against each other. Whenever he’s involved like this with people, the self tends to take over one’s life, fueled by self-righteous anger. Eventually the whole group finds itself in a constant battle fighting each other that seems to never end. There are no solutions, only conflict. This is exactly what it is like in hell. Beware! In contrast, on the other side will be God fearing people who place their lives in his care, who are empowered by his goodness within, and whose lives are marked by love of God and love of their fellow men. On God’s side you tend to see the development of peace, virtue, cooperation, safety, love, joy, and stability. This is a lot like how life is lived in heaven. There are only two sides, and America must align herself publicly with God and good if she is to survive.

If you happen to find yourself on the wrong side of this epic battle in ignorance, know that you can realign yourself with Truth and God at any time–all that it takes is courage and conviction. If you don’t possess that level of courage, then pray fervently for it, and God will give it to you. Don’t forget, God desires that all men be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth. Don’t delay, make your commitment today before it is too late!