No Kings: The Rebellion Behind The Rhetoric

I can’t stop thinking about the No Kings protests, not just the intentions of it, but what was revealed by it.

At its core, it was never about President Trump; it was about rebellion against any higher authority, both political and divine. Their cry of No Kings echoes Psalm 2:3, “Let us break their bonds in pieces and cast away their cords from us.”‍

No, this is not about exalting Trump. He is a flawed man in need of repentance like all of us. But in God’s sovereignty, Trump was a merciful pause (a delay in the destabilization unleashed under Obama Bin Biden). Sadly, that window is closing… and fast.

The No Kings protests were previews of a far greater rebellion coming, because fallen man rejects anyone ruling over him. Romans 13 says government is appointed by God and is meant to punish evil and promote good, and that is ultimately what the Trump White House has been focused on under the mandate they received last November (when everyone had a chance to protest at the ballot box). But this generation fights to reverse the divine design of government as prescribed in Romans 13:1-7, demanding the freedom to do evil while calling it good.

And this rebellion doesn’t stop at the steps of government buildings; it’s playing out in our streets. Look at Los Angeles: thousands protesting immigration laws, many waving the very flags of the nations they once fled. Make it make sense. This isn’t merely civil unrest, it’s moral confusion. Let me also say what some are already thinking: “But we’re standing up for the oppressed, the marginalized, the vulnerable.”‍

Yes, every person bears dignity as an image-bearer of God, but dignity doesn’t demand disorder. America has always welcomed the oppressed, but never at the expense of its laws. But that is not what is happening here. The last administration left our borders vulnerable, where millions upon millions came in unaccounted for. That’s not immigration, that’s an invasion. And now, the court jesters of the No Kings protests are claiming compassion as one of their banners. But compassion isn’t the abandonment of order, because compassion without truth is actually confusion.

Borders exist because God established them (Acts 17:26), and governments exist to uphold justice, not to legalize lawlessness. Yes, Jesus welcomed the stranger, but He never dismantled structure. And no, Matthew 25:31-45 is not the proof text for government policy; it’s the proof text for the coming judgment of the nations, based on how they treated Christ’s brethren (not a license to redefine law, borders, or justice). Jesus offered mercy while upholding righteousness. The church must do the same, holding the tension of compassion and clarity, without compromising the truth of Scripture. Anything less is biblical malpractice.

To be clear, I do not believe everyone who participated in the No Kings protests are evil, but I do believe they are deceived. You can be sincere and deceived at the same time. Sincerely deceived. And though they may not realize it, they are choosing to be yoked together with evil. The Bible warns in 2 Corinthians 6:14: "Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?" Sadly, many who claim to be the voice for the voiceless (defending what they call “the victims of oppression”) have themselves become victims of propaganda’s lies. Yes, there is real oppression in our land, but the enforcement of border laws and moral laws is not oppression, it is order.

But this is how Satan masterfully manipulates. He doesn’t show up with horns, he comes dressed in a halo (2 Corinthians 11:15). This is what happens when rebellion masquerades as righteousness, when lawlessness is called liberty, and when man's throne is elevated above God's truth.

So yes, I agree, there are No Kings but the one true King of Kings. And as His ambassador under the oath of His office, my responsibility (as a pastor) is not to appease culture but to sound the alarm and speak truth, even when it’s unpopular.