At our peril, we ignore the spiritual side of politics.
Immigrants to Canada from Great Britain and France brought their Christian traditions and values, which made the
supremacy of God an unspoken assumption in Canadian government. Here,
"Where there is no vision, the people perish," taken from the Book of
Proverbs Chapter 29, verse 18, is engraved upon the West window of the Peace
Tower. We can lament that what the Bible says about politics is little
regarded, to our detriment.
Canada recently held elections in BC, Saskatchewan, and New Brunswick and will hold elections in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and Labrador later this year. A federal election is nominally scheduled for October 27, 2025.
Observing these contests shows that we live in a political environment where facts no longer seem to matter.
The non-conservative political left has taken lying to such an extreme, that it appears like the Soviet zones of the 1950s, where no one believed or trusted anyone and where truth was most often entirely opposite for public conversation and the television news. This is the 'dark side' of politics, a realm of deceit and manipulation.
We understand that war does not end when it seems to end. Evil motives remain. For example, the Cold War seemed to end in victory for the free enterprise west, but we see the ideological war continue. The political left in Canada still spouts cultural Marxism. This hurtful ideology critiques and seeks to coercively mold society's cultural, political, and economic structure, but disguised in 2025 clothes.
DEI — diversity, equity and inclusion — are innocent words, but when applied by the lefties, they become the opposite. My main point is that voters should recognize at the deepest level, the political world is in an ongoing spiritual war. Relentlessly, evil strives to extinguish the good.
Remember that the ancient patriarchs fought against evil, the old prophets of Israel called out evil, and the law mitigated against evil. When God Himself later came to provide redemption for the souls of His creation, evil confronted and offered alternatives and made temptations from what the dark side could give.
The Bible itself says: “The devil took Jesus up on a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory splendor, magnificence, and excellence of them; and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.”
Then Jesus said to him, “Go away, Satan! For it is written and forever remains written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.” Matt 4: 8
Jesus never said that Satan was not capable of giving Jesus the Kingdoms of the world. Apparently in some sense they were his to give. However, Satan is only defeated by the Holy Spirit and Christians who have that Spirit living in them. Evil cannot give what it does not possess or control.
This explains why the politics of this world tends to slide to the dark side. Unless great effort is made to defend the good and to have right triumph over wrong, the eternal contest between good and evil spirals downward.
The literature clearly explains the darker motivations of politics and where the negative energy and motivation come from. “We’re not waging war against enemies of flesh and blood alone. No, this fight is against tyrants, against authorities, against supernatural powers and demon princes that slither in the darkness of this world, and against wicked spiritual armies that lurk about in heavenly places.” Eph 6:12
However, evil keeps returning in economic and social forms in our political society with the deceptive covering of new clothes. So, do we have the spiritual sensitivity and maturity to recognize the varied shapes of evil that keep arising? Do we deeply understand the inner motivations of the tempters? We observe behaviours, unexplainable actions, and coincidences, but do we recognize their dark motivation? Do we understand why humankind is so treacherous with betrayal?
Canada has international enemies. They have openly declared themselves in proceedings at the United Nations. We sometimes even hear them from a protester's microphone in our streets. A relentless dark energy is bent on social and societal disturbance and discord. At the deepest level, the Canadian political contest is spiritual, arising from evil motives and energy waging a war against peace in one’s heart, order in family and social life, and good and wise governance.
Peace, order, and good government are meaningful to Canadians. This tripartite motto defines Canadian values in a way comparable to "liberté, égalité, fraternité” (liberty, equality, fraternity) in France or “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” in the United States.
War does not end when it ends. Evil dark motives endure to be politically and socially active. However, the written record repeatedly states that the light of God always defeats evil darkness.
Consequently, when we observe our Canadian elections, we see the inherent dangers of erroneous beliefs that become so rigidly fixed and defended, that even truth cannot penetrate it. Facts no longer matter.
Wisdom literature says: The intrinsically good man produces what is good and honourable and moral out of the good treasure stored in his heart; and the intrinsically evil man produces what is wicked and depraved out of the evil in his heart; for his mouth speaks from the overflow of his heart.
Out of the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. These things, should not be this way for we have a moral obligation to speak in a manner that reflects our fear of God and profound respect for His precepts. Does a spring send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? Can a fig tree, produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh. Who among you is wise and intelligent? Let him, by his good conduct, show his good deeds with the gentleness and humility of true wisdom.
Righteousness, moral and spiritual integrity and virtuous character, exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people. Proverbs 14:34
Politics is the human struggle in the public forum. The wise will discern the deeper beliefs and motives of those who place themselves on the ballot.
At the deepest level, politics is spiritual. Are we equipped to face the challenge?
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