Can God Use President Donald Trump?

The manner in which many Americans have responded to the election of Donald Trump is deeply concerning. A tidal wave of divisiveness has swept the United States as a result of Trump’s shocking election, segregating even Christians along political fault lines. This toxic wave has been powered by extreme partisanship, frustrated expectations and polarized opinions. Before Election Day, many had become obsessed with the concept of a political utopia that did not include Donald Trump in the White House. That ideal crumbled as the nation witnessed state after state fall into Trump’s win column.

Now a dangerous triad of anger, doubt and distrust has produced a cloud of fear and uncertainty. It is evident that many Americans’ capacity for sound wisdom and reason has evaporated. Tragically, confusion and stress have also set in on a large portion of God’s people. Panic has always been a tool of Satan to shipwreck people, and the political panic of the season has already done damage to the unity of fellow believers. The severe partisanship of the nation is morphing into a spiritual partisanship among the church. Christians must recognize, rise up and move quickly against this deadly partisan poison that seeks to do lasting damage to the body of Christ.

Jesus taught that a kingdom divided against itself will come to ruin (Matt. 12:25). In order to understand how to counter this divisive attack, we must first have the mind of Christ. Over and above that, the Holy Spirit will work to elevate our vantage point. He does this so that we might be able to clearly see what is taking place in the spirit realm and how everything is connected to the will of God.

Jesus gave an amazing insight into the subject of strategy when he said the people of this world were shrewder than the children of light (Luke 16:8). It is important to not forget this observation. He knew narrow-minded ideologies had the potential to sacrifice future possibilities. This is one reason Jesus consistently preached unconventional solutions to common problems. The Bible is full of examples of common people using divine and uncommon methods to both confront and win their respective battles. Our strategies and battle plans must come from the Bible and be directed by the Holy Spirit as well. We must work to overcome the spirit of division and simultaneously ascertain the plan of God regarding President-elect Trump. 

Divine Strategy 

God always causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him and who are called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28). From a spiritual vantage point, Christians can easily see how this verse applies to a Trump presidency as well. Scripture carries the same power and authority within the White House walls as it does everywhere else.

It is accepted throughout Christendom that God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise (1 Cor. 1:27). Interestingly, it should be noted how frequently Donald Trump is labeled as foolish. Furthermore, the biblical examples given to us of these “foolish things” are challenging to our natural thought processes. God used a sinning Samson to bring judgment to the Philistines, a murderous David to build His kingdom and a betraying Peter to build His church. A foundational tenant of our faith is that God uses grossly flawed and imperfect people for His glory. It’s not always appealing, but this process of using broken vessels is His preferred way of accomplishing exploits in spectacular fashion.

Victorious Christianity must be done without compromise, but it cannot be done without the wisdom of serpents. For example, Joseph ruled alongside Egyptians in order to save his brethren. Paul sided with the Pharisees against the Sadducees in order to divide and conquer his adversaries. David faked insanity and let saliva run down his beard, all while devising an escape. Rebekah clothed Jacob with Esau’s clothes and disguised his hands with goat hair in order to trick Isaac regarding the bestowing of his dying blessing. 

While some of these behaviors seem highly unorthodox, they nonetheless demonstrate the providential power of God and His ability to utilize anyone, no matter how unfit, to further His plan in due season. This is a spiritual principle Christians must accept, as a higher level of wisdom will be needed to understand and navigate current and future perilous political times. America is at a crossroads and is not only divided politically but also economically, racially and religiously as well. This will be the state of the nation as Donald Trump becomes commander in chief. The church must take its place and do her part to assist with, not work against, God’s divine plan for President Trump. 

The anointing empowers us to navigate the darkness while increasing the light. It appears Trump is willing to fight for the church instead of against the church. If this proves to be true, it will signal a major administration attitude shift toward churches and ministries from the past eight years. More importantly, there is the enormous possibility of overturning the stomach-churning 1973 abortion decision, Roe v. Wade. That alone should make Christians sit up, take notice and set aside their political platform differences. 

What Should We Do Next?

First, it should be pointed out that the heated debates and disagreements currently taking place between the children of God over the election are not only frowned upon by Scriptures, but ultimately play right into the strategy of Satan (James 4:1; Titus 3:9; 2 Cor. 12:20). Nothing would please Satan more than Christians continuing to cross swords with one another. Every second we spend quarreling among ourselves is a second we could have invested resisting the devil. Confessing the sovereign will of God over President-elect Donald Trump will accomplish more than 10,000 arguments ever could. 

Second, expectations regarding Trump must adjust. Has Trump been carnal? Absolutely. Has he experienced salvation through Jesus Christ? If the media reports are true, he has. Should he be rejected for his carnality? Not any more than Paul rejected the Corinthians for their carnality (1 Cor. 3). Consider Rahab the prostitute, who showed favor to the spies of Israel (Heb. 11:31), Pharoah’s daughter who rescued Moses from the Nile (Ex. 2:5-6) and the donkey that saved the prophet Balaam (2 Pet. 2:16). These are on-point answers to the question, “Can God use President Donald Trump?” 

Third, it is not just the opportunity we have to give Trump a chance; it is our obligation as well. We all have a responsibility, from the preachers to the people and the pulpits to the pews. Praying for our president is something every Christian can and should do. Furthermore, we are commanded in God’s Word to pray for President-elect Trump (1 Tim. 2:1-4). This would have applied to Hillary Clinton as well had she been elected. When we abdicate the crucial activity of prayer, we ourselves get out of order and begin to impede our divine function. 

These are challenging yet exciting times to be alive and serving God. We should be making the most of the opportunity to set our house in order and prepare ourselves for what God is about to do. This is no experiment. This is real. During these unpredictable times we can trust in the promises of God’s Word. God is sovereign, and He will have His way. Regardless of who sits in the oval office, this is still the day the Lord has made, and we will be glad and rejoice in it. 

The future is bright and the best is yet to come! {eoa}

Shane Philpott is a preacher and writer who authored “Kathryn Kuhlman: The Radio Chapel Years.” Shane is the pastor of Christian Fellowship Church in Mason City, Iowa, where he and his wife, Lisa, are the parents of nine children, seven of whom were adopted from China. Visit Shane on Facebook at facebook.com/shanephilpottspm or shanephilpott.com.