Jamin Bradley

Should Christians take up political jobs? Answers can range drastically from, “Yes, this is God’s country,” to “No, politics are the work of the devil.” For many, the answer fluctuates based on whether a Republican or Democrat is in office.

The biblical dynamic at play is a little more complicated than that. The only kingdom in history to be subservient to Yahweh alone was that of Israel. The other kingdoms were delegated to the guidance of the lesser gods that Yahweh created, who eventually turned against Yahweh and are now labeled “demons.” The book of Revelation will picture evil politicians as puppets of these demon-gods, showing us what can happen when the spiritual and physical realms meld together for the worse.

That being said, yes, politics can be a bit of a spiritual minefield. Great power has a natural pull toward the ways of the gods who don’t have our best interests at heart. They want to tempt us in their direction, for they need us to use our power on their behalf if they are to thrive. The biblical stories of Israel also show us that submitting our politics to Yahweh alone doesn’t fix the problem, for kings and citizens will still choose the ways and worship of the gods regardless of what they contractually agreed to do.

But in the same way that Christians are expected to cultivate goodness in the midst of a world influenced by the gods, so are they expected to cultivate goodness in their local politics. We are not to assume that everything our leaders do is wrong, for they are made in the good image of Yahweh, just like us. Regardless of its bad tendencies, government was put in place to create justice and enforce goodness, so we can rightfully push it toward that standard.

Though the nations are subjected to the gods, the God of gods is Yahweh, so he still interacts with the nations in various ways. Take Joseph, for example. This Yahweh follower found himself steeped in the domain of Egypt’s gods—indeed, as a spiritual guru of sorts, the Egyptians decided to marry him to the daughter of an Egyptian priest. He was in the thick of the confusion of politics and religion. And yet Yahweh raised his follower up amid the false gods of the Egyptians so that he could care for the Egyptians throughout a coming famine. A similar dynamic would be seen again sometime later in Daniel and others.

All this being said: (1) Yes, it’s okay to work in politics. (2) It’s stupid to demonize all political things, as the cosmos and the topic are much more complicated than that. (3) I’d suggest that it’s unwise to step into a political position without realizing the loaded spiritual dynamic you’re stepping into.

Remember, Jesus is already King—not of your nation, but of his own. If your eyes are on a different king, god, or nation, they will steal your heart in time. Likewise, if you don’t keep your eyes on Jesus, you will lose sight of what he’s like and consider something else to be him.