Where the Battle Rages, There the Loyalty of the Soldier is Proved—Or Not
Earlier this month, the Colorado General Assembly passed House Bill 25-1312, a bill that claims to “enhance” legal protections for transgender individuals. This is the diplomatic way of framing it, of course. In reality, the bill could effectively label parents as child abusers if they refuse to affirm the transgender identity of their children. Misgendering a child could lead to a knock on the door from Child Services, creating a nightmare scenario fit for a dystopian novel.
It is easily the most radical piece of legislation Colorado has seen. Naturally, the response from conservatives and Christians has been one of righteous fury.
Well, at least from some of them.
Many pastors and community leaders spent the last few weeks mobilizing, fighting, and prophetically battling against the principalities manifested in the Colorado Capitol. Men like Matt Johnson, Chris Goble from Ridgeline Community Church, and Matt Patrick and Chase Davis from The Well stood firm. The Fight 1312 response was genuinely inspiring.
Despite a barrage of threats, Reddit threads, and attacks—even from some conservative outlets—these men boldly and courageously held their ground, refusing to bow to the spirit of the age and preaching truth where it’s least welcome and most needed. Many faithful men were present who didn’t have online platforms, institutional influence, or large ministries. All they had was the truth in their pocket and the willingness to do something about it.
And as I write this, they are still fighting. They are demanding that Governor Polis veto this wicked legislation.
But what was equally apparent were the many conservatives and especially the many Christians who turned a blind eye towards the bill.
Some were unconcerned about the bill because they believed it would not impact them or their congregation. Some disguised their indifference with appeals to evangelism and faithful presence. “The purpose of the church is evangelism, not politics,” they say. Others were fearful of losing congregations or being excluded from political influence. And some simply saw no moral issue with the bill at all.
In all cases, they became passive and indifferent to present evil, retreating from the public square as a result. In every case, the root of this retreat is cowardice.
Christians don’t talk about the sin of cowardice very often. And when they do, it’s rarely made clear that it is, in fact, a sin worthy of judgment. Moreover, courage is often downplayed in favor of “resting in Christ” (something we certainly ought to do, to be sure), being “gospel-centered,” and so on. After all, courage actually requires us to, you know, do things—and we can’t have that! Actually doing things is labeled as “religion” or “legalism,” we’re told.
Yet, God has much to say about courage and cowardice. In fact, our Lord makes it explicitly clear saying, “But for the cowardly, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and sexually immoral persons, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death” (Revelation 21:8). Noteworthy here is that out of all those who Christ says will experience eternal judgement, including murderers and the sexually immoral, God mentions the cowardly first.
Those who shrink back from faithfulness to Christ under pressure will not inherit the kingdom of heaven. The Israelites experienced this when they cowardly shrank back in fear of the Canaanites, after ten of the twelve spies chose to fear man rather than trust God. Just as that generation of Israelites was excluded from the Promised Land and perished in the wilderness, so too will we be barred from the kingdom of God if we shrink back in cowardice.
Cowardice is a form of unbelief that denies the power of the Gospel. This is why Paul says in Romans, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…” (Romans 1:16).
We need not be cowardly because we know that the Gospel has power. While we do not deny that God uses means, we must recognize that if we use modern terms or strategies—like “faithful presence”—to avoid being prophetic or bearing bold witness, then we are denying the power of the Gospel. Cowardice like this reveals that, unlike Paul, we are either ashamed of the Gospel or have denied its power entirely.
Not everyone is called to fight in the same way, and courage won’t look identical in every person. Many Christians weren’t at the rally with our friends, but they prayed faithfully and advocated for the children and parents who will suffer under this bill. Some pastors didn’t show up but wrote letters to governors or exhorted their congregations. Others were hindered by life circumstances like sickness or grief. Many unknown names stood firm in their own contexts.
But make no mistake: Some knew what was happening and did nothing out of cowardice. Maybe they feared losing influence, friends, family, or members. Some even supported the bill under the banner of “love.” But as Pastor Tom Ascol rightly said recently at a conference, “You cannot properly ‘love’ people while acting unlawfully towards them.” Or, as John Piper put it in 1999, “There is a kind of cowardice that tells only the truths that are safe to tell.”
Our society is in desperate need of men of courage who won’t shrink back, who won’t make excuses, and who will unashamedly be faithful to the Gospel. We should expect trouble; Christ tells us that as the world hated Him, the world will hate us too. It’s going to happen. It’s better to simply accept this fact and be bold rather than hide behind cowardice. And if defending children from the predatory efforts of pagan politicians doesn’t stir you to courage, then now is probably the time to repent of your cowardice.
What does repentance look like? It looks like developing real Christian courage. It looks like running to the sound of the gun, not putting a finger in the air, and leading from the rear. As Martin Luther said, “Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved, and to be steady on all the battlefield besides is mere flight and disgrace if he flinches at that point.“
Too many pastors in Colorado “flinched” right at the point of testing. Next time, don’t. Be the first to speak out, step in, and jump up to oppose evil in the name of Christ. Be a loyal soldier, both in the pulpit and the public square.
Not everyone will engage in the same way. Prudence often dictates how someone goes about living in the public and civil sphere. Some will have more influence than others.
But whatever way we proclaim what is true, one thing is for certain: the cowardly will not enter the kingdom of heaven. But for those who don’t shrink back, we have this comfort from our Lord: “He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son” (Revelation 21:7).
