Lawlessness in the Land

Lawlessness in America’s Major Cities: A Growing Crisis
Car windows being smashed in Minneapolis. Fentanyl overdoses on the streets of San Francisco. Downtown San Diego’s resemblance of a third-world country. Homeless encampments in the subways of New York. Violent crime in our nation’s capital. If one were to take an honest look at some of our country’s largest cities, it doesn’t take long to realize that many of them have lost much of the luster they had only a few years ago. Even worse, more and more of these metropolitan areas are growing increasingly dangerous due to the persistence of violent crime. Common sense should dictate that problems like these need to be addressed, and steps should be taken to correct them. Unfortunately, we are living in days when sense isn’t as common as it used to be.

On August 11, 2025, President Trump publicly announced that the US government was “placing the DC Metropolitan Police Department under direct federal control” to “rescue our nation’s capital from crime, bloodshed, bedlam, and squalor, and worse.” These drastic steps were taken by the President to tackle the same sort of problematic crises plaguing so many major American cities, with Washington, DC being no exception. Yet, instead of being met with gratitude, approval, and enthusiasm, a media firestorm ignited almost immediately with false accusations being made that the President was initiating an authoritarian military takeover of the capital. Among his critics was prominent media personality, Rachel Maddow, who alleged that “He wants US military force deployed on US soil facing inward as a show of force to the American people about what he and the government can do to you.”

I’m not sure when cleaning up the streets of our cities started qualifying as a military takeover, but that’s what the giant liberal media conglomerates and left-leaning political pundits would have you believe. The reality is that many of our country’s metropolitan centers have been in a perpetual state of decline for years now resulting from escalating lawlessness permitted by government officials derelict in their duty to protect law-abiding citizens. Rather than fulfilling the civic duties for which they were elected, namely, guarding the interests of their constituents, ensuring their safety, and upholding cleanliness of the communities in which they live, attention, effort, and energy is increasingly redirected towards transforming urban areas into sanctuary cities for those seeking “gender-affirming care,” abortion services, and protection from Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The result of such aberrant priorities and policies is obvious – streets littered with trash, hypodermic needles & human feces, graffiti defacing the surface of buildings, and the continual threat of being physically assaulted or even killed.

Urban Decline and Rising Violent Crime
Should such conditions be tolerated? Should city, state, and national leaders sit back and do nothing? As Christians, our primary source of truth, wisdom, and solutions to complicated matters such as these is always the Word of God. When it comes to the topic of government, the Bible has much to say. Scripture is filled with examples of governments that choose to abide by Godly virtues, values, and precepts as well as those characterized by beliefs, statutes, and leadership contrary to God’s design. Time and again, the success or failure of varying kingdoms, countries, and empires is tied directly to which approach of governance their leaders chose to employ.

In Joseph’s day, the Pharaoh of Egypt, though not being a follower of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, heeded the word of God spoken through Joseph prior to a terrible famine that lasted seven years. By following God’s direction for governance, Egypt not only survived the famine, but saw economic prosperity, having an abundance of food supplies which were sold to other nations whose economies were crippled by shortages caused by the famine (Ge. 41:53-57).

During the time of Jonah, the wicked and idolatrous Assyrian empire was spared from God’s wrath which had been provoked by their sin, because the highest governing official, the king, and people of their capital city, Ninevah, heeded the word of God spoken through His prophet (Jona. 3:4-10). Looking to Israel, David is celebrated as the greatest king that ever governed in their nation’s history. The reason for such acclamation is summarized in 1 Chronicles 18:14, “So David reigned over all Israel; and he administered justice and righteousness for all his people,” and in Psalm 78:72, “So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart and guided them with his skillful hands.” As a man after God’s own heart, King David governed Israel according to righteous principles, values, and purposes established by God for the benefit of those entrusted to his administration (Ac. 13:22).

Godly Leadership vs. Ungodly Governance in Scripture
Contrasted with examples like these, the Bible also offers illustrations of ungodly leadership and governance. Included among these is King Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, who ignored the wisdom of Israel’s elders who encouraged him to serve the people of his kingdom that were exhausted from the laborious work placed upon them by Solomon, their former king. Instead, Rehoboam selfishly sought to increase his own power and prestige, heeding the foolish advice from his friends, and determined to afflict those in his kingdom with even heavier burdens (1 Ki. 12:4-11). The result of such poor governance was a civil revolt that cost Rehoboam over eighty percent of his kingdom.

A similar example is seen in King Belshazzar, the last ruler of the kingdom of Babylon. Unlike his grandfather, Nebuchadnezzar, who preceded him and learned to recognize God’s sovereignty over government, under Belshazzar’s leadership, a culture of pride and idolatry flourished in Babylon (Is. 13:11). The foolishness of his leadership culminated in a blasphemous act of mockery when Belshazzar held a feast where he ate and drank from the sacred vessels taken from the Jewish temple, resulting in his death and the destruction of Babylon that very night by the Medo-Persian Empire (Da. 5:18-31).

The Role of Government in Promoting Justice and Order
Examples such as these serve as clear confirmation that “there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God” (Ro. 13:1b). God Himself is ultimately the peak level of governing authority, and every earthly government is subject to his overarching rule. With that, we see government in and of itself is intended to be a blessing and exists for the good of humanity. Just as chaos and disorder are not qualities of God (1 Co. 14:33), mankind was not created to exist in a state of lawlessness and confusion. In environments where lawlessness is permitted, wickedness proliferates and leads to human suffering. The Bible is clear that it’s through law that people gain knowledge of sin (Ro. 3:20b, 5:13). Laws are what provide definitions for what is good and what is evil, what is acceptable and what is unacceptable. In other words, they bring moral clarity, and this is where government comes in. Human governments, in whatever form they take, are intended to uphold, protect, and preserve that which is good, and to prevent, subdue, and punish that which is evil (Ro. 13:3-4).

Obviously, not every government, regime, or administration is virtuous or does what’s right according to God’s standards, morals, and values as we’ve seen in some of the examples above. Yet, it is only by God’s will that every governing authority is permitted to rise or fall, including those that embrace wickedness (Da. 2:21). One way or another, God uses all human governments to accomplish His will and purposes. Knowing this, as Americans who have the freedom to elect our leaders, we need to be diligent to pray for and elect officials who will uphold standards of righteousness. I’m reminded of Proverbs 29:1, “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when a wicked man rules, the people groan.”

This brings us back to the questions surrounding President Trump’s actions in Washington, DC. How should they be understood in view of the Biblical examples and principles just discussed? First, regardless of how you may feel about our President or the current administration leading our nation, it must be recognized that God is the One who has allowed those involved to be in their current positions. It is not only our duty as Americans, but especially as Christians, to submit to their authority (Ro. 13:1a). Without clear Biblical justification where obedience to human government violates obedience to God, resistance and rebellion against our leaders constitutes a rejection of God’s authority and will result in His judgment (Ac. 5:29, Ro. 13:2).

Second, efforts to enforce existing laws focused on restoring order, safety, peace, and cleanliness to a city should be praised and supported instead of reviled given that they uplift and benefit those living in the community. They are practical steps that demonstrate and display love for one’s neighbor. Along these lines, support and encourage our fellow American men and women serving in law enforcement and armed services. It is largely due to their selfless efforts to keep our neighborhoods safe that we collectively enjoy peace and stability in our communities. Most importantly, recognize that disorder and rebellion is wicked. Lawlessness should not be condoned, celebrated, or tolerated and is a tool used by the devil to advance evil (2 Th. 2:9). Officials who are content to permit dirtiness, disorder, and disruption should be held accountable and removed from their positions of power. Thankfully, we live in a constitutional republic designed to allow its citizenry to do just that! But it is predicated on individuals like you and me having the moral clarity, will, and fortitude to act when necessary and giving support to those who are likeminded.

Praying for Leaders and Advocating Righteous Governance
Keeping all these things in mind, I urge you to heed the words of the Apostle Paul and pray for “…all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity” (1 Ti. 2:2). Whether you like or dislike, approve or disapprove of those in authority, it should be common practice for followers of Jesus to pray for our leaders knowing that their decisions and actions will have a direct impact on our lives, for good or for ill. It should always be a Christian’s prayer and desire for leaders to govern based on honorable, just, and ethical principles in alignment with those of God. It just may be that as we steadfastly petition God for a government characterized by righteousness that He would grant the prayer so often repeated by generations of Americans: God bless America!