The fall of almost every great leader has been the result of the same sin: pride. Napoleon, after conquering Europe, was ultimately humbled after deciding to unnecessarily invade Russia. King Saul disobeyed Yahweh and became a prideful king of Israel.
After mercilessly trying to kill David, he found himself dead on his own sword, surrounded by enemies.
Even King David, a man after God’s own heart, fell to the sin of pride when he laid eyes on Bathsheba. This led to the death of his first son, and the sword never departed the House of David.
This isn’t just the sin of great leaders, however. Pride is the foundation of sin itself. When we sin, we spit in the face of God. We claim to know better and choose to do things our way.
Repentance requires acknowledging our sin and humility to step back and allow God to take over once again. This is something I have had to do countless times, and will have to do countless times more.
As a leader of a nation, you are appointed by God. He is entrusting you with an entire nation, and this is not something to be taken lightly. But just as God uses you to accomplish his will, he will drag you down when you become too proud. Just ask Nebuchadnezzar.
Last week, Trump rightfully drew the ire of Christians both nationwide and globally for his post depicting himself as Christ. Amidst the uproar, he took it down while claiming he thought it was him as a doctor. JD Vance then said that it was taken down after Trump realized no one was understanding the joke. This is no joke. Blasphemy is a fruit of pride and has no place in a “Christian” administration.
This post did not happen in isolation, though. Paula White, a spiritual advisor to the President, compared Trump to Christ at an Easter luncheon.
“Jesus taught so many lessons through his death, burial, and resurrection. He showed us great leadership. Great transformation requires great sacrifice. And Mr. President, no one has paid the price as you have. It almost cost you your life. You were betrayed, arrested, and falsely accused. It’s a familiar pattern that our lord and savior showed us,” she said.
This is the problem: Trump is surrounded by evangelical Christians who are propping him up as the Messiah himself. This is what leads to such posts where he is portrayed as Jesus. He is then shocked that anyone would have such a problem, because he faces no righteous pushback.
The bottom line is this. President Trump is a force of nature. The Republican Party desperately needed Donald Trump when he arrived in 2015. There was no leadership, no courage, and no one who could forcefully take back the reins of our nation until Trump arrived. I firmly believe God used Trump to achieve his will in our nation. For example, the overturn of Roe v. Wade was a phenomenal step forward in protecting the unborn. God has a plan for America, and Trump was a part of that plan.
That being said. President Trump, it has always been bigger than you. The key to being an effective leader for Christ is to recognize that your role is to be a vessel through which the Holy Spirit works.
Not only is the will of God much bigger than you are, but the office of the Presidency is as well. Regardless of your tremendous resolve and determination, which have allowed you to be such an effective tool for God, you are not God. The sooner Trump realizes this and humbles himself, the sooner he can be used by the Holy Spirit for good.
The Kingdom of God needs a warrior in the White House. The leader of the free world must be a strong person who can withstand the weight of the position.
If there ever was a man up for that job, it’s Donald Trump. But what the Kingdom of God needs more than just any warrior is a warrior for Christ. This requires humility, self-awareness, and repentance. These are 3 things I believe President Trump needs more than ever at this time.
The beautiful thing about all of this is that there’s still time to make a U-turn.
Trump knows better than anyone how to make a comeback. However, until that comeback occurs and his pride subsides, he cannot be an effective vessel for the Holy Spirit.
This is my prayer for our President. Take a look in the mirror, recognize your sinful humanity, and repent.
Before God decides to humble you himself.
Justin “JP” Plott is the executive producer/co-host of “The Rightside” and co-owner of Rightside Media. You can find him on X @JPRightside.
