On September 11, 2025, America woke up to a world without Charlie Kirk, a Christian conservative activist who was assassinated for the “crime” of being a conservative Christian who was willing to promote Christian conservatism to young people and to engage in dialogue across the political aisle.
While details continue to come in and motives continue to be debated, it is clear that the alleged assailant, Tyler Robinson, couldn’t handle the truth Charlie spoke. From whatever fetid corner of the internet that Robinson was radicalized into his hateful and anti-American ideology, it is clear that it could not stand up to the reality Charlie promoted. And so, in response, he sought to silence the truth with one blast of a rifle. But what he and others who have celebrated Charlie’s demise fail to understand is that Truth, with a capital T, cannot and will not be silenced.
Indeed, in the days since Kirk was assassinated, countless voices have risen to fill the void. Some of these voices have been pastors, like Michael Foster, who called his congregation to follow Charlie Kirk’s example, and professors like Mark Devine, rightly identifying Charlie as a Christian martyr. Others have been politicians, like J.D. Vance, who spoke of Kirk’s role in his own political ascension. Going far beyond the Christians and conservatives—which marked out Charlie’s own vocation—entertainers, like Tom MacDonald, have written tributes to Charlie.
While the earthly voice of Charlie Kirk has issued its last narrative-busting question, the chorus of countless truth-tellers has only begun to warm up. In fact, to honor Charlie Kirk—and more, to honor his Lord—we must do all we can to continue to ask hard questions, to proclaim the truth, and to promote honest dialogue.
Threats to America’s Social Fabric
Historically, America has stood for freedom, or, as Superman used to say, “Truth, justice, and the American way.” When we consider the social and political order that we enjoy, it is self-evidently built on an enduring (but beleaguered) set of principles and beliefs that were present at our founding and are deeply rooted in the very ideas Charlie devoted his life to promoting. For Charlie, “Make America Great Again” was not a cheap endorsement of Donald Trump or a contrived way to build his brand. Rather, from the time he began visiting campuses thirteen years ago, it was a commitment to engaging ideas—ideas that once made America great.
And ideas that will make America great again—if only the movement that Charlie started continues.
What is evident today, however, is that there are menacing counter-ideologies, woke principles, and deadly beliefs that threaten this order. These competing ideologies have manifested themselves in BLM riots, Antifa terror, and mass shootings at the hands of angry transvestites.[1] In a word, the radical agenda of progressive Leftists is one that denies God and his law, denies nature and its fruits, and denies Christians like Charlie Kirk the right to speak freely on a college campus.
1. We aren’t using the term “transgender” here because one cannot change one’s God-given gender. You can change your clothes, you can even cut off healthy body parts. But you can’t change you gender or sex. So the word “transvestite,” which is a word our grandfathers used to use, is a more accurate account of reality.
The principles of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness that our founders cherished were once protected and promoted by college professors. But since the downfall of education in the twentieth century, college campuses have become a hotbed for angry students who would rather cancel their peers than question their own false and incoherent beliefs. And since 2016, and especially since 2024, cancel culture has moved from ballots to bullets and from job loss to blood loss. In the process, what made America great—namely fundamental freedoms that arose from the Protestant Christianity of their forefathers—has been threatened.
Yet truth cannot be killed. For the Truth was killed two-thousand years ago, and He rose from the dead three days later never to die again. But mere mortals who proclaim the truth in the environs where darkness festers can be killed. And in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, we are now left to ask: What now? What next?
As noted, many faithful friends have written tributes to Charlie Kirk. And these testimonies to his faith, love, hope, and service—to God and country—take the priority of immediate place. But soon, the emptiness of Charlie’s famous tent will need to be filled. And not by only one man. For who can truly replace Charlie Kirk? But his place will need to be filled by many. By thousands, if not millions, of young men who looked up to Charlie Kirk.
And thus, dedicated to those men—men like our sons, and those a few years older than them—we offer the following call to arms. This is a commission and exhortation, if you will, given by God’s Word and modeled on the life of Charlie Kirk.
Be Men With Chests
If you are like us, when you hear unsettling news like the cold-blooded assassination of Charlie Kirk, you want to spring into action. Every fiber of your being wants to deploy to the field of battle and see the evil destroyed. We want to affirm this as a good and right response. It is good and right for men to respond with an instinct cocked to lead and protect and defend our society, and especially the vulnerable, against evil.
In fact, men who lack this kind of instinct, this God-given thumos—or spiritedness—are what C. S. Lewis described in his Abolition of Man as “men without chests.” These are men who encounter reality and process good and evil in a way that does not produce personal virtue, but instead live in a way that denies reality, nature, the goodness of good and the evilness of evil. We cannot be like that. We want to have a heart after God’s own heart, like King David (1 Sam. 13:14), which means we must hate evil and love good (Amos 5:5). And we must channel these emotions productively. We must take that anger, mixed with sorrow and loss, and work it for good. As David put it, “Be angry, but do not sin” (Ps. 4:4; cf. Eph. 4:26). And that means we need to get to work and follow through with what Paul said in 2 Corinthians 10:6, to “destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.”
Still, such a noble calling needs concrete steps. And so we want to offer five actions you—and especially young men—can and should do this week, and next week, and every week after that to honor the legacy of Charlie Kirk and amplify the Truth of Christ such that the evil now facing (and filling) America would be turned back.
In order, we should (1) Pray and read the Bible, (2) Go to church, (3) Become a Member, (4) Bring Christian Community into the World, and (5) Build Outposts in the Wilderness.
Pray and Read the Bible
The first thing we should do in the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s assassination is the first thing we should do in any situation: Pray.
The radical Left loves to mock the power of prayer, especially when Christians are driven to pray in a moment of tragedy, danger, or evil. But they do this because they have a bankrupt understanding of reality. They don’t believe in God, or in his Power, and they certainly don’t believe that, “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” (James 5:16).
Prayer has been the engine of great movements of God all through history, from Pentecost to the Protestant Reformation to the First Great Awakening. We have not—so often because we ask not. So many of the Great Christian reformers of history were men of prayer. Their dependance upon God galvanized them, gave them balance, and spurred them on. Let us do the same!
God listens to the prayers of his saints and he intervenes on earth when his people cry out to heaven. As Psalm 145:18 says, “The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.” Do not let those who don’t believe in God convince you that prayers to the One who made you and everything else in the universe are not worth the effort. Again, the Bible and world history suggest otherwise. Charlie Kirk was a man of prayer, because he believed in the power of God. Be like Charlie and pray. And pray as Jesus taught us to pray:
9 Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
10 Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread,
12 and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. (Matthew 6:9–13)
At the same time, as these verses from Matthew’s Gospel indicate, the way we know how to pray is by reading the Bible. And so, if you have never read the Bible, or if you haven’t read the Bible in a long time, find a Bible—online or at church near you—and begin to read.
Romans 15:4 says, “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” The Word of God is for hope. And if you are in need of hope today, then go read the Bible. Start with the Psalms and the passionate cries of David. Read Genesis to see how the world began. Head to the Gospels to encounter the real and living Jesus. And take time to read Paul’s letters, which offer practical instruction on how to walk worthy of Christ’s gospel.
Even more, if you need help understanding the Bible, you might find help with these two podcasts—Bible Talk (for the Old Testament) and Via Emmaus on the Road (for the New Testament). But just the same, you should find a local Bible-believing church and begin attending regularly. For truly, the Word of God is best understood in the context of a community, and the church is the place where God invites you to read, apply, and live out the truths of the Bible.
Go to Church
One of the most radical political acts you can do this week is go to Church and sing praises to the Risen King who sits at the right hand of God Almighty. Jesus is the King of Kings who has received all power and authority in heaven and earth (Matt. 28:18–20). Therefore, any political regime, any ideology, any individual who does not recognize Jesus as king is already doomed. They just might not know it yet (Psalm 2).
The Bible commands God’s people to gather on the first day of the week every single week (Hebrew 10:25) so that we can celebrate the central fact of the universe: that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, that he rose on the third day, and that he ascended to heaven where he now lives to intercede for his people. Going to church is not an act of retreat; it is participation in the victory celebration of Christ. Yes, it’s a hospital for sinners, but it’s also the training hall of soldiers. And it is also the place where you will learn how to fulfill your calling on earth until the Lord calls you to stand before him.
If church attendance has been lax, repent of your infrequent or unlikely attendance. Equally, if seeking peace with King Jesus has been lukewarm or non-existent, confess your evil unbelief and put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ and be reconciled to God (Rom. 10:9). And with newfound faith and zeal, go to church this Sunday. And the next Sunday. And the next.
This is exactly the opposite of what the radical Left and their (very real!) demonic powers want you to do. Neither of us knew Charlie Kirk personally, but friends of his and the public record of his ministry have shown that he was a man who went to church regularly. His pastor knew him, prayed for him, and offered him counsel. You too need a Bible-believing church and a faithful pastor. You won’t run the race well without them.
Become a Faithful Church Member
Getting a gym membership to get in shape is great. But it requires you doing something when you get there. Spending an hour at the local Crunch Gym every day means nothing if you don’t exercise. The same is true at church.
If you are going to be effective for the Lord, then you must become a faithful member of a local church. The church is designed to equip, encourage, and correct you—just like the local trainer. So when you go to church, start by introducing yourself to the pastor(s). Meet others sitting in the same row. Stick around after church and have a conversation with other believers. Share your grief over Charlie Kirk’s murder, and encourage others with the Truth of God’s Word. And then become a member.
Church membership is the language that the Bible uses for getting plugged into the church. In places like 1 Corinthians 12:12–27, the Bible compares the church to a body. And as a body has many members, so you (a Christian) are an important part of that body. And actually, it is in the church body where you will learn what you are and where you are best able to serve. God did not intend for his children (to mix metaphors) to be by themselves. He intended them to serve one another and work with one another. If you aren’t plugged into a Christian body, you’re a severed toe, a dangling ear, or disjointed finger. Gruesome, I know. But that is the picture the Bible gives us. We are in dark days, and we will face dark days to come. Knowing this, you need to be plugged into a believing community.
As Ecclesiastes 4:12 says, “though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” These threats are real, and there is even one who “prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Pet. 5:8). So join a brotherhood of believers, lock arms with them, and be unstoppable. Jesus promised in Matthew 16:18 that the gates of Hell will not prevail against his church. That’s you, Christian—but only when you are joined to other believers under the Lordship of Christ.
America was founded by those who enjoyed thick Christian community. And by means of their faith in God and their commitment to their local churches they changed the world.
Bring Your Christian Community Into the World
The kind of Christian community that comes from being plugged in isn’t a Sunday-only experience. It is a Sunday-through-Saturday Christianity. It remains alive when you exit the doors of the church. It follows you to the office, to the boardroom, the school, the neighborhood cookout, the city council, the local university, and even the halls of Congress.
This Christian community is the kind that Jesus described in Matthew 5:14–16, where Christians are a light on a hill and salt to the earth. They are light and salt because they benefit those around them. Genuine faith is always personal, but never private. And if your Christianity is worth its salt, it will be a light to your neighbors as they see in you the kind of unswerving joy and unmovable certainty that only comes from a life grounded in Christ.
In a word, such a life is infectious. It is effective. And it is the kind of thing that is good but not safe, to quote C. S. Lewis’s description of Aslan in Narnia.
When Christians live their faith out loud and in public, it is dangerous to Leftist ideology, because the light of Christ always exposes the joyless emptiness of godless materialism. Indeed, all forms of progressive thought—e.g., Cultural Marxism, Radical Feminism, Transgenderism, etc.—are lifeless religions predicated on false ideas. Their adherents hold inconsistent beliefs that offer no eternal hope and are bankrupt in terms of their earthly use.
Charlie Kirk was a master at exposing these inconsistencies and the miseries that such ideologies produced. As a result, he was hated, but only because he was so effective. As he himself said in his Man Rampant episode with Doug Wilson, he was effectively destroying four years of higher education talking points (built upon twelve or more years of elementary indoctrination) with repeated three hour debates.
Truly, Kirk was a generational talent. His ability to step onto a college campus and debunk untold lies and debate hateful opponents with joy and confidence was unprecedented, and it is what made him so dangerous. He knew the Truth and that Truth empowered him to offer freedom to others who would listen.
But it is equally true that he was not a one man show. The organization he built since 2012 united countless young, conservative Christians across the country. And those outward facing public communities are what Christians must continue to foster today. Yes, start with prayer, the church, and vibrant membership, but don’t forget to extend your Christian community into the public square. You don’t have to set up a tent on a college campus that says, “Prove Me Wrong.” But you might.
What you do need to do is to magnify the message of Christ by means of being the community of faith in public. As the Reformer John Knox once said, “A man with God is always in the majority.” And we aren’t just one man. We are millions of believers strong in this country that are tired of seeing radical ideology attack the good foundations of America. And with Charlie Kirk lifted from the battle, we need Christians—and especially, young godly men—to get off porn, stop doom scrolling, stop escaping into video games, and join (and then lead!) the community of faith in public. The world needs you—now, more than ever.
Build Outposts in the Wilderness
Finally, in this spiritual battle, go build something great.
It is absolutely incredible to think that an eighteen-year-old with no college education could in less than fifteen years become arguably the most effective evangelical political leader in America. He was instrumental in bringing Trump into office; he played a critical role in leading J.D. Vance into national politics; he founded an organization that is as large as any conservative think tank in America; and most importantly, he started a family with one precious wife and two children with eternal souls. In short, he was a builder. And in this, he should be a model to everyone of us—but especially, every young (middle-aged or old) man.
Men were created to worship God and build the future. You shouldn’t assume that you will build another TPUSA. You don’t have to. Go build a family, a business, or a reputation for getting things done. Build into the church where you worship and build up the people around you. Imagine what would happen if this nation had ten-thousand young men—or better yet, ten-million—who were fighting evil and building in the name of the Good, True, and Beautiful. It would certainly save this country from the forces of radical progressivism. And more, if they did it in Jesus’s name—it would be a revival of incalculable proportion.
Charlie Kirk built a reputation of being someone who was willing to invite opposition in the name of freedom of speech and public debate. He embodied everything that was good and right about America. And he did it as a Christian who became more like Christ over time, not less. In this hour of mourning and loss and despair, it is right to lament Charlie’s death and to call for justice—even capital punishment that is swift and just. But let’s make sure our emotional energy does not turn us into bitter skeptics or disengaged cranks. And heaven forbid we would respond to evil with more evil. For the Christian, self-authorized violence is never the answer. God will repay (Rom. 12:19).
No. Instead, with all of the emotions that have come over the last week, go and do something great. Begin with prayer. Feed on Scripture. Root yourself in the church. And go build something that will outlast you. For the high-school junior, that might mean consistently reading the Bible and praying for the future. For the college senior who hasn’t gone to church since leaving home, that might mean finding a church next Sunday. For the under-employed single man, that might mean adding a second or third job, or pursuing additional education or a skill or trade and praying that God would make you marriageable. And for the all-too-content pastor who always preaches a “safe” message of cultural neutrality, that might mean calling out the sins of the Leftist radicals and addressing head-on the ideologies that animate them.
These and countless more are the actions steps you could take. But whatever you do, don’t shrink back and pretend this evil is going away or that it is someone else’s job to rise up. On college campuses across our country, Charlie Kirk was a voice crying out in the wilderness. But we believe and we are praying that the assassination of Charlie Kirk, which was meant to silence the Truth, would result in tens of thousands, even millions, of young people standing up in his place, speaking the Truth in love with a boldness that is as infectious as it is unstoppable.
Truly, may this moment be a Turning Point. And may all of us commit to making our lives count—for Christ and for the good of our country.
