War Sec. Pete Hegseth Tuesday told the press that things are going incredibly well in the skies over Tehran; only a tenth of the number of missiles being launched are from Iran against allied countries.
He also said the Pentagon is not taking its foot off the gas and that the war will end when President Donald Trump says it will.
"I'll close with scripture, drawing strength from Psalm 144," he continued. "Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle."
King David's writings commonly praise God as a warrior-protector and include prayer for victory over enemies and hope for Israel's peace and flourishing. He likely wrote that prayer in the context of ongoing military conflict or threat.
AFR talk host Jenna Ellis is sure the Biden administration would have done nothing to stop the Iranian threat and would never acknowledge God in this way.
"He's not allowing his position as secretary of war to diminish his open love of the Lord and invoking of scripture," she says of Hegseth. "We need more of this."
She commends President Trump for surrounding himself with Christian Cabinet members who are willing to openly read scripture, pray, and call upon the name of the Lord.
In Hegseth's case, he declared, "I'm a Christian, and I robustly support the state of Israel" during his confirmation hearing. He has also spoken about his Christian background and a later renewal of faith in his "Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ."
In her time as Homeland Security secretary, Kristi Noem often spoke about her faith, saying she wanted "to be obedient to whatever God has called me to do."
Additionally, Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, is an outspoken evangelical Christian who has written and spoken about Christian worldview issues in politics and public policy.
Veterans Affairs Sec. Doug Collins is a Southern Baptist minister and Air Force Reserve chaplain who holds a Master of Divinity and has served in pastoral roles.
Sec. of State Marco Rubio has often spoken about his Roman Catholic faith shaping his life and politics, and Vice President J.D. Vance frequently discusses the role of Christian ethics in public life.
Still, Ellis believes it should go a step further.
"I wish that there was a recognition even more so of what the Bible requires of a legitimate civil government," she notes.
In biblical terms, a civil government is one that recognizes its authority comes from God (Romans 13:1), punishes wrongdoing and restrains evil (Romans 13:3-4; 1 Peter 2:14), is just, fair, and impartial (Deuteronomy 16:18-20; Proverbs 29:4), exercises power humbly under moral law (Deuteronomy 17:18-20), and promotes peace and order in society (1 Timothy 2:1-2).
