A Lion Unleashed
We all watched in sorrow and disbelief this week as the events in Utah played out endlessly across every news outlet. Charlie Kirk, a passionate advocate for reason, Christ’s enduring love, and a return to civil discussion of controversial issues, was cut down by a single assassin’s bullet.
And then, with poise and remarkable elegance inspiring millions, Charlie’s widow Erika took to the podium and delivered a heart-wrenching yet hope-filled eulogy, promising to continue Charlie’s lifework and expand spreading the news of God’s love.
A Culture That Silences
The apostle Peter once warned us, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8).
When voices of reason and grace are silenced—whether by mockery, censorship, or in this tragic case, violence—it’s a symptom of a deeper sickness. The lion of darkness seeks to silence the Lion of Judah’s messengers.
And yet, Scripture reminds us that no weapon formed against God’s people will ultimately succeed (Isaiah 54:17).
Voices That Cannot Be Quenched
Here’s the irony: persecution rarely destroys the message—it makes it louder!
When Stephen was stoned in Acts 7:54-60, it seemed like the end of a voice calling for repentance and truth. Instead, Acts 8:4 tells us that “those who were scattered went about preaching the word” wherever they went.” What man tried to silence, God multiplied.
So it is today. Even as the secular world cheers for “progress” that erases God, ordinary believers—teachers, parents, pastors, students—continue living out faith in ways that ripple louder than they realize.
Charlie Kirk’s life was a single example, but countless others remain.
Today’s Lions
None of us may face the assassin’s rifle, but many of us face lions of another kind. Lions of ridicule at the workplace. Lions of temptation in a culture saturated with self-gratification. Lions of despair as we watch headlines filled with violence, addiction, and confusion about even the most basic truths.
Yet the Bible reveals another lion: “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered” (Revelation 5:5).
Jesus is the true Lion—strong, victorious, and unmatched. When we stand in Him, we’re not silenced. Instead, we’re unleashed.
A Lion Unleashed in Us
Paul reminds us in 2 Timothy 1:7 “God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” The culture would prefer that Christians stay quiet, privatize their faith, and leave “religion” at home. But the Spirit within us isn’t timid. It’s bold, compassionate, and rooted in truth.
Being “a lion unleashed” doesn’t mean being harsh, angry, or combative. Charlie Kirk modeled this well—he leaned into civil discussion, pointing to Christ not by shouting people down, but by engaging them with love and conviction.
A lion unleashed is one who knows the power of the Gospel. Someone carrying that power it into every corner of life, refusing to let fear, ridicule, or even tragedy, muzzle the truth. Someone like you and me!
Regardless of how the world tries, the Gospel cannot be chained, even when its messengers suffer (2 Timothy 2:9). The courage of one becomes the courage of many.
Unleashed for the Next Generation
Perhaps the most urgent need is for the next generation. Children today are growing up in a world where confusion is celebrated and truth is relative. They need to see lions unleashed—not angry zealots, but courageous men and women who love Jesus so boldly that compromise is unthinkable.
Parents, your diligence in praying at the dinner table or sharing with your children is not small. Teachers, your willingness to encourage truth with grace isn’t wasted. Church leaders, the need has never been greater to heed Paul in 2 Timothy 4:2 and faithfully preach the Word in every season.
The lion’s roar of Christ-like love, lived out daily, cannot be silenced.
The Lion Still Roars
The culture may try gagging the message of hope. It may mock, cancel, legislate, or even assassinate. But the Lion of Judah still roars. He roars through His Word, through His Spirit, and through the lives of believers who will not be tamed.
Charlie Kirk’s life and death remind us that the world will sometimes go to great lengths to silence a messenger. But it also reminds us that God’s truth, spoken in love, is never suppressed. In fact, it grows louder.
The question for us is simple: Will we cower in fear, or will we live as lions unleashed? Will we bow to secularism’s demand for submission, or will we lift up Christ’s name with courage and grace?
Let’s commit from this time forward to live as lions unleashed—unafraid, unashamed, and unrelenting in the mission of proclaiming Jesus Christ as Lord. For the darkness will never overcome the light, and the grave simply can’t hold back the One who has triumphed.
May God always guide your path.