Some Christians say we shouldn’t celebrate Donald Trump winning the election. There are primarily two kinds of Christians saying that. One group says we shouldn’t celebrate the lesser evil, and the other group says it’s sinful to rejoice that our political enemies have fallen.
The first group is mostly concerned that Christians who are celebrating Trump’s victory are ignoring his evil character and evil words about abortion and IVF. They believe the incremental approach to supporting the lesser evil leads to apathy for evil. For that reason, many so-called abortion abolitionists are in this group.
I don’t think we should completely dismiss their concerns. Some Trump supporters reserve their indignation for injustice only for Kamala Harris. They strictly compare Trump to the Democrat’s platform instead of primarily comparing him to Biblical standards. They might acknowledge that Trump is the lesser evil, but they justify it instead of lamenting it.
However, there is a major difference between MAGA voters who support Trump’s evil words about abortion and IVF and Christians who are grateful for God’s small mercies in Trump.
Christians can celebrate the victory of the lesser evil without rejoicing in evil. In other words, Christians like me are celebrating the lesser evil’s victory because it means God has restrained the greater evil.
Christians should be grateful when God restrains radical abortion policies. Christians should rejoice when God ordains Donald Trump over Kamala Harris.
Some Christians say Donald Trump is like King David. But that’s an insult to the man the Bible calls a “man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14).” Donald Trump isn’t like King David. He’s more like Cyrus the Great, an ungodly ruler God used to restrain evil.
God’s mercy, however small, is worthy of big celebration.
The other group of Christians who say we shouldn’t celebrate the results of the election are people who are concerned about our attitudes towards Kamala Harris and her voters. This group believes it’s unrighteous for Christians to celebrate Kamala Harris and her voters losing the election because of what they think the Bible says about our political enemies.
They typically reference these Bible verses: Romans 12:15, which says, “Weep with those who weep,” and Proverbs 24:17, which says, “Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles.”
But when the Bible says “mourn with those who mourn,” it doesn’t mean you should mourn with people who are depressed that Kamala Harris won’t be able to enact her evil policies. Earlier in the chapter, the Bible says we should “abhor what is evil (Romans 12:9).”
This means we should hate what they are mourning instead of mourning with them. That Bible verse doesn’t say we should mourn with everyone about everything. People who use that Bible verse to burden people who are celebrating Trump’s win conveniently leave out the first part of the verse, which says, “Rejoice with those who rejoice.”
According to their eisegesis, they should rejoice with people rejoicing about the election results, right? In fact, according to their reasoning, they are sinning by refusing to rejoice with people who are rejoicing over the election.
In the same way, when the Bible says, “Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles,” it doesn’t mean what this group of believers claim it means.
It means we shouldn’t rejoice when our enemy suffers an accident or a calamity. For instance, Proverbs 25:21–22 says: “If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you.”
When our enemies experience real suffering, we shouldn’t rejoice. We should help them. However, it’s righteous to rejoice when God stops the unrighteous agendas of our enemies.
The Bible encourages it in Psalm 52:1-7:
“Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man? The steadfast love of God endures all the day. Your tongue plots destruction, like a sharp razor, you worker of deceit. You love evil more than good, and lying more than speaking what is right. Selah You love all words that devour, O deceitful tongue. But God will break you down forever; he will snatch and tear you from your tent; he will uproot you from the land of the living. The righteous shall see and fear, and shall laugh at him, saying, ‘See the man who would not make God his refuge, but trusted in the abundance of his riches and sought refuge in his own destruction!’”
Psalm 54:4-7 also says:
“Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life. He will return the evil to my enemies; in your faithfulness put an end to them. With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you; I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, for it is good. For he has delivered me from every trouble, and my eye has looked in triumph on my enemies.”
This is why Israel celebrated when they defeated Pharaoh. This is why Israel celebrated when they defeated Goliath. This is why Christians celebrated the end of slavery. This is why Christians celebrated the end of Nazi Germany.
This is also why Christians are celebrating Kamala losing the election.