The Deer and the Wire
I was hiking in northern Arizona when I came across a collapsed stretch of barbed wire fence.
Tangled in it was the carcass of a deer.
It looked like the animal had tried to leap the fence, but its legs caught the wire. The harder it fought, the more the barbs dug in. The thrashing itself became the cause of its death.
That image won’t leave me. It’s not just a tragic moment in the wilderness—it’s a picture of what happens when people are caught in destructive powers. They think they’re leaping toward freedom or strength, but what they land in is a snare.
For many in our churches and communities, American Christian nationalism works the same way. It promises safety, belonging, and purpose—often cloaked in the language of faith, patriotism, and strength. But once embraced, it entangles. The more a person thrashes—arguing online, cutting off relationships, doubling down in fear—the tighter the wire pulls.
So the question is: what do we do when someone we love is caught in that kind of snare?
Approaching with Gentleness
If you had come across that deer alive, how would you have approached? You wouldn’t yell at it. You wouldn’t lecture it for getting trapped. If you wanted it to live, you’d come quietly, gently—showing by your presence that you were not an enemy, but a friend.
Paul says in Galatians 6:1–2:
“Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch out for your own self, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
Notice the word Paul chooses: gently. Not condemn. Not defeat. Restore—gently.
Our goal is never to win an argument. Our goal is to help someone find freedom again.
Guarding Our Own Hearts
Paul’s warning is easy to overlook: “Watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.”
We usually assume he means we could fall into the same sin. And maybe that’s true. But there’s another temptation that’s just as dangerous—pride.
When I see someone entangled in Christian nationalism, part of me whispers: I’d never fall for that. I see more clearly. I’m stronger, wiser, more faithful. That pride is its own snare. I may not be tangled in the same wire, but I’m caught all the same.
I see it in myself when I scroll social media and feel a rush of self-righteousness at “those people.” I tell myself I’m above their deception, but really I’ve just slipped into my own.
Gentleness flows from humility, and humility begins when I remember that I too can be deceived. If I cannot imagine myself ensnared, then I am already ensnared by arrogance.
This may be why Paul spends more time shaping the posture of the rescuer than describing the sin of the one caught. Restoration of another begins with restoration of our own heart. If I come with superiority, condescension, or self-righteousness, I am not operating in the Spirit. And I may do more harm than good.
Before speaking a word of correction, it’s worth asking:
Am I here to make them more like me, or more like Jesus?
Can I pray with integrity: “Lord, what do you want to change in me through them?”
These questions expose my motives. They remind me that I, too, need restoring, that I, too, depend on gentle correction.
Guarding my own heart means remembering: all ground is level at the foot of the cross. I don’t stand above my brothers and sisters caught in Leviathan’s snare. I stand beside them, equally dependent on God’s grace.
Carriers of Burdens
The pull of Leviathan is strong. It feeds on fear and division. But the call of Jesus is stronger.
Leviathan demands warriors. The Lamb calls for ministers of reconciliation. Our task is not to defeat or destroy those entangled, but to bear their burdens with them, loosening the wire one barb at a time.
That work is costly. It takes prayer, patience, and presence. It means refusing to treat our neighbors as enemies, and instead committing ourselves to their flourishing in Jesus.
By seeking gentle restoration, we can, as Paul reminds us, fulfill the law of Christ.
Want more?
For more content like this, check out my book Disarming Leviathan: Loving Your Christian Nationalist Neighbor. It provides an overview of the American Christian Nationalist movement and offers practical methods for engaging loved ones who have given themselves over to it.
Gentleness.
Why oh why has this fruit of the Holy Spirit been cut out by many fellow Christians?
Sure, at times, it's difficult, very difficult. But it definitely isn't weakness as some would have us believe.
I better shut up the rest of what I'm thinking and simply say Thank you for pointing this out and for being faithful.
May our Lord Jesus Christ lead us all Home to Himself and to each other.
Thank you. I needed this reminder. 😞