In a landmark decision, a federal court determined that the Canadian government’s use of the Emergencies Act (formerly known as the War Measures Act) was unconstitutional. The Act gives the federal government extraordinary power to handle national emergencies. The judge determined the use of the Act to end the trucker convoy was ultra vires (“beyond the powers”), or quite simply, illegal.[1] The truckers were protesting the government’s abuse of power, and now a federal judge has ruled that the government abused their power to stop truckers from protesting their abuse of power. Got it?
The legal and political ramifications of this decision continue to be discussed and time will tell the full impact this ruling will have. What I want to do is consider how Christians should think regarding this decision. What does this mean for the church of Christ? What lessons can we learn?
Let me offer five points of reflection and application:
1. This is vindication.
The witnesses of the trucker convoy can testify that this protest was no act of insurrection or national crisis. This was an act of (effective) protest after years of government overreach and abuse. How do you get the attention of a government that refuses to listen? Answer: You fill the nation’s capital with tractor trailers and honk! To add to the power of the protest, wave Canadian flags, set up bouncy castles, sing the national anthem, pray together and listen to street preaching.
The Trudeau government refused to listen to the concerns of the truckers (and many other Canadians) whose lives and livelihoods had been adversely affected after years of health mandates—most pernicious were those coercive vaccine mandates. Rather than listen, the government invoked the Emergencies Act which turned our nation’s capital into a police state more reminiscent of Nazi Germany than the free and democratic society Canada wants to be known for.
With that background, this court ruling offers some vindication to those who said the government was abusing their power. They abused their power and they got caught. In fact, both the Alberta lockdown orders and now the use of the Emergencies Act were declared illegal by the courts.
This is not only vindication legally but also for Christians who supported the truckers. Many evangelical leaders siding against the truckers cited Romans 13 as justification to comply with the governing authorities. But they failed to properly consider that our governing authorities were themselves accountable to the law. If the governing authorities break the law or violate the charter, it is incumbent upon lesser magistrates, like police chiefs (and even pastors), to say “No!” Christians who supported freedom were chastised by other Christians are scofflaws and rebellious. It turns out that it was our governing authorities who were the scofflaws and rebellious. We should understand this by now: by no means does Romans 13 compel Christians to submit to unjust laws. Rather, Christians must stand for justice even if they suffer heavy personal consequences.
2. It’s a small victory among a string of losses.
Freedom has eroded in Canada. The courts are not always on the side of truth and justice. Our brothers and sisters at Trinity Bible Chapel have lost multiple appeals and were forced to pay large fines for contempt and breaking the Reopening Ontario Act. This small victory does not alter the trajectory of our nation. Enthusiasm in this court decision must be tempered because the worldview that cast our country into lockdown ruin is still thriving. Canada remains a haven for cultural Marxism, multiple critical theories, communistic socialism, big government, and a militant secularism that wants to eradicate our Christian heritage. This may be a victory in court, but the evil one still uses the public schools, universities, colleges, media, entertainment industry, and government to wage war against the ultimate standard—God’s standard—of truth and justice.
We must remember that real and lasting change won’t come through the courts but through changed hearts as people in our country repent of sin and unbelief and submit themselves to the rightful heir of the universe, Jesus Christ. He is the great judge who will render the final and ultimate vindication when he finally rids the world of sin and death.
3. The silent church must speak up.
The trucker convoy happened because the church remained silent. Before the vaccine mandates and travel restrictions came down heavy upon the truckers, the government restricted the church. Before they went after the physical body with vaccine mandates, they shut down Christ’s body with worship mandates. If the church stood and spoke to resist lockdowns there would be no attempt to coerce vaccination through punitive government measures. Pinching a little incense now will lead to greater sacrifices later.
When James Coates went to jail in early 2021, that should have been the rallying cry for the church to stand and speak. If all the churches were open on that Sunday, the tyranny would have been over on Monday. So many revere the truckers as heroes (and they are), but this could have been the spotlight on the church of Christ. It could have been the church in Canada that was recognized around the world as defenders of liberty and bold to stand against government overreach.
This is not to say that many Christians did not speak up. There were many Christian undertones to the convoy. But the church, and pastors leading them, are not standing to provide the needed spiritual guidance for the spiritual battle that is taking place. Even famous atheists are recognizing that there is a spiritual battle taking place. Where is the church?
If attention was brought to the church, as it continues today for the truckers, then society would be talking about the lordship of Christ and the centrality of Christianity to freedom. Rather than similar trucker convoys around the world being the voice of freedom, it would be the global church doing the same. This was a missed opportunity for the church to bear public witness of the beauty and truth of the Lordship of Christ over all. May this not remain a missed opportunity but a lesson learned with repentance and a commitment to the future defense of justice and truth.
4. We need Christians in all areas of public life.
This court victory before the backdrop of eroding freedom calls not just the church, but individual Christians to live by and speak of Christ’s lordship in all areas of life.
We need Christians in places of prominence and power. Lawyers, judges, members of parliament, members of provincial legislative assemblies, doctors, educators, and every other field and position of influence. Some people, even many Christian leaders today, think this a scary prospect. But why would anyone want to exclude from positions of power those commanded to “do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves” (Phil 2:3)? Why would we think it bad to have Christians as societal influencers when they are commanded to love their neighbor as themselves? Christianity, more than anything, has been the greatest force for societal good this world has ever seen! Christians need to stop apologizing and making concessions to evil to have evil-minded people think them loving. Christians need to fulfill the cultural mandate and be workers in God’s creation to advance truth, beauty, and goodness.
Christians must live the Christian life in the public sphere and churches must equip them and disciple them in their calling. The church feels comfortable telling fathers and mothers how to live in the home. The church needs to be just as comfortable telling men and women how to live in the culture or in business and politics. Rather that a society submitted to DEI (diversity-equity-inclusion), we need a society submitted to timorem dei (the fear of God). Christians must desire and labor to see all of life yielded to the lordship of Christ.
5. We must prepare for future conflict.
Conflict is inevitable. We live in a world that resists Christ and his advancing kingdom. There are overt enemies of Christ and his gospel. There are counterfeits that ape gospel truth, promise salvation, but send nations to hell. There are many antichrists in this world which pretend to be friends of Christ but are in fact his enemies. We live in an age of antithesis, darkness versus light.
How should one prepare for future battles? Here are a few suggestions:
Take your family to a biblical church that preaches the gospel every week and consistently heralds the absolute lordship of Christ over everything. Get involved. Make friendships. You need the church and the church needs you.
Get your home in order—build a Christian home. Persevere in family worship. Sing the psalms. Pray daily. Read God’s word. Teach your children. Feast and celebrate. Practice hospitality. Order your home for the benefit of the church and the city you’re in. Strong Christian homes make strong Christian churches which are a powerful force for good in a world gone bad.
Don’t spend hours a day in doomsday news. We know it’s bad already. Do something good. Live for Christ where you are. Get involved in living the Christian life in the world rather that flipping through postcards of other Christians out there in the battle.
Have joy. Remember Christ our conquering king has defeated death and rose from the grave. He is presently ruling from the right hand of the Father. He will hold you fast. He prays for you even now. He will receive the reward for his suffering. He will win the day. Christ is our light and song. Take heart and be joyful. Christians must be people with swords and smiles.
Tim Stephens
[1] The COVID health mandates in Alberta were also ruled ultra vires. The health mandates were enacted illegally and therefore not binding nor any prosecution that depends upon them. In brief, it was an illegal use of the law by the ones entrusted to keep the rule of law.