The assassination of Christian and conservative activist Charlie Kirk has sent shockwaves around the world, prompting urgent calls for faith and boldness in the face of rising hostility from a coalition of leaders. Kirk’s death was not just a political event but a deeply spiritual moment that revealed the stakes of the cultural battle unfolding in America and beyond.
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Speaking in an interview with CBN, Erick Stakelbeck, host of Stakelbeck Tonight on TBN, described the heartbreak and urgency of the past week. He said he first learned of Kirk’s shooting while at the White House. “All of a sudden, one of his team members looks at her phone and says, ‘Oh my gosh, Charlie Kirk has been shot at in Utah.’ We said, ‘What? Charlie Kirk shot at?’ And then a minute later, oh no, Charlie was shot. It connected. He was shot in the neck. And we’re looking at each other. We are in disbelief. Absolute disbelief.”
Stakelbeck recounted how he and colleagues immediately prayed for Kirk and his family. But moments later, confirmation of Kirk’s death turned grief into resolve. “The word that keeps coming to mind for me is galvanize,” he said. “Charlie’s murder is going to galvanize millions upon millions of people especially young people but people of all generations ages races and ethnicities not only in America but around the world.”
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The longtime broadcaster called Kirk’s life and death a wake-up call for the church. “We are in a massive spiritual war, a spiritual battle. If you don’t recognize that, wake up. The assassination, the martyrdom of a mighty man of God, Charlie Kirk, is your ultimate wakeup call. Realize the stakes. Realize that we are locked in a spiritual battle and do something about it.”
Stakelbeck urged Christians to embrace their unique roles with courage and conviction. “Everyone has a role to play. Maybe it’s just you praying without ceasing like Paul said and being a mighty prayer warrior. Maybe it’s just you sharing the gospel with someone in your neighborhood or your workplace or raising your kids up in the right way. Focus on the three Fs that made America great in the first place. Faith, family and freedom.”
He described Kirk as a model of composure and conviction. “One of the things that always struck me was he would never lose his cool. He always kept his composure in these debates on college campuses. He’d be accosted, threatened, taunted, all the rest and he’d answer with a smile. Charlie was the epitome of the happy warrior.”
For Stakelbeck, Kirk left a legacy that is clear for all to see. “At the end of the day, he was a martyr. He’s an American martyr, not for politics. He was killed because of his Judeo-Christian world view. That’s why he was killed. Not because he was a political operator, but because he was a bold witness for the gospel and Judeo-Christian values.”
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He closed his remarks with a final charge to Christians everywhere. “Be as bold as a lion or a lioness wherever you are and wherever God has you. Do not hold your peace. This is no time to mince words. We are literally in an existential battle for the soul of this nation.”
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a background in journalism from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine.
