The Real Threat: Islam and the Collapse of a Secular West
When Christ is denied, rival lords rise to fill the void
The False Frame of Fear
Commentators across the West are recognizing Islam as an imminent cultural threat. They note the growing influence of Muslim populations in Europe, the spread of Sharia-inspired enclaves, and the moral timidity of governments unwilling to name the problem. Yet most stop short of asking the only question that matters: Why has Islam gained ground at all?
The problem is not primarily immigration, race, or geopolitics. It is covenantal. A civilization that rejects Christ’s rule invites other lords. Islam is not conquering a strong Christian West… it’s simply walking into a godless one. When a people abandon the covenant that made them, they lose both clarity and courage.
Jesus warned of this pattern. In Matthew 12:43–45, He described an unclean spirit cast out of a man that later returns with seven others more wicked than itself. “The last state of that man becomes worse than the first.” The same truth applies to nations. When a society sweeps its house clean of Christ, the empty space will not remain vacant. It will be filled by stronger idols, crueler powers, and darker spirits. The vacuum left by unbelief never stays empty for long.
The Nature of Islam: A Rival Law-Religion
Islam is far more than a mere set of private beliefs. It is clearly a rival covenant. Its law claims authority over every sphere of life: civil, religious, and moral. Its confession is total: “There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet.” The Qur’an offers no savior. It presents a system built on obedience without grace, a religion of submission without redemption.
Christianity is no less total in its claim, but it is true. Christ does not share His throne. Psalm 2 declares, “The kings of the earth take their stand, and the rulers take counsel together against Yahweh and against His Anointed.” Every law, every policy, every creed either bows to the Son or wars against Him. John writes, “Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also” (1 John 2:23, LSB).
Islam is therefore not merely another religion. It is a counterfeit kingdom, a rival structure of law and dominion built on denial of Christ’s deity and rejection of His cross.
The West’s Disarmament: Secularism as Self-Destruction
The West’s downfall began long before Islam arrived at its gates. Enlightenment philosophy stripped the soul from Christendom. Humanism replaced Scripture with sentiment. Pluralism rebranded unbelief as tolerance. The modern West became convinced that it could preserve morality without the moral Lawgiver.
But Scripture is clear: “He who is not with Me is against Me” (Matthew 12:30, LSB). There is no neutrality. Colossians 1:17–18 teaches that all things hold together in Christ, and apart from Him they collapse. Secularism’s promise of peace through unbelief was always a lie. It disarmed nations morally, leaving them incapable of recognizing false gods when they appeared.
Islam cannot prevail where Christ reigns. It advances only where His lordship is rejected.
Covenant Consequences: When Christendom Breaks Faith
The rise of Islam in the West is not an invasion but a judgment. It is God’s reminder that neutrality is rebellion and rebellion brings bondage. Scripture shows us the pattern: when Israel abandoned God’s covenant, He delivered them into the hands of foreign rulers (Deuteronomy 28:47–48; Judges 2:10–14). Isaiah lamented, “O My people! Their oppressors are children, and women rule over them. O My people! Those who guide you lead you astray and confuse the direction of your paths” (Isaiah 3:12, LSB).
Every civilization lives under covenant blessings or covenant curses. The moral decay of the West, the rise of false gods, and the confusion of its leaders are all signs of divine chastisement. God has given our nations over to what they have worshiped—autonomy, tolerance, and self-rule—and the fruit is chaos.
The False Hope of Secular Defenses
Many conservatives hope to resist Islam through nationalism, constitutionalism, or appeals to “Western values.” But these foundations are sand. Jesus warned that every house not built on His words will fall when the storm comes (Matthew 7:26–27).
Without Christ, liberty has no anchor. Freedom becomes license. Law becomes tyranny. A nation that denies the living God forfeits the strength to stand against false ones.
Secularism is a suicide pact. It promises peace while dismantling the only authority that could preserve it.
The Christian Response: Dominion, Not Despair
Christians are not called to panic or withdraw. Our duty is to build again, beginning with repentance, renewed obedience, and the bold proclamation of Christ’s rule over every part of life.
“The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, and His kingdom rules over all” (Psalm 103:19, LSB). The answer to Islam is found in the dominion of the gospel, not in secular nationalism. Parents must train their children to know that every law and every nation belongs to Christ. We must bring the truth to Muslims without compromise, showing mercy rooted in conviction and love grounded in sound doctrine.
Christ’s commission leaves no room for neutrality: “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:18–19, LSB). To tolerate false worship in the name of peace is treason against our King.
The Choice Before the West
The rise of Islam in the West is not conquest but judgment. God is giving rebellious nations over to what they have chosen. Those who refuse to confess Christ will find themselves ruled by those who worship false gods. The only path forward is repentance and return to the true King.
“The LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; He will save us” (Isaiah 33:22, LSB).
We should not be driven by fear of Islam but by reverence for God. When the West submits again to the reign and law of Christ, courage and peace will return. Until that day, false religions will remain instruments of His judgment.