Today, we celebrate the 250th Anniversary of Patrick Henry’s “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” Speech, which he delivered in the Virginia House of Burgesses on March 23, 1775. A speech had vision, courage, and foresight and should be ringing from the lips of statesmen and patriots today. Patrick Henry was a man of deep faith, so his remarks appeal to spiritual courage and trust in God as the foundation for fighting against tyranny.
Here are a few segments that are as applicable today as they were when spoken 250 years ago, particularly as we engage in what can be seen, through Donald Trump’s executive actions, as a Third American Revolution in the ongoing fight for liberty.
On the topic of freedom and slavery and having open debate:
The question before the House is one of awful moment to this country. For my own part I consider it as nothing less than a question of freedom or slavery; and in proportion to the magnitude of the subject ought to be the freedom of the debate. It is only in this way that we can hope to arrive at truth, and fulfill the great responsibility which we hold to God and our country.
Over the last decade, debate was stifled, law-making was hidden from the public’s eyes, and the media obfuscated the truth. But it is a new day, and corruption is being exposed at every turn. We need to be bold and courageous and state clearly once again that our rights do not come from the government but from God—and that the purpose of government is to protect those God-given rights. Not doing so will result in a government that enslaves us.
On the topic of wanting to avoid issues, sweep things under the rug, and hope it all just goes away:
It is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the song of that siren, till she transforms us into beasts. Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be of the number of those who, having eyes, see not, and having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation? For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth — to know the worst and to provide for it.
Today, most Americans completely adhere to the primary values of “personal peace and affluence,” with a philosophy that can be summed up as “just keep me comfortable and don’t give me something too hard to do and quit bothering me.” Many act as if Liberty is too much trouble. However, a new generation of patriots is waking up. These patriots support a president who is willing to do the work to return liberty to the American government.
On the topic of perseverance and courage in the face of a fight that is already underway:
The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave. Besides, sir, we have no election. If we were base enough to desire it. It is now too late to retire from the contest.. There is no retreat but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston!
Americans are waking up to something they long failed to recognize: The very life of our country is at stake because a constantly growing and encroaching government has meant we are losing liberty daily. Henry provides in a succinct fashion the three tools that every patriot needs to gird up with for the battles ahead.
We must be vigilant…that is watchful, examining carefully, digging deeper, not taking things at face value, not letting political leaders off the hook, but holding them accountable, knowing and holding fast to the Constitution, and forcing our government leaders to comply to it.
We must be active. We can’t just “phone it in.” Instead, we need to be willing to exercise our rights to fight for liberty and connect with others doing the same.
We must be brave. We need to take heart Joshua 1:9 “Be strong and courageous. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
On the topic of coward pastors and coward leaders:
Gentlemen may cry, “Peace! Peace!”—but there is no peace.
Like all the Founders, Henry knew his Bible. This is a reference to Jeremiah when he is chastising the pastors of the day for being deceitful and unengaged. The pastors should have been warning their flocks that they were violating God’s law. Instead, they pretended everything was fine:
From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit. They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. ‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace.”
Just one verse later, Jeremiah offered the remedy to these ills. That is to return to God and His ways. to return to His ways:
This is what the Lord says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.” But you said, “We will not walk in it.”
Henry made the same argument in Virginia that Jeremiah made in ancient Israel and offered the same remedy. That remedy applies just as well today: Return to the core principles, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution (including the Bill of Rights), and overarching Biblical principles (the Ten Commandments is a good start).
On the topic of Relying on God:
Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us.
The Founders believed that there is a sovereign High King of the Universe who rules over the affairs of men and we turn to this Divine Providence for His aid. We have been born for “such a time as this.” Those who have faith in something greater than the government have the courage to fight because they know that their rights spring not from the government but from God.
Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death:
Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!
We are, as noted, in a Third American Revolution. However, unlike those in 1776 and 1865, today’s warriors have not taken up arms. Instead, we’ve used speech and the ballot box to place into the Oval Office a man who believes in liberty. Our fight is to support him. This is one more stage in our centuries-long fight to restore freedom and liberty. Of course, just as Americans discovered when achieving a beachhead at Normandy in WWII to fight back against leftism (Hitler was a socialist), we still have the tough work of advancing liberty across the continent, for liberty’s enemies are fighting back. However, if we heed Patrick Henry’s words, we will have a guide in this battle.
Craig Seibert is the director of the Christian Civics Training Initiative. www.ChristianCivicsTraining.org and a Coach Mentor for www.PatriotAcademy.com and the www.ServeGodDefendLiberty.com movement. To dig deeper into Patrick Henry’s remarks on this 250yr anniversary day go here.
Jesus Christ is King
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