American conservatism stands at a crossroads — not merely political, but moral and spiritual. The growing divide on the Right is not simply about tactics or personalities; it is about purpose. Is conservatism ordered toward truth and the preservation of liberty under God, or is it merely a vehicle for winning power in an increasingly hostile culture?
This question is not new. But in 2026, it is unavoidable, because the moral consensus that once restrained power has largely collapsed. When truth is abandoned, power rushes in to take its place. Scripture warns us that this exchange never ends well.
First, truth exists.
Scripture is unequivocal on this point. “Your word is truth” (John 17:17). Truth is not created by human will, nor defined by political success. It exists independently of us and judges us. The American founding reflected this biblical reality by recognizing rights as pre-political — derived not from government, but from nature and nature’s God. Liberty could only exist because truth was assumed to be objective.
When truth is treated as malleable or subordinate to political ends, liberty becomes conditional. A movement that no longer believes in objective truth will eventually justify any means necessary to retain power. Scripture cautions against this temptation: “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:36). The same is true of movements.
Second, human nature is fallen.
The Bible offers no illusions about human perfectibility. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick” (Jeremiah 17:9). The Founders understood this not because they were pessimists, but because they were realists. As James Madison observed, government is necessary precisely because men are not angels — and therefore must be restrained.
Conservatism aligned naturally with this biblical anthropology. It rejected utopian schemes that assume the right leaders, once empowered, will wield authority virtuously. When conservatives forget this truth, they begin excusing concentrated power in their own hands, trusting outcomes instead of character. Scripture offers a sober warning: “Put not your trust in princes” (Psalm 146:3).
Third, liberty requires virtue.
Freedom is not self-sustaining. Scripture teaches that self-government begins with self-control. Ordered liberty depends on a moral people capable of governing themselves before governing others.
This is why conservatism has historically emphasized family, church and civil society over centralized authority. When virtue erodes, freedom degenerates into license — and license invites coercion. Government power expands not because it is good, but because moral restraint has failed.
Fourth, power must be restrained.
Scripture consistently warns against the corrupting pull of unchecked authority. When Satan offered Christ the kingdoms of the world in exchange for allegiance, Jesus refused. Power divorced from truth was not a shortcut — it was a snare.
This principle is where modern conservatism faces its greatest temptation. In an era of aggressive progressivism and cultural decay, it is easy to conclude that the solution is simply to seize power and wield it more effectively than the Left. But power detached from truth does not become righteous. It becomes indistinguishable from the very statism conservatism once opposed.
Conservatism was never meant to be a will-to-power ideology. It was meant to conserve something real: truth, virtue, liberty and the moral order that makes freedom possible. These are not merely political commitments; they are biblical ones.
The question before the movement is not whether it wants to win elections. It is whether it wants to remain faithful to reality, to liberty and to the moral law that precedes all earthly authority.
Jenna Ellis is a senior adviser of public policy for the American Family Association, national radio host of “Jenna Ellis in the Morning,” and a Florida resident. She previously served as a senior legal adviser to former President Trump.
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