A Christian Response to the Murder of Charlie Kirk

By Robb Brunansky

Published September 18, 2025

The assassination of Charlie Kirk on September 10, 2025, at Utah State University was a shocking act of depraved evil carried out by a young man whose heart was overcome by demonic hate. This horrific moment overwhelmed the hearts of countless people around the world with grief and sorrow. We were forced to reckon with the reality that this present age is indeed evil (Galatians 1:4), that the devil is now working in the sons of disobedience (Ephesians 2:2), and that everyone who desires to live godly in Christ will be persecuted (2 Timothy 3:12).

As Christians, we understand the world is a dark place. The spiritual realm in which unbelievers live is described as a kingdom of darkness (Colossians 1:13). Evil often seems to be on display everywhere we turn. Yet the gruesome nature of man’s rebellion against his Creator seemed more burdensome over the past week. We mourned when we learned about the awful murder of Iryna Zarutska; we reflected on September 11 and the thousands of Americans who perished in the Islamic terrorist attacks that irrevocably changed our nation and watched in horror as the assassination of Charlie Kirk played out in real-time across our digital screens.

Kirk’s murder hit especially close to home for our congregation at Desert Hills Bible Church. One reason for these particularly raw emotions was because Charlie attended our worship services in the summer of 2020 – even coming to the Lord’s Table to fellowship with us in obedience to Christ’s command to those who have been justified through faith alone. There is something sobering when a brother or sister who has joined together around the Lord’s table with us in the name of Jesus Christ is martyred for their faith in our Lord.

Throughout his shortened mission on this earth, Charlie Kirk demonstrated his eager willingness to be used by God as he relentlessly preached the gospel. He told millions of people that the truth of the gospel is the only important thing in this life, and that Jesus is all that really matters. In the end, this vibrant 31-year-old was one of the martyrs the Lord had numbered to give his life for the gospel. We know from Scripture that God has a certain allotment of men and women who will be killed for their faith. Charlie wasn’t the first martyr of our faith, and he certainly won’t be the last to give his life for Christ.

However, as one wise person in history observed, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” Over the centuries of history, God has used the deaths of faithful Christians to grow His kingdom exponentially and to bring about massive changes in the hearts of sinners, waking them up to the realities of their sinful condition and the eternal damnation awaiting their unredeemed souls if they do not repent and trust in God’s Son, Jesus. We were blessed to catch a glimpse of how suffering increases worship this past Sunday when so many churches around the nation experienced massive attendance numbers due to individuals of all walks of life grasping for strength, comfort, and answers to process the weighty news of the week.

As we reflect on Kirk’s death, what is our responsibility as Christians? What are some ways we can respond to this dreadful, murderous act that aligns with our mission to be relentlessly biblical in every circumstance?

Amid this horrific event, our responsibility as Christians – those who have been set apart by the Lord’s grace for His glory – remains unchanged. It is to shine as lights in a dark world (Philippians 2:15). This charge from our King is why believers in Jesus Christ, when one of our number is murdered, do not take to the streets to riot. We don’t terrorize communities by looting, vandalizing, and protesting. And we don’t allow our strong but temporal emotions to permanently debilitate our testimonies and our ability to serve the Lord and advance His heavenly kingdom.

Instead, Christians do what we did this past Sunday at our churches across the country and world. We sing! What other group of people on the planet comes together after the murder of one of their own and sings, but Christians? Singing is uniquely Christian, martyrs throughout history have sung as they perished, and believers everywhere gather regularly to lift our voices in praise and worship to our Savior.

We also pray. We preach. We worship Christ.

We love. We forgive.

We call sinners to repentance, recognizing the greatest need of this hour is the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ for the hope of the salvation of those who are perishing in darkness.

Moreover, we remember that our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of darkness ruling this present age (Ephesians 6:12). Satan and his minions are actively seeking the mass destruction of – not just physical lives – but eternal souls of people made in the image of God. The devil and his minions will not stop their efforts to destroy until the Lord Jesus Himself wins the final victory and casts the hateful serpent forever into the lake of fire.

Until then, Christians must prepare for wickedness to manifest itself to us and to our children. The Lord promises that we will experience greater levels of persecution (2 Timothy 3:1-9), but that His grace is sufficient to sustain us through our earthly trials and tribulations and give us peace in the midst of difficulties (John 16:33). This promise comforts us in our times of sorrow and distress, while we await the coming of our Lord, who will be glorified in His saints and who will execute vengeance on those who disobeyed the gospel and afflicted the saints (2 Thessalonians 1:6-10). They will pay the penalty of eternal destruction unless they repent and seek refuge in Christ crucified for sinners.

Therefore, we must double down on preaching, praying, singing, worshiping, loving, forgiving, and declaring the grace of God offered to a dark, sinful world. Despite our tempestuous emotions after Charlie Kirk’s murder, this is an hour for us to stand for Christ and to proclaim the gospel that shows the only way of salvation for sinners.

One day, we will look back on this week in our lives and nation and see how God used this tragedy for so much good. In the meantime, we pray for the Kirk family, we pray for our nation, and we pray that God would turn the hearts of those who hate Him and His Word to repentance, and that they might come to know and love our gracious and glorious Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.