What happens when Christians stop looking to government to do what only Christ can do? Brandon Kroll returns to explore Christian anarchism, Revelation 18, Ephesians 6, the love of money, and the spiritual powers at work behind the systems we trust too easily.

What begins with the merchants of Babylon becomes a deeper reflection on empire, deception, money, and whether followers of Jesus should keep trying to fix the world through the kingdoms of this age.

This episode traces the tension between earthly power and heavenly citizenship, asking where our loyalty really belongs when Christ calls us out of fear, control, and allegiance to Caesar.

They Explore:

Christian anarchism and allegiance to Christ
Revelation 18, merchants, and deception
Ephesians 6 and spiritual warfare
The love of money as a loyalty issue
Merchant power and America’s roots
Digital control, dependence, and fear
Christian nationalism and the lure of power
citizenship in heaven and what belongs to Caesar

📖 For Full Show Notes: http://thebadroman.com/show-notes/episode-160

🤝Connect with Brandon Kroll🤝

Previous Bad Roman Episodes
- EP 123 Patriot or Saint with Brandon Kroll
Mana Daily Podcast on YouTube
Mana Daily Podcast on Spotify
Mana Daily Podcast on Rumble
Mana Daily Podcast Patreon

Listen & Reflect

Listen: Listen for the way Brandon and Craig connect money, empire, and spiritual warfare, not as abstract ideas, but as real pressures that shape how we live and who we trust.

Reflect: Where have we asked government, wealth, or political order to give us the peace and security that belong to Christ alone? Where have fear and comfort made us slow to question empire?

Read: Revelation 18:23, Ephesians 6:10–20, 1 Timothy 6:6–10, and Philippians 3:20. Pay attention to what Scripture says about merchants, rulers, money, spiritual powers, and the citizenship that belongs to heaven.

Practice: This week, name one system you trust for safety, comfort, or control, and ask whether that trust has taken a place in your heart that belongs to Jesus.

Key Moments:

(0:00) Is Christian anarchism a good place to be as empire grows?

(3:20) Revelation 18, merchants, and deception

(4:44) America founded by merchants

(6:58) Articles of Confederation and federal control

(7:33) Property, money, and public voice

(24:18) Saints, rulers, and the governments of this world

(35:03) Technology, feeds, and programmed belief

(36:53) Ephesians 6 and the real battle

(37:20) Government, demons, or both?

(49:14) Rome, Charlie Kirk and Christian nationalist imagination

(50:40) Restrictions, surveillance, and forced “Christian” order

(59:23) Fear, compliance, and getting back to normal

(1:00:00) Voting, agency, and what we hand to government

(1:02:41) Caesar, land and sea, and citizenship in heaven

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