Former President Donald Trump posted a prayer Sunday that Christians have said for almost two centuries, highlighting the battle America faces against the darkness that has enveloped our nation.

In recent weeks, Catholics worldwide have celebrated several important dates, including the birth of the Holy Mary, Mother of God and Michaelmas, the feast of the three archangels: Angel Michael, Angel Gabriel and Angel Raphael. On both occasions, Trump posted a message, first wishing the Holy Mary a “happy birthday” and then (arguably more powerful) on Michaelmas, the prayer of St. Michael the Archangel.

Happy Birthday Mary! pic.twitter.com/d1nwHWTk2b

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 9, 2024

The St. Michael prayer, for those unfamiliar, asks the archangel who kicked Satan out of Heaven during The Fall to defend us in the same way.

“St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our defense against the wickedness and the snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan, and all the evil spirits, who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen,” the prayer states.

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly hosts, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan, and all the evil spirits, who prowl about… pic.twitter.com/Z3RoeGUslh

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2024

You don’t have to be Catholic to understand the importance of a presidential candidate invoking St. Michael to protect us. Trump, himself, is not even Catholic. However, every American can feel the evil looming over our country, which is why there has been a burgeoning national revival to return to a Christian nation.

Trump’s tweet sparked wild accusations from Berkley professor and Clinton/Obama staffer Robert Reich, who said that Trump was somehow suggesting “he is God’s chosen instrument of wrath and that his opponents are ‘evil spirits’ to be ‘cast into hell.’” But this line of thinking exposes the left’s small worldview, misunderstanding of Christian theology and bigotry toward God and His followers. Several things may be happening at once in this Trump tweet, but it has nothing to do with Trump believing that he is St. Michael.

i’m catholic, this is an extremely common prayer (little cards printed with it scattered about most churches). the “devil” and “evil spirits” here are not meant metaphorically, but literally — the invisible agents of your adversity. this is a request for protection, basically. https://t.co/efVrsiVu0p

— Mike Solana (@micsolana) September 30, 2024

Important swing states, like Pennsylvania, happen to have a significant amount of Catholics. In 2020, Catholics comprised around 23% of the population in Pennsylvania, with 2,937,513 active Catholics in the state, according to the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference. It is very likely that Trump is courting a massive voting bloc that was put out after his move to the middle on abortion and his promise to fund in-vitro fertilization (IVF) with taxpayer monies. These issues could prevent most Catholics from voting, severely limiting his ability to win Pennsylvania’s 19 Electoral College votes.

Still, I think it’s more than a campaign move. Trump has survived two very public assassination attempts, one that would have ended his life had he not turned his head to the side at the last second. When you get that close to death and survive, it’s common and expected that you will have a revival in your heart for God. Trump has said several times that God saved his life July 13th.

Regardless of the reasoning, it’s a good sign that Christians will have a place in the next Trump administration, unlike what we’ve experienced under the Biden-Harris regime. Over the last four years, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have allowed the federal government to target Christian pro-life activists, crackdown on Amish farmers and demonize Christian parents. Trump is the only candidate in this presidential race willing to post something so unapologetically Christian as a prayer that the leader of God’s heavenly army defends us in this battle against good and evil.