U.S. military commanders have been invoking extremist Christian rhetoric about the biblical “end times” to justify to troops their involvement in the Iran war, according to complaints filed with a watchdog group.
The Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) says it has received more than 200 complaints from service members in all branches of the military, including the Marines, Air Force and Space Force.
One complainant, identified as a non-commissioned officer (NCO) in a unit that could be deployed “at any time to join” operations against Iran, told MRFF in a complaint seen by The Guardian that his commander had “urged us to tell our troops that this was ‘all part of God’s divine plan’ and specifically referenced numerous quotes from the Book of Revelation referring to Armageddon and the imminent return of Jesus Christ.”
“He said that ‘President Trump has been anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran to bring about Armageddon and mark his return to Earth,’” the noncommissioned officer added.
The noncommissioned officer’s complaint was filed on behalf of 15 soldiers, including 11 Christians, a Muslim and a Jew. MRFF first shared the complaint with Jonathan Larsen, a freelance journalist.
“Every time Israel or the United States is involved in the Middle East, we get things about Christian nationalists taking over our government, and certainly our American military,” Mikey Weinstein, president of the MRFF, who is an air force veteran, told The Guardian.
“Military members are not really able to defend themselves, because their military superior is not their shift manager at Starbucks,” he added.
In a statement, Weinstein suggested that reports indicate a rise in Christian extremism in the military, not that whistleblowers “report the boundless euphoria of their commanders” who perceive a “‘biblically sanctioned’ war that is clearly the undeniable sign of the rapidly approaching Christian fundamentalist ‘End Times.'”
He said the allegations show a clear violation of the separation of church and state.
Pete Hegseth, the United States Secretary of Defense, is known for his adherence to Christian nationalism. He previously endorsed the doctrine of “sphere sovereignty,” a worldview derived from the extremist beliefs of Christian Reconstructionism (CR). Philosophy demands capital punishment for homosexuality and strictly patriarchal families and churches.
In August 2025, Hegseth republished a CNN segment on X focusing on Pastor Doug Wilson, a Christian nationalist who co-founded the Idaho-based Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC). In the segment, Wilson says she doesn’t believe women should hold leadership positions in the military or be able to hold high-profile combat positions.
“I would like to see this nation be a Christian nation, and I would like this world to be a Christian world,” Wilson said.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
