Remembering Charlie Kirk: American Patriot, Martyr for Christ

By Liberty Counsel Staff

On September 10, 2025, Charlie Kirk died with his boots on — engaging in civil discourse on a college campus. Today, instead of celebrating his 32nd birthday, it is the Charlie Kirk Day of Remembrance, and he is being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously — as countless Americans nationwide wear red to honor the legacy of a national treasure.

Charlie’s career centered on civil discourse and going to the front lines of the culture war on campuses nationwide, seeking to change the hearts and minds of those with whom he disagreed.

Freedom of speech in the public square is part of what makes America so great. Charlie understood this well and sought to defend this liberty that is engrained in America’s DNA and is a birthright for American citizens.

In his own words, “When people stop talking, that’s when you get violence, that’s when civil war happens. Because you start to think the other side is so evil and they lose their humanity.”

He understood freedom of speech as a sort of gatekeeper for the American way of life and knew what was at stake — western civilization itself. This is why the defense of our first freedoms — freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition — is so important. Because America is worth fighting for.

But more than his defense of liberty, Charlie’s life exemplified faith in Jesus Christ and the freedom found in Him.

In a June 29, 2025, interview, Charlie was asked how he would like to be remembered. He answered, “I want to be remembered for courage for my faith. That would be the most important thing.”

And that he was.

Charlie Kirk was a devoted husband and father who esteemed the beauty of the family, marriage, and life. Charlie Kirk was an American patriot who loved his country and understood its exceptionalism. Charlie Kirk was a conservative warrior who defended western civilization and traditional values. Charlie Kirk was a bold visionary who built an organization that helped change the course of U.S. history. But above all, Charlie Kirk was a follower of Jesus Christ.

In some of his last words on earth, Charlie shared the truth of Christ with the crowd at Utah Valley University. Now, the gospel is being proclaimed in his death even more widely than in his life.

Second-century church father Tertullian is credited with the statement: “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.”

In the days and weeks that have followed Charlie’s death, these words have proven true. Countless souls have followed Christ, returned to church, or opened the Bible for the first time.

At least 20 million individuals tuned in to and close to 100,000 attended Charlie’s memorial service where the gospel was clearly shared and the name of Jesus Christ was boldly proclaimed.

What was meant for evil, God used for good.

In the words of Danish theologian Søren Kierkegaard, “The tyrant dies and his rule is over, the martyr dies and his rule begins.”

An assassin’s bullet could not stop the movement Charlie started. His voice was not silenced on September 10 but will reverberate for generations, and generations to come will know his name. His martyrdom is not in vain.

This will be a watershed moment for our nation — and may it be a Turning Point for the better. No one will replace Charlie Kirk, but an entire army is energized and emboldened to charge forward in protecting the very things Charlie defended until his last breath. It’s time to pick up the mic, finish what Charlie started, keep up the momentum for the Kingdom, and proclaim Jesus Christ.

May God raise up countless more who will carry the torch for the cause of freedom with the lionhearted courage and resolve of Charlie Kirk.