The Biblical Case Against Black-Pilling

Faith Over Despair

‍ ‍

“Reject the black pill. Do not lose hope. Do not give up. Things can always get better.”

One popular online trend of the last few years has involved the reference to different pills. No, this is not MAHA or Big Pharma talk; this trend originates from the 1999 film "The Matrix."  

In the film, the main character must either take the blue pill and return to his normal life without knowing the "true" ways of the world or take the red pill and be enlightened about how the world truly works. 

Social media users have used the scene from the film as a metaphor, often in online political discourse, in which taking the "red pill" means looking beyond what the mainstream media presents or discovering some hidden "truth." 

Recently, a new pill was introduced in online circles: the "black pill." The black pill is taken when someone loses all hope in a particular situation, usually a political one, and views all efforts to fix it as futile. At its core, the black pill is a philosophy rooted in despair and nihilism.

Taking the black pill is not only bad political strategy; it is also unbiblical. 

First, the black pill makes us give up before we even try. It causes us to abandon all attempts to fix our country, engage in public life, and spread the gospel. But things can always be fixed and are never too far gone. Scripture teaches in Luke 1:37 and Matthew 19:26 that nothing is impossible with God and that all things are possible through Him. If it is God’s will for change to happen, it will most certainly occur. 

Second, the black pill makes us lose all hope. Like the enemy, the black pill becomes more deadly when we become hopeless. Scripture tells us, however, that we can and should have hope for the future, whether earthly or heavenly. 

In Romans 15:13, the Lord is called the "God of hope," and we are told that we will overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that the Lord has a plan for our lives, and those plans are for a hope and a future. There is also a cascade of Psalms and Proverbs that tell us that our hope comes from God and that we should put our hope in Him. 

While we may not always know or discover God’s plans for us or the world, we can have hope through Him. Our hope is eternal; no matter what happens to us in this world, we are promised eternal life through Christ Jesus. 

Reject the black pill. Do not lose hope. Do not give up. Things can always get better. 

Heed Paul’s words in Romans 12:12: "Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer" (ESV). Put your trust and faith in the Lord, and He will give you an everlasting hope.