Don’t Show Them Your Goat

By Brian Campbell

Ephesians 6:11 – “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”

I didn’t really understand what that verse meant—not deeply—until this morning in church.

Pastor Tommy was up there again with his quirky humor and offbeat examples, and we were all laughing along, as usual. But then something shifted. He started talking about standing firm, putting on the full armor of God—not just to protect oneself, but to take a stand when the world pushes against truth.

It hit me harder than I expected.

I thought back to when I ran for public office. I knew it would be rough. I expected debates, disagreements, even criticism. But what I didn’t expect was just how vicious people could be—people who had never even met me.

They slandered, twisted facts, threw out accusations without a shred of evidence. And when that didn’t rattle me, they came after my family. They threatened my children—subtle at first, then more direct. Their education, their privacy, even their safety… all put at risk because I dared to challenge the local power structure.

One day, while feeling the weight of it all, a sweet woman who had been volunteering on my campaign leaned over and said something I’ll never forget:

“Don’t show them your goat. If they can’t see it, they can’t get it.”

I laughed at first. It sounded like something out of a cowboy movie. But I knew exactly what she meant. It was that old saying—“Don’t let them get your goat.”

And suddenly, it all made sense. They weren’t just political opponents. They were schoolyard bullies in suits. Bigger than me. Louder. Backed by a swarm of people who didn’t care about truth—just control.

And like bullies do, they looked for weakness. For emotion. For that moment when you flinch—so they could pounce.

But I stood firm.

Not because I had all the answers. Not because I was fearless. But because my children were watching. And I wanted them to see that you don’t back down from the truth, no matter how loud the crowd gets.

This Kind of Bullying Isn’t New

Cain killed Abel because Abel’s righteousness made him feel convicted. Bullies have always hated light—they prefer the shadows, where lies can breathe.

I see it in politics. I see it in schools. I see it in churches, even.

People don’t want to rock the boat. They don’t want to “cause trouble.”

So, they stay quiet.

They nod along to avoid confrontation. They change the subject when things get uncomfortable.

And that silence?

It’s why our communities, our schools, and our country are in chaos.

We’ve let the bullies win by default. We’ve let their voices drown out truth because too many of us were afraid to speak.

I’ve told my children from the time they were little: kids will tease you, test you, say cruel things just to see how you react. But once they find your weak spot, it’s over—unless you stand.

Unless you know who you are.

That’s why I’ve always advised them that “The only opinion that really matters is God’s. The rest is just noise.”

And I mean it.

God doesn’t care how many likes you have. He’s not swayed by polls or political correctness. His truth never changes.

His strength isn’t about being the loudest in the room. It’s about being grounded in something bigger than yourself. It’s about knowing who you serve—so when the world starts throwing punches, you don’t crumble.

We saw it loud and clear during COVID.

The government closed churches but left liquor stores and strip clubs wide open.

They forced people out of their jobs, off school campuses, out of restaurants—not for being unsafe, but for not conforming.

It was a test run. A spiritual one.

And many failed it—not because they didn’t love God, but because they stayed silent.

The Truth Is, Silence Isn’t Safety

It’s surrender.

And I’m tired of watching good people back down because they’re afraid of being labeled, canceled, or mocked.

The bullies don’t just go away. They grow bolder.

They’re the same spirit behind every movement that shouts down truth and calls evil good.

They’re the same spirit that tries to pit black against white, Democrat against Republican, man against woman, and even Christian against Christian.

But if we don’t start standing up and speaking out—especially in those hard conversations with people who don’t agree with us—then we’re just handing over the future.

We are where we are because we let the loudest voices win.

We let them tell us we weren’t allowed to speak.

We let them convince us our values were outdated or offensive.

But the truth isn’t offensive. It’s freeing.

“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” — John 8:32

So, no—I won’t hide my goat.

But I won’t flinch, either.

I’ll stand in the armor God gave me, and I’ll keep standing when others sit down.

Because if we don’t speak, who will?

And if we don’t stand now… when?

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