As we continue wading through the legislative leviathan that is the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, it’s time to steer away from social spending and chart a course into deeper waters: defense spending. Buried within this multi-trillion-dollar behemoth is a powerhouse provision that allocates nearly $150 billion to shore up America’s national defense.

Now, this isn’t just your standard increase in Pentagon paperwork and office chairs. We’re talking about real, strategic muscle. Of that $150 billion, a significant $25 billion is earmarked to launch President Trump’s visionary “Golden Dome” missile defense shield, a space-age system designed to keep American skies safe from everything from ballistic missiles to hypersonic threats. It’s bold, it’s futuristic, and it’s exactly the kind of initiative that reminds our enemies not to test our patience.

Right alongside that, $34 billion is being invested in revitalizing and expanding our naval power, an area where the U.S. has long held supremacy but now faces stiff competition from the likes of China. This funding includes next-generation warships, amphibious assault vessels, autonomous underwater drones, and much-needed upgrades to shipyards and logistics infrastructure. In short: it’s a big bet on American sea power at a time when the world’s oceans are looking a lot less peaceful.

So, grab your hard hats and your sailor caps, we’re about to pop the hood on this defense provision and take a closer look at what makes it tick, why it matters, and how it could shape the security of this nation for decades to come. Because in a world where enemies are watching and alliances are shifting, a strong shield and a powerful fleet aren’t luxuries, they’re necessities.

What’s in the Defense Provision?

The Golden Dome Missile Defense Shield – $25 Billion

If there’s one defense project that captures the ambition and audacity of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, it’s the “Golden Dome.” This isn’t just another Pentagon pet project, it’s a moonshot for missile defense. Inspired by Israel’s battle-tested Iron Dome, President Trump’s “Golden Dome” takes the concept and cranks it up to a scale only America would dare attempt.

The vision? A high-tech, multilayered umbrella that protects the American homeland from an ever-growing buffet of missile threats: intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), hypersonic glide vehicles, cruise missiles, and even those sneaky low-flying drones. In an age where rogue states like North Korea and adversaries like China and Russia are flexing their missile muscles, the idea is simple: if it flies, we fry it.

Here’s how it works: the system will integrate ground-based interceptors, high-powered laser systems (yes, we’re talking Star Wars tech), AI-powered radar, and a network of satellites capable of early detection and tracking from low Earth orbit. The plan is to create overlapping layers of defense that can respond in real-time to threats from any direction, with shoot-down capability at multiple stages of a missile’s flight path.

Of course, this kind of security doesn’t come cheap. The $25 billion allocated in the bill is just the appetizer. Full development, testing, and deployment could push the total tab to $800 billion over two decades. That’s a lot of taxpayer dollars, and it’s enough to make even the most hawkish conservative pause for a moment of fiscal reflection.

Still, the stakes are sky-high, literally. If successful, the Golden Dome would be the first truly comprehensive national missile defense shield in history. Imagine sleeping at night knowing there’s a silent sentinel hovering in the heavens, watching over our families and our freedom. It’s the kind of defense investment that says to the world: “We don’t just protect our borders; we guard our skies.”

Naval Expansion – $34 Billion

If the Golden Dome is our shield, then the Navy is our spear, and with $34 billion flowing into America’s shipyards, it’s clear we’re sharpening that spear to a fine point. This isn’t just about keeping ships afloat, it’s about reclaiming maritime dominance in an increasingly hostile world.

Let’s start with the facts. China’s navy isn’t just growing, it’s exploding. With more hulls in the water than any other nation and a shipbuilding pace that puts ours to shame, the Chinese Communist Party has made no secret of its ambitions: control the South China Sea, pressure Taiwan, and push the U.S. out of the Indo-Pacific. If we don’t respond with overwhelming strength and strategy, we risk losing our global edge, and that’s not just a foreign policy problem, it’s a national security crisis.

That’s why this $34 billion boost is more than a line item, it’s a lifeline. Here’s where the money’s going:

• New Amphibious Assault Ships: These aren’t just boats, they’re mobile war platforms for the U.S. Marines. They carry troops, tanks, helicopters, and hope into the hotspots of the world. Think of them as floating fortresses with a zip code.
• Next-Generation Submarines and Destroyers: Silent, swift, and packed with firepower. These vessels are the eyes, ears, and fists of our undersea warfare capabilities, essential for deterring submarine threats and projecting power across contested waters.
• Unmanned Surface and Underwater Vehicles: The future of warfare isn’t just manned, it’s automated. These drone ships and submersibles can scout enemy positions, conduct surveillance, and even deliver payloads, all without risking American lives.
• Shipyard Infrastructure and Readiness: You can’t build a 21st-century fleet with 20th-century facilities. This investment upgrades our domestic shipyards, expands dry docks, boosts skilled labor, and accelerates production timelines, ensuring that when we need ships, they’re ready to sail.

But beyond the hardware, this provision represents a philosophical shift: from post-Cold War complacency to strategic reawakening. We’re no longer content to merely float; we intend to dominate. And that’s good news, not just for sailors and defense contractors, but for every American who understands that freedom of navigation and economic stability are tethered to our naval supremacy.

This naval expansion isn’t about warmongering; it’s about wise preparation. Peace, after all, isn’t maintained by wishing for it; it’s preserved by those willing to defend it.

So yes, the seas are getting rougher. But thanks to this bill, so is our Navy. And in a world full of threats, it’s comforting to know that the Stars and Stripes still fly strong over the world’s oceans, backed by the most advanced and determined fleet on Earth.

The Case for This Spending

National Defense Is a Biblical and Constitutional Priority

When we talk about national defense, we’re not just dealing with budgets and weapons systems, we’re talking about sacred responsibility. Both Scripture and the U.S. Constitution lay a firm foundation for the role of government in protecting its people. Ignoring that role in a dangerous world isn’t just naive, it’s negligent.

In Romans 13:4, the Apostle Paul writes of civil authority: “For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.” This isn’t just metaphorical, it’s a clear endorsement of the legitimate use of force to preserve order and defend the innocent. Government is not only permitted but commanded to wield the sword responsibly when evil arises.

Our Founding Fathers understood this principle well. Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution grants Congress the power to “provide for the common defense.” That’s not optional. It’s not a suggestion. It’s a core function of federal governance, right up there with coining money and regulating commerce. You can’t have liberty without security, and you can’t have security without a strong national defense.

The threats today aren’t the musket-wielding redcoats of 1776. We’re facing adversaries armed with hypersonic missiles, space-based weapons, cyberattacks, and autonomous drones. Rogue states like Iran aren’t going away, and rising powers like China are challenging us on land, sea, air, and cyberspace.

That’s why the old Reagan mantra, “peace through strength,” rings truer now than ever. It’s not just a bumper sticker, it’s a blueprint. Strength isn’t the opposite of peace; it’s the precondition for it. We don’t build ships and missile shields because we want a fight; we build them so we don’t have to fight. Deterrence is the middle ground between pacifism and aggression: it’s righteous strength held in reserve.

So yes, a strong military is expensive. But letting evil go unchecked? That’s far costlier in blood, treasure, and soul. Defense, when rightly ordered, is an act of stewardship, not warmongering. It is the sword in the hand of the watchman on the wall.

In the end, when the wolves are circling, it’s the shepherd with a staff—and yes, sometimes a sword—who protects the flock. And in this fallen world, God-fearing nations must never be ashamed to defend what He has entrusted them to keep.

Deterrence Works

In a world marred by sin and ambition, the best battles are the ones that never happen. Deterrence is the art of ensuring your enemies understand—beyond a shadow of a doubt—that any act of aggression will cost them more than they’re willing to pay. It’s not about provoking war; it’s about preventing it by making war unthinkable.

This is why investments like the Golden Dome missile shield and the naval expansion aren’t just military expenditures, they’re strategic declarations. They send a loud, unmistakable message to the world’s tyrants and troublemakers: “We are ready. We are capable. And if you threaten our people, you will regret it.”

Think about it: history’s most peaceful stretches have come not when power was shared equally among nations, but when it was concentrated in the hands of one moral, restrained superpower. After World War II, it was America’s unmatched military might that kept the Soviet Union at bay. During President Trump’s first term, it wasn’t our apologies that earned respect, it was our strength. And today, with threats emerging from Beijing to Tehran, that strength is needed once again.

Deterrence works because it’s grounded in human nature. Bullies, whether in a schoolyard or a geopolitical chessboard, don’t pick fights with people who can fight back. They look for weakness. They prey on hesitation. A shield that can intercept incoming missiles and a fleet that dominates open waters makes those bullies think twice, and that pause can be the difference between peace and destruction.

It’s worth noting, too, that deterrence reflects a biblical principle of watchfulness. In Luke 14:31, Jesus asks, “Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?” In other words, wisdom demands we be ready: strong, prepared, and willing to defend our own, not just hope the enemy doesn’t come knocking.

Deterrence is the quiet strength of a people who love peace enough to prepare for war. It’s the armor of nations who understand that security is not given, it’s earned, defended, and maintained. Through God’s grace and a little American steel, we can keep the peace by making sure no one dares to break it.

Economic Growth and Job Creation

While critics love to paint defense spending as wasteful or bloated, they often overlook a key truth: national security isn’t just a moral and strategic imperative, it’s also an economic engine. When we invest in America’s military might, we’re not just buying ships and missile systems, we’re building careers, families, and communities across this great nation.

The $150 billion is going to ripple through the economy like a stone tossed into a still pond. Every amphibious assault ship built in Pascagoula means welders, electricians, and designers get paid. Every drone deployed or missile interceptor tested means work for thousands of small and mid-sized manufacturers.

We’re talking about shipbuilders in Virginia, avionics technicians in Arizona, steelworkers in Pennsylvania, and radar engineers in Alabama. This isn’t centralized, top-down spending, it’s decentralized economic stimulation. And unlike wasteful bureaucratic programs, defense spending actually produces something: readiness, innovation, and good-paying jobs for Americans.

And no, this isn’t socialism in camouflage. This is capitalism with a mission. It’s a partnership between private industry and public purpose, rooted in the belief that a strong America begins with a strong workforce. The same hands that build battleships also build communities, and the factories that assemble missile parts often anchor entire local economies.

And let’s not forget innovation. Historically, military investment has fueled some of our greatest technological breakthroughs: GPS, the internet, advanced robotics, even emergency medicine. Today’s defense spending will be tomorrow’s next big leap, not just in warfare, but in commercial tech and infrastructure.

So, while critics wring their hands about “military-industrial complex” boogeymen, the truth is that well-managed defense spending puts food on the table for working-class Americans. It trains a new generation in skilled trades. It builds a future that is not only secure, but prosperous.

The Case Against This Spending

Budget Bloat and National Debt

Let’s call it like it is: $150 billion is a jaw-dropping sum, especially when Uncle Sam is already swimming in red ink. With our national debt barreling past $35 trillion like a runaway freight train, it’s not unreasonable to ask whether this defense provision, as well-intentioned and necessary as it may be, is another drop in the bucket or a floodgate swung wide open.

Now, national defense is a biblical and constitutional priority, no question there. But just because something is important doesn’t mean it should be immune to scrutiny. Stewardship matters, and that includes how we handle taxpayer dollars. Luke 16:10 reminds us, “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much.” If we’re going to entrust our government with billions for national security, we should also expect accountability, efficiency, and results.

The real danger here isn’t the fact that we’re spending, it’s how we’re spending. Are these funds being targeted with laser precision, or just thrown around like confetti at a campaign rally? Are we building systems that work and ships that sail, or are we feeding a bloated bureaucracy where too many dollars disappear into black holes of inefficiency and crony contracts?

And let’s not forget the broader economic consequences. High national debt can lead to higher interest rates, inflationary pressures, and eventually the dreaded word no responsible citizen wants to hear: insolvency. It’s the kind of fiscal irresponsibility that leaves future generations paying interest on our decisions today, without getting a say in the matter.

Fiscal conservatives have every right to demand that defense spending be subjected to the same scrutiny as every other government outlay. We can support the mission without giving a blank check. Just as the military must be ready for battle, Congress must be ready to battle waste, fraud, and abuse.

In the end, a strong defense starts with a strong economy, and that means getting serious about the debt. Because no matter how advanced our missile systems or how mighty our Navy, if the dollar collapses under its own weight, all the firepower in the world won’t save us from a financial reckoning.

So, let’s be vigilant. Let’s support defense, but let’s also defend the principles of limited government, sound money, and responsible spending. Otherwise, we may win the war abroad and lose the battle at home.

Potential for a Global Arms Race

Even the most well-meaning defense initiatives can come with unintended consequences, and one of the loudest alarms critics sound is the potential for triggering a global arms race. It’s not an irrational concern, history has taught us that when one nation raises the stakes, others rarely just sit on the sidelines knitting peace flags.

China and Russia aren’t just watching, they’re reacting. As the United States pours billions into state-of-the-art missile shields, next-gen warships, and space-based defense systems, our adversaries are already adjusting their playbooks. Beijing is racing to build more ballistic missiles and expand its blue-water navy. Moscow is developing hypersonic glide vehicles and novel nuclear delivery systems specifically designed to pierce or bypass missile defenses like the Golden Dome. And let’s not even start on Iran and North Korea—they’ll copy whatever technology they can get their hands on.

That’s the cold reality of international power dynamics: strength deters, but it also provokes. It creates a domino effect where each nation feels it must outmatch the other, leading not just to military buildups, but to growing mistrust, miscalculation, and the ever-present risk of escalation.

Now, this isn’t a reason to abandon defense. It’s a reason to pursue it wisely. We don’t need to swing our sword blindly; we need to wield it skillfully. There’s a big difference between leading with strength and provoking with swagger.

Strategic deterrence should always be married to diplomatic clarity. We must build from a position of peace, not paranoia, always prepared, never panicked. As Jesus taught in Matthew 10:16, “Be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” That wisdom means knowing when strength brings security, and when it risks destabilization.

This is why transparency, international dialogue, and arms control measures (when they serve American interests) are tools we shouldn’t ignore. We can build the shield and the sword while also engaging the world with integrity. Peace isn’t the absence of weapons; it’s the presence of righteousness and order. And order sometimes requires arms, but it also requires restraint.

At the end of the day, the goal isn’t just to outgun our enemies. It’s to make sure no one has to fire a shot at all. The line between deterrence and escalation is razor thin, and we’d do well to walk it with prayer, prudence, and a steady hand.

Is It Technologically Feasible?

There’s no doubt that President Trump’s “Golden Dome” missile defense shield is a bold vision: space-age technology designed to shield the homeland from nuclear, hypersonic, and cruise missile attacks. But bold visions also require bold realism. As inspiring as the concept may be, the path from blueprint to battlefield is filled with engineering hurdles, logistical snags, and operational unknowns.

Building an impenetrable shield against every conceivable missile threat is one of the most complex technological challenges ever undertaken. We’re talking about intercepting projectiles traveling at many times the speed of sound, from multiple directions, with little to no warning. And we’re not just defending a single city or a military base, we’re talking about nationwide coverage. That’s like trying to swat a swarm of wasps out of the air with a laser pointer while blindfolded.

So far, no missile defense system in history has proven 100% reliable, not the Iron Dome, not THAAD, not Aegis. They’ve all had successes, yes, but they’ve also had limitations. Weather conditions, decoy tactics, electronic interference, and sheer volume of incoming threats can all reduce effectiveness. That means any national defense plan based solely on intercepting enemy missiles mid-flight must be taken with a grain—or maybe a silo—of salt.

The danger here isn’t just technical failure; it’s the illusion of invincibility. If the Golden Dome gives policymakers or the public a false sense of security, it could lead to complacency in other critical areas like diplomacy, deterrence, and conventional readiness. No shield is perfect, and no system is foolproof. That’s why we must balance ambition with caution.

Still, this doesn’t mean we throw up our hands and abandon innovation. Far from it. Technological breakthroughs often come from dreaming big. The Apollo missions weren’t “feasible” until they were. GPS started as a military experiment. And lasers, once sci-fi fantasy, are now real battlefield tools. The key is to keep expectations in check and accountability high.

A wise approach would be phased development, build it layer by layer, test rigorously, and adapt constantly. We need full transparency, independent audits, and ongoing congressional oversight to ensure that this “golden” project doesn’t become a bottomless pit of taxpayer money.

As Ecclesiastes 7:12 says, “For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.” In other words, throw money at a problem, and you might buy a solution. But throw wisdom at it, and you’ll build something that actually lasts.

The Golden Dome might well be part of our future—but it must be grounded in reality, guided by wisdom, and constantly tested by truth.

A Shield Worth Bearing, But with a Watchful Eye

As Christians, we don’t shy away from the hard truth: the world is fallen, and evil is real. That’s why defending our homeland isn’t just good policy, it’s a moral imperative. God calls government to “bear the sword” not as a tyrant, but as a guardian. National defense, rightly pursued, is a righteous act of stewardship, a way of protecting the innocent, preserving order, and ensuring liberty endures for the next generation.

But let’s also be clear: just as the sword is biblical, so is restraint. Defense should never become a golden calf, idolized for its own sake. It must be guided by principles—transparency, accountability, prudence—not by the whisperings of lobbyists or the unchecked appetites of the military-industrial complex.

The defense provision within the One Big Beautiful Bill Act is, on balance, a vital and necessary investment in American strength. The threats are real, the technology is advancing, and peace only survives when it is backed by power. But we must wield that power with humility, not hubris. We honor the sword we bear, yes, but we must never forget the cross we carry.

As Proverbs 24:6 reminds us: “For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety.” Wisdom—not pride—must govern our path forward. This bill is not perfect, but it is purposeful. The challenge before us is to ensure that purpose remains righteous, efficient, and faithful to the people footing the bill.

Because in the end, strength without wisdom is dangerous. And wisdom without strength is useless. A strong nation is a secure one, yes, but a wise nation is a blessed one. Let us strive to be both: armed but anchored, vigilant yet virtuous, and always led not just by strategy, but by Scripture.