Some Christians say that discipleship and Kingdom citizenship demand total, exclusive loyalty to God, so that we are precluded from participating in any political activity. It is said that such participation limits and corrupts Christians, , and diverts them from doing God's will -- even if they just vote in an election.
This simply takes matters farther than is logically possible. One may as well say that ANY job or activity "compromises loyalty to God" -- one can be limited or corrupted in ANY profession to some extent. If there is any advice to be taken here, it is, "If you are weak in faith THEN avoid politics. If you are liable to be corrupted, THEN avoid politics." Otherwise why is it not possible to serve God loyally through the political process?
Some of this view appeal to 1 Samuel 8:7 as a proof, but this verse tells us nothing relevant to our situation; Israel was under a corporate covenant relationship with God as political king, and we are not. At the same time God's rule in Israel never erased lesser human authority structures (the elders outside the gate, the family) so the lesson here would be that God must be first in one's heart, in any event. In short, as in Matthew 6:24, do not be "in bondage" to other things -- make them secondary and also in bondage to God.
The message when it comes to voting and political action is not "don't do it" but "keep your priorities in order."
As a final thought, it may be noticed that the one Christian politician we know of in the Bible -- Erastus the city official in Corinth -- apparently didn't give up his office when he became a Christian.
-JPH