For many years there has been an in-depth and far
reaching discussion on whether Christians have the right, before God, to defend
themselves, their families, and their homes.
And yet, it’s unlikely to ever be definitively decided for all believers.
Remember, this is only my opinion as I
interpret the scriptures.
Please feel free to let me know what you think, but
remember to conduct yourselves in a Christ like manner or your comments will be
deleted.
Several years ago the president of Liberty University,
Jerry Falwell Jr, created a firestorm by calling on all lawfully allowed
students to acquire their concealed carry permits. I would now like to add my opinion to the
cacophony of voices discussing this topic based on my study of scripture.
Allow me to begin this by stating that I believe
Christians have a right to self-defense. I see no law, principle, or suggestion in the
Bible against Christians defending themselves or someone in danger. In fact, God gives parents, lawmakers and
governments the responsibility to defend themselves and other
law-abiding citizens against attacks. That’s why cities, counties and states hire
law enforcement officers and nations build up a military; to defend
against invasion and criminal attack. It
is the right of every citizen to defend themselves within the parameters
of the laws of individual states and the country.
Now, let me be clear that fighting and self-defense
are not the same thing. Fighting
because of greed, jealousy, or the desire to dominate or harm another
person is wrong. So, what we are talking
about is self-defense. According to
Dictionary.com, the word defend is a verb and means “to ward off attack from; guard against assault or injury.” The sole purpose of self-defense is to protect
your life, the life of someone in your family, or an innocent
person who is in danger from attack or harm. That is well within the framework of
God’s Word and Will.
The Bible contains God’s instructions on how to have a
relationship with Him, and for living our lives according to the standards He
has set for us. As believers, we should
always seek God’s guidance for our actions from His Holy Word. Both the Old and New Testaments have multiple accounts
of conflict, often accompanied with God’s approval and favor.
So, let’s start with the Old Testament. Although we are not under Old Testament law,
it contains the most specific language about self-defense, and reveals a lot
about God’s standards and perspective. The
Old Testament clearly states that God created man in His own image and intended
for him to rule the earth. (See Gen. 1:26-28) Man’s ability to make judgments and govern originates
from his godly image and delegated authority. As we will see, man’s God-like nature also
leads to very strict standards regarding the treatment of people.
I guess the first question should be, “Is killing
always murder?” To me this is the
root of the issue. And it’s important to
get the answer right. So, what does the Bible
say about killing? God said to Noah, “And
for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an
accounting from every animal. And from each man, too, I will demand an
accounting for the life of his fellow man. Whoever sheds the blood of man, by
man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man.”
(Gen. 9:5-6)
We see that God created a system of capital punishment to
be implemented by mankind; man was to take the life of whoever sheds another
man’s blood. Because God made man in His
own image, murder becomes a crime against God and demands capital punishment—which
is not murder, but justice. There is no
provision in the Old Testament for rehabilitation of a murderer.
Using this as our foundation to build upon, let’s look
next at the sixth Commandment. Exodus
20:13 tells us, “You shall not murder.” There are two Hebrew words used to denote
killing someone. One means primarily to
destroy or kill, and the other primarily refers to murder. The second word is the one used in the sixth
commandment, so “You shall not murder” is a more precise translation
than “You shall not kill.”
If you have read much of the Old Testament, you will note
that the nation of Israel has been surrounded by its enemies for most of their
history. Yet, God promised them victory in
battle against their enemies even when outnumbered. (See Deuteronomy 26:8) This required killing those who wanted to
attack and kill them. Even when the
Israelites entered the Promised Land, God instructed them to kill all the
inhabitants. (See Deuteronomy 7:1-2) So
God plainly sanctioned the use of deadly force by the nation.
When God was dividing up the Promised Land, He included
instructions for cities of refuge. (See Joshua 20:1-6) These were safe locations for someone who
killed another person accidentally. As
long as the guilty person was inside the city of refuge, he could not be killed
before there was a trial. Of course, if
he were to be found guilty, then he was turned over to die at the hands of an
avenger. (See Deuteronomy 19:11, 12) God
clearly authorized the use of deadly force by the nation of Israel and by
individuals under certain conditions.
Just a couple more examples. When Nehemiah was rebuilding the wall around
Jerusalem, it was necessary for him and the other men to go armed for
self-defense:
"From that day on, half of my men did the work,
while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The
officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah who were building the
wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a
weapon in the other, and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he
worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me.” (Nehemiah
4:16-18) No matter how strong your
confidence is in God’s protection, it does not prohibit the use of all or any
means of self-defense which His wisdom has put in our power.
And last, David writes, “Praise be to the LORD my
Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.” (Psalm 144:1)
Clearly, this is not a pacifist God we serve. He teaches our hands for war and our fingers
to fight. Over and over again throughout
the Old Testament, His people are commanded to fight with the best weapons
available to them at that time.
And what were those weapons? Swords, the high-tech weapons of that day.
Let’s look now at the New Testament. In Luke 22:36, Jesus commanded His disciples
to be armed for self-defense. “He
said to them, But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you
don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.” Here, we see Jesus commanding His disciples to
buy swords, if they had none. But I want
you to think about something else. Why is
selling their cloaks important to the discussion? The cloak was a very important garment to the
Jews at that time. Why? Because it provided warmth, protection from
the elements, and a blanket at night.
Yet, Jesus commanded them to sell this essential piece of clothing and
buy a sword if they did not already have one.
Now some people will point out Matthew 26:52 which says, "Put
your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him, "for all who draw
the sword will die by the sword.” Remember
that the time had come for Jesus to fulfill His purpose in coming to earth; it
was not the time to prevent His sacrifice. Jesus encourages his followers to defend
themselves, but He does not encourage us to be eager for battle and bloodshed. Self-defense may be necessary as a last
resort, but violence should not be sought after and enjoyed. God’s people are supposed to be peacemakers,
not thugs. And neither are we allowed to
spread the Gospel by means of violence or military aggression.
Now let’s look at this from another perspective. In I Timothy 5:8 Paul says, “If anyone does
not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has
denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” Does
it not make sense that just as we must provide food and shelter for our
families; then is it not also our duty to provide protection from criminals? What would you do if a criminal broke into
your home? Are you prepared to defend
your family against rape, beatings and murder?
We pray for God to provide for us, but that does not
excuse us from earning money, buying food and building homes. We pray for God to defend us from criminals,
but that does not excuse us from equipping ourselves with ways to protect our
families.
Now let’s take this another step further. The next question I want you to think about is
the importance of preserving your right to keep and bear arms. I Samuel 13:17-22 tells us, “Not a
blacksmith could be found in the whole land of Israel, because the Philistines
had said, "Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears!" So all
Israel went down to the Philistines to have their plowshares, mattocks, axes
and sickles sharpened. The price was two thirds of a shekel for sharpening
plowshares and mattocks, and a third of a shekel for sharpening forks and axes
and for repointing goads. So on the day of the battle not a soldier with Saul
and Jonathan had a sword or spear in his hand; only Saul and his son Jonathan
had them.”
The Philistines had conquered and disarmed the Israelites
so they could not regain their independence. All the
Israelites had left for weapons were farm tools; plowshares, mattocks, axes and
sickles.
What about the Second Amendment? Is this only about defending yourself against
criminals, or maybe it’s about the right to go hunting? In the Constitution of the United States we
find the Bill of Rights. It is
vital for every one of you to realize that all our rights actually come from
God. The government never gives you rights, but only recognizes rights you
already have, or tries to take your rights away from you to increase its power.
It is impossible to overthrow tyrants
and have a free society unless the citizens have firearms.
But if enough Americans will exercise their rights,
especially the right to keep and bear arms, we may prevent our government from
becoming a dictatorship. If the
government begins registering, and then confiscating everyone's weapons, don't
be surprised at the tyranny that will soon follow.
I do believe that we as Christians are allowed, if not
required, to use violence to defend ourselves, our loved ones and those who are
helpless. What are those circumstances? The same ones my parents gave me when I was
young, “Don’t start fights, but if you get hit, finish it.” Violence should always be a last resort. And when it is used, there should be
sufficient violence to stop the threat. When
the threat is removed, if you do not stop, you are no longer defending
yourself, but taking vengeance, and vengeance belongs to the government and
ultimately to our God.
Finally, let’s keep this in perspective. Possession of weapons and acquiring the skill
to use them in self-defense is permitted in Scripture, but is not mandatory. Though
we see permission, and even a qualified commandment from Christ to possess
personal weapons, we must remember that the remainder of the New Testament is not focused on the issues of physical self-defense, or
righteous use of lethal force. Rather,
we see more emphasis on Godly living, suffering affliction and persecution for
Christ, and understanding and passing on the precious doctrines of Christ and
the Gospel.
Firearms are just another tool, just as a shovel, a
hammer, or a cooking pot is a tool. And
though heavenly beings do battle and render judgments with the sword, our primary focus should be on fellowship with God,
fellowship with His people, singing in worship, and:
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at
peace with everyone.” (Romans 12:18)
Be Safe!
Russ Sharrock
I have made available to anyone interested a FREE series of Do-it-Yourself forms that can be printed for your use:
1) A Safety & Security Risk Assessment form.
2) Church Emergency Plan Template
3) General Fire Safety Checklist
4) A Bomb Threat Checklist
5) A Bomb Threat Distance chart for various types of explosive
devises to be referred to in the event of a bomb threat evacuation. These
are minimum distances to evacuate away from the area of blast.
They’re Word documents so you can make any changes necessary to fit
your church size and needs. I will be adding new forms as time
allows.
For a copy of any of the Do-it-Yourself forms, or if you have any
questions, you can contact me at:
Integrity
Security Consulting
Russ
Sharrock
405-762-2471 | integrityseccon@hotmail.com
