"Resisting Evil, Self-Defense and War".

The issue of self-defense continues to bother Jack to such an extent that he decided to translate yet another awareness text.

 

The ministry of "Let Us Reason"

Solomon wrote: "Every thing has its time, and every undertaking has its time under heaven. There is a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to cut down what has been planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to grieve, and a time to leap; a time to scatter stones, and a time to gather stones; a time to hanker, and a time to depart from hankering; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to hide, and a time to reject; a time to tear, and a time to sew together; a time to be silent; and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace" (Kaz 3:1-8, BG).

Here in America as well as around the world we are now in a time of war.

Does the Bible forbid or encourage us to defend ourselves or go to war against the enemy? This is one of the more controversial and not easy questions for Christians to determine. I know that none of us will agree with all aspects of this question, but there is much to consider here.

Are we allowed to defend ourselves and our family from aggressors and enemies? The Old Testament teaches that it is right to use force to restrain evil and wickedness in the world. It is also permissible to defend a nation and one's family. As we move into the New Testament, this is not as clear. Instead, it is clear that the Bible does not teach pacifism. We have numerous examples of defense against evil - both personally and for the safety of others.

Civil disobedience is allowed

"Let every soul be subject to the superior authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that are, have been established by God. So whoever resists an authority resists the decree of God. And those who oppose it bring condemnation on themselves. For superiors are not a terror to good disciples, but to evil ones. Do you want to be unafraid of authority? Do good, and you will have praise from it. For it is the servant of God for your good. But if you do evil, be afraid, for it is not in vain that he bears the sword, for he is the servant of God, taking vengeance in wrath on him who does evil. Therefore you must be subject not only because of your wrath, but also because of your conscience. For this reason you also pay taxes. For those who continually guard this are servants of God. To whom taxes are due, taxes are due; to whom duties are due, duties are due; to whom fear is due, fear; to whom honor is due, honor. (Romans 13:1-7, UBG).

The government is to provide safety and security for the people of their country. As Christians, we are to obey the secular authorities. Jesus told his followers to render to the emperor what was due to him as to God (Matthew 22:21), so they were to pay taxes. In the Letter to Titus, Christians are told to submit to their rulers: "Remind them to be subject and obedient to the sovereigns and authorities, ready to do every good work (3:1, UBG). Peter writes that we are to submit to every authority established among men: "Be subject, therefore, to every human authority for the Lord's sake: whether to the king as supreme; or to the governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the giving of praise to those who do well. (...) Respect all, love your brethren, fear God, honor the king. (1 PET 2:13-14, 17, UBG).

However, we are to disobey them if they want us to disobey God, especially if it involves unjustified killing. We have examples in Scripture and in the history of the early church of those who were commanded to do evil but refused. However, they did not use force in repudiating such a command.

Giving back to the emperor what is imperial is not just about money, it is about service. If you were a soldier, you had to obey the government. There were many centurions that Jesus encountered, and some he commended for their faith. None of them were told to leave the army. The New Testament does not tell those who were soldiers to no longer serve. The moment a Roman soldier became a believer, he was not asked to leave the army. It was left to his discretion as the disposer of his conscience. In Luke 3, when the soldiers asked John the Baptist what they should do to repent, he replied: "Do not use violence against anyone, do not falsely accuse anyone, and be content with your own pay" (3:14, UBG), clearly expressing his support for their calling. Jesus often distinguished between evil in government and government itself.

In the 3rd and 6th chapters of the Book of Daniel, Daniel and his three friends defied Nebuchadnezzar's order requiring everyone to bow down and worship a pagan statue on the plain of Dura. They refused and were thrown into a furnace as punishment. They entrusted themselves to God, and He delivered them.

We are not to be driven by blind obedience to government when the Bible, God, or our own conscience should give way to it. God gave secular governments authority to rule over society in a just and moral manner. Justifiable civil disobedience is allowed when a believer is commanded to do what is contrary to God's Word. The Bible gives Christians permission to avoid obeying the law only when they are commanded to do evil or to turn away from doing good: "Have we not strictly forbidden you not to teach in this name? And now you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and want to draw this man's blood on us. Then Peter and the apostles answered, It is more necessary to obey God than men." (Acts 5:28-29, UBG).

We see this realized in the abortion issue, where the law forbids lifeguards to follow Christ's command to "love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:39, UBG). Defenders of life are convinced that the unborn child is their helpless neighbor who cannot speak for himself. Saving such a child from death is a good deed and expresses obedience to Christ, as God gave them life and we should try to preserve it. However, we are to use persuasion, not force, to achieve this goal.

As far as we are concerned, the government does not urge pro-life Christians to do evil. The state does not require such people to commit abortions on their own unborn children. It gives all people a choice. Whether we agree with it or not, our response must not be to harm or take the lives of others. Being a watchdog for our sisters requires us to act in non-violent protest and to be able to give them information so that they can make a reasonable choice.

Biblical examples of disobedience to preserve life

A law can be replaced by another law under certain circumstances. We cannot be obligated to tell the truth and risk having innocent people die as a result. Not telling the truth is sometimes right. I know the Bible teaches us not to bear false witness and not to lie, but it comes down to the motivation behind it.

Scripture actually gives examples of the supremacy of the spiritual law over the law of the land because it is the higher good. In Exodus 1:15-22, the midwives defied Pharaoh's order to kill all Jewish male infants (which was genocide). The Hebrew midwives Shifra and Puah "feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but kept the boys alive. And it came to pass, because the women feared God, that he built them houses. (v. 20-21, BG). Had they obeyed Pharaoh, Israel's liberator would have been put to death. The preservation of life takes precedence over unscrupulous murder, even if ordered by the king of the land.

In 1 Kings, the wicked queen Jezebel "murdered the prophets of the Lord" (18:4, BG). Against her orders, the prophet Obadiah "took a hundred prophets, and hid fifty of them in a cave, and fed them with bread and water" (18:4, BG). While Scripture does not explicitly endorse Obadiah's act, the context and the way the Bible presents this action suggests that God justified it because it says that he feared the Lord. In other words, he obeyed God first and man second (vv.13-15). The law of life preservation admonishes us to do what is right, and this overrides any hurtful law of the land.

In Joshua 2:1-14 we find the example of Rachab saving the lives of two Jewish scouts by hiding them from the soldiers who were searching for them. She risked her life by lying to the soldiers in order to protect their lives. These scouts had no right to be in Jericho, and the soldiers had every right to capture them. Preserving the lives of the innocent always takes precedence. God honored Rachab by calling it faith and promised: "And let this city be a curse unto the LORD, it, and all that is in it; only Rachab the fornicator shall live, she, and all that are in the house with her; for she hath hid the messengers which we sent" (6:17, BG). And the spies went and saved her family and possessions from destruction. Later we find her mentioned in the Messianic bloodline: "And Salmon begat of Rachab Booz, and Booz begat of Ruth Obed, and Obed begat Jesse. And Jesse begat King David." (Matthew 1:5-6, UBG).

This is attributed to faith. Rachab trusted the scouts sent by God, and in doing so, she trusted God: "By faith the harlot Rachab did not perish with the unbelievers, for she received the spies in peace" (Heb 11:31, UBG); "Likewise also the harlot Rachab, was she not justified by works when she received the messengers and let them go another way?" (James 2:25, UBG).

We saw the same example during World War II when the Nazis searched homes for Jews. There were many Christians and non-believers who hid them to protect their lives. If you were someone who broke the law by hiding Jews before the HolocaustYou have done the higher good - you have obeyed God's law. When faced with a direct confrontation, we have a moral obligation to protect life whether it is our life or the life of another person.

It would seem that the principle conveyed in the Sermon on the Mount recorded in Matthew 5:38-42 suggests that Christians should not resist an angry person. If they strike you on one cheek, turn the other. But it means not retaliating against an insult or slander (cf. Romans 12:17-21). Insults do not threaten the personal safety of a Christian man/woman. The idea of repaying an insult with an insult is not the same as defending yourself against a mugger or rapist or someone who wants to kill you or a loved one. We are to protect life. This is a principle carried over from the Old Testament. The use of physical force to protect or defend oneself is not an alternative, but a command.

We protect our children from drug dealers, pedophiles and all other kinds of degenerates. We lock the doors to our homes. When it comes to evil, we are to be vigilant and take precautions to prevent it. We are to keep our car keys with us and not leave them in the ignition switch saying: "I trust." We do what we can to avoid getting sick. We take preventative measures for our own safety.

When we watch someone commit a theft and remain silent, or when we know of a crime that we could have prevented and fail to do so, we are accomplices to those offenses. It is morally inexcusable to observe an act of cruelty to a child without attempting to intervene. It is ethically wrong to allow a murder to be committed when we could have done something to prevent it.

If we neglect to use force to protect another person facing evil, we are in effect neglecting to show love to that person. It would be a sin to sit idly by and watch physical harm be done to such a person when it could be avoided or prevented by physical force. The sin of neglect is the failure to oppose evil, and its effect can be the same as personally committing an evil act. Anyone who refuses to defend his wife and children from a violent attacker fails in the moral field.

Is violence never a justifiable act? What about self-defense? Do we stand by and watch someone get bullied or threaten that person with serious harm?

We are supposed to strive for peace, but tolerance, making compromises by indulging in criminal activity or failing to punish, does not lead to peace. The greatest act of love is to sacrifice one's own life to protect the innocent and defend their freedom from oppressors when they cannot do so themselves. Self-sacrifice is part of the definition of "agape"? But what about sacrificing yourself for your enemy? Here's what Jesus did. We were all enemies before we became friends.

Jesus is known for His teachings about love, mercy, forgiveness, and not paying evil for evil. However, there is a passage in Luke's Gospel about how he advised his disciples to get a sword: "Then he said unto them, Now, however, whosoever hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise also a bag. And whosoever has no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy it" (22:36, UBG).

Jesus commanded his followers to buy a sword and it is clear that he endorsed its use for self-defense. He tells them to buy a sword if they have none: "And they answered, Lord, here are two swords. And he answered them: It is enough" (22:38, UBG). So He is not telling them to arm themselves unless they put their trust in man and not in God. The "sword" used here (gr. "maxairan") is a dagger or short sword that was part of the equipment of Jewish travelers for defense against robbers and wild animals. A simple reading of this passage indicates that Jesus was advocating conditional self-defense. These were small daggers for defense against criminals encountered during travel, used for hand-to-hand combat, self-defense, and when confronted with feral animals.

At the moment of Jesus' arrest, Peter stood up for him and cut off the ear of Malchos, the high priest's servant. Jesus responded with the words: "Put the sword away in its place. For all who take the sword will die by the sword." (Matthew 26:52, UBG).

Some pacifists quote this verse in an attempt to prove that Jesus rejected the use of weapons. Here Jesus is referring to Peter, who had previously stated that he was willing to die with Him and instead tried to prevent His capture. Peter used a sword to achieve his goal, and Jesus' response was that our lives are not to be governed by force or violence; they are not to be governed by the answer of force, but by love. There was a deeper issue than Peter could grasp - the will of God. Peter drew his sword to prevent his arrest. Jesus healed the man's ear and commanded Peter to put the sword away so that He could be arrested; so that through His death, God's plan would be fulfilled (John 18:11).

This does not mean that force should not be used when faced with a situation where someone's life is taken. If Jesus was a pacifist and opposed the use of weapons, he would not have instructed the disciples to have them. They did not need to be heavily armed, but only sufficiently armed. During His arrest, Jesus told them that He could have called upon His Father to send a legion of angels to protect and free Him. Instead, Jesus submitted to a process that led Him to the purpose for which He came to earth. So it is important to understand God's intention at that moment.

If one believes that manslaughter is exactly the same as murder, then no one would be allowed to use a weapon with deadly force, even in defense to save a life. The Bible forbids murder, but it does not forbid killing an enemy doing harm. Nor is the possession and use of weapons prohibited. There were times when it became necessary for Israel to fight or go into captivity. The exception is when God decided to punish Israel for disobedience and commanded them to go into captivity so that they would survive.

In Genesis chapter 14, Abraham saved many through battle when he was taken by force. Israel fought battles with their enemies in Deuteronomy (20:1, 29:7), Joshua (11:15, the battle of Jericho in v. 20, and in A.D. 12). In Numbers 35:17 it is explained that people who were driven by murderous intentions were to be put to death. In Deuteronomy 16:18-19, the Israelites were commanded to drive away all their enemies. Killing is different from murder. Murder is senseless and done for selfish reasons, whereas killing protects and preserves life.

The Israelites were to take possession of the Promised Land by conquest. They waged prolonged, bloody wars against the Canaanite tribes. With the exception of Jericho and Ai, the war was not aggressive until after Joshua's death. Before that, the Canaanites were always the first to attack. God used Israel to sweep them off the face of the earth. They were implacable enemies.

Israel always had an organized army. It had compulsory military service (1 Sm 14:52), captained divisions of fifty soldiers each (2 Kings 1:9; Isa 3:3), a hundred each (Num 31:14, 48; 2 Kings 11:15; 1 Kings 28:1; 2 Kings 25:5), had commanders (1 Sm 14:50; 2 Sm 2:8, 8:16, 17:25, 19:13, 20:23), generals of corps and divisions (Num 2:3, 31; 1 Kings 27:1-22; 2 Kings 17:12-19), and captains of thousands (Num 31:14, 48; 1 Sm 17:18; 1 Kings 28:1; 2 Kings 25:5). It is for this reason that they have survived as a nation even to this day.

Scripture describes God as loving, full of grace. God is love, but also a God of justice, and when necessary, He was "a valiant man, the Lord his name" (Exodus 15:3, BG).

The difference between manslaughter and murder

God said to Noah: "And verily your blood, your souls will I seek, from the hand of every beast will I seek it, also from the hand of man, from the hand of every brother of his will I seek the soul of man. He that sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God is man made." (Genesis 9:5-6, BG).

So God established a system of capital punishment to be implemented by mankind; man was to take the life of another man who unjustifiably sheds the blood of another. Since God created man in His image, murder is a crime against God and requires the death penalty. There is no provision for Israel in the Old Testament to rehabilitate a murderer. Death was guaranteed for anyone who intentionally took someone's life (Exodus 21:12-14). God necessarily commanded the death penalty for various crimes under the Mosaic law.

God's command not to murder was given to mankind before the law was given to Moses. It has been the binding moral law since the beginning of time. The punishment for anyone who sheds the blood of a human being (Genesis 9:6) has been upheld by the Mosaic law (Exodus 20:13) and the New Testament (Romans 13:9). Murder must be considered evil always, everywhere, and in the case of every human being. All men and women are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27, 9:6), a moral value derived from God's nature (Colossians 3:10; James 3:9). In John 8:44, Jesus tells the religious leaders that their father is the devil and that "he was a murderer from the beginning." The moment the devil introduced the first lie into the world, it gave rise to the spiritual and physical death of all mankind. Mindless killing stems from an anesthetized conscience, which is given to all as the image of God, and harms the life that God has given to each person.

We can read about self-defense in Exodus 22:2-3. If it turned out that a thief broke into a house at night, the owner had the right to kill such an intruder in order to protect his family and property. The exception was if it occurred during the day. If the master of the house was able to see the intruder and assess his intentions, and the intruder was able to see that the owner was present and ready to defend his home, then the owner could not kill the uninvited guest in defense of his home.

God, who in His providence gives and sustains life through His law, protects it. The wilful murderer was taken even from before God's altar. But God has provided cities of refuge, where those who had an accident could escape and take refuge, for it was not their fault that they caused the death of another.

It is a different matter when someone kills another person without intending to harm them. A deliberate murderer must always be punished by death. There is no reason attached to this law. The image of God is in fallen man, so whoever unjustly kills a person insults the image of God. This is about the sanctity of life, which is common to us all.

Jesus goes further in this matter than placing guilt on the one who commits the act of murder. He says that the one who hates another person in his heart is already guilty - that is where it begins. The apostle John is referring to Jesus' sermon on the mount: "Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in himself" (1 JOHN 3:15, UBG). The Bible teaches that murder will keep people out of heaven, among many other sins (Rev. 21:8). When asked about the way to receive eternal life, Jesus answered with the words: "You know the commandments: do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not bear false witness, honor your father and your mother" (Luke 18:20, UBG). In the Decalogue, God did not say not to kill, but to "not murder" (Exodus 20:13, Deuteronomy 5:17). This specifically refers to premeditated murder, and is never considered in the context of executing a criminal or eliminating an enemy in battle. If this were the case, God would be contradicting Himself by telling them to mete out righteous judgment.

The teachings on the use of force found in the Old and New Testaments do not contradict each other. Each focuses on appropriate circumstances. For example, both the old and new covenants teach that it is appropriate to use force to stop evil and wickedness in the world and to defend a nation. The sacrificial nature of Christ's love requires that we sacrifice ourselves for the sake of others, which may have the dimension of working to meet their elemental needs (Matthew 25:34-40), or it may force us to lay down our lives for them. Defending another person in the face of evil, especially a family member, is therefore not only appropriate but required, so that if an intruder enters your home to do harm to a loved one, you are not to sit quietly and pray, but to defend them.

What is the motivation of the attacker? Is he attacking you because of your faith? If so, you are not to use force to defend yourself or retaliate with force. But if he is attacking you or your family because he is an evil-doer, then you have the right to use any means at your disposal to defend yourself and them from him. The use of force to preserve life is appropriate when necessary and we see examples of this in the Bible. I realize that we cannot converse with this person while this is happening, so it becomes a call to conceptualize the right decision at that time.

One field in which the use of weapons with deadly force is not permitted is the defense of the faith. When it comes to faith in Christ, we are to turn the other cheek and be willing to become martyrs. Jesus told his disciples that they would be killed for their faith and it is no different today. When it comes to protecting ourselves from crime and our own people from foreign aggression, force is permitted by both the Old and New Testaments.

In the Old Testament (Genesis14), when Abraham's nephew Lot was abducted by Kedorlaomer, king of Elam, Abraham gathered 318 trained men from his house to rescue Lot. "And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us men, and having gone out, fight the battle of the Amalekites" (Ex 17:9, BG), "Then said David unto the Philistine, Thou goest unto me with sword, and with javelin, and with shield, and I go unto thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast reviled" (1 Sm 17:45, BG).

The Bible does not teach pacifism. Pacifists often misuse verses that refer to defending the faith and ignore the context, which also has nothing to do with defending against evildoers and aggression directed against a nation.

Stephen did not resist when he was stoned to death for his testimony about Jesus in Acts 6:8-7:60. Men from one of the synagogues captured Stephen and took him before a religious court called the Sanhedrin to question him. Stephen boldly rebuked the religious leaders, who became angry and stoned him to death. He did not resist, but became like Jesus praying for those who did this to their ignorance to be forgiven. Luke tells us that "at this time a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and all but the apostles dispersed to the region of Judea and Samaria" (Acts 8:1, UBG). As a result of the "persecution that broke out because of Stephen" (Acts 11:!9, UBG) some 2,000 Christians died a martyr's death.

This is why we do not war for Jesus - In the Gospel according to John, "Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, then my servants would fight so that I would not be handed over to the Jews. But now my kingdom is not from here" (18:36, UBG).

The New Testament does not address the persecution of those who commit murder, and often focuses on the personal behavior and motivation of someone's heart. The Sermon on the Mount addressed the heart of the individual and the motivations that lead to sin.

There are numerous examples in the New Testament of disobedience to save a life. God repeatedly protected Jesus by making Him flee. The wise men who traveled from the East were asked by Herod to report so that he would know where He was so that he could worship Him (Matthew 2:7-8), but his real intention was to put Him to death. The wise men disobeyed Herod because God had warned them in a dream (v. 12). God also warned Mary and Joseph, advising them to flee to keep Jesus alive (Matthew 2:13).

During His life, Jesus also did what was necessary to preserve His life so that He could complete His mission. It was time to sacrifice His life, but Jesus knew that the time had not yet come. The Pharisees were plotting to kill Him, so He left the dangerous neighborhood (Matthew 12:14-15).

Jesus removed himself from danger. He taught to flee in order to save His life, not to put up a fight. He avoided the area where the Jews were waiting to take His life (John 7:1). The crowd tried to push Him off the cliff, but He got through it and escaped (Luke 4:28-30). He did not give in to this mob by letting it happen. The Jews tried to seize Jesus on the temple grounds, "but no one raised his hand against him, for his hour had not yet come" (JOHN 7:30, UBG). In other words, they wanted to do it and they tried, but they were unable to do it because He had eluded them.

The apostles imitated Him in this. Paul was lowered into a basket to escape from those who cared to inflict death on him (Acts 9:23-25). He then dealt with the Greek Jews, who then tried to kill him (Acts 9:29-30). When the other believers heard about this, they sent him to another place. There was a plot to abuse and stone Paul and Barnabas, so they fled to another region, continuing to preach the gospel. Paul says he was in danger "at all hours," and he described this danger when he fought the "beasts" in Ephesus - those who wanted to tear him to pieces (1 Corinthians 15:30-32, UBG).

Paul urged Timothy to join him in suffering for the Gospel (2 Tim 1:8). The fact is that Christians in many countries face such persecution every day, and many are unable to escape. Jesus said that those who follow Him will be arrested and beaten because of His name. He never told them to fight for His kingdom. Believers will be put to death for their faith, and those who kill them will be convinced that they are justified in doing God a favor (John 16:2). On the other hand, we are to deny ourselves and take up our cross. You cannot kill someone who is already pronounced dead!

The 13th chapter of Paul's letter to the Romans tells us to be subject to superior authorities as long as they do not compromise our devotion to God. We must not, however, fall into the conduct that others have fallen into, applying force back to those who might undermine our faith. We would then become like those by whom we are wronged. Peter and John refused to abandon the preaching of the Gospel, replying to the Jewish Sanhedrin that it was better to obey God than men.

I recognize that tolerance may soon limit our preaching. Because of our efforts to be at peace with everyone, our sharing of the Gospel may become hindered. Because of political correctness, new laws may be introduced. God's intention is the salvation of men's souls, and this takes precedence over any religious or political state law.

In Revelation 11:3-7 we read that the two witnesses destroy anyone who attempts to inflict harm on them during their ministry, but there comes a time when their work comes to an end and they are killed and after a short time are resurrected. In the 13th chapter of the book of Revelation we are commanded not to take the mark of the beast, even though no one will be able to buy or sell without it. Here again we have an example of civil disobedience at the highest price, for anyone who takes the mark will lose his soul and will not have a second chance. It is possible that some will have to fight to avoid taking the birthmark.

From my point of view, there is no easy answer here. It becomes a matter of individual choice in a given situation. There is no explicit command to use force, and the only area in which we are not allowed to use force is in defense of our faith. Jesus stated that His kingdom was not of this world, for if it were, the disciples would be fighting for it. He was not referring to temporal matters, but to a coming spiritual kingdom. When the representative of the Sanhedrin struck Jesus and scolded Him, Jesus did not retaliate because He taught not to return evil for evil. Christ, however, did not literally turn the other cheek, but said boldly, "If I have spoken evil, bear witness to evil; and if good, why do you smite me?" (JN 18:23, UBG).

Christianity teaches not to give evil for evil, nor to convert people by force, but by love and discussion. If someone attacks you or your family as an evil person, a thug, then you have every right to use whatever means at your disposal to defend yourself and preserve your life. If on the other hand you are met with attack and harm because of your faith, you are not to defend yourself. If you are told to either specifically renounce your faith or die, the early church is an example. We are commanded to show a willingness to become martyrs. During the Tribulation, the followers of Jesus "did not love their lives-until they died" (Rev 21:11, UBG).

The New Testament does not present the issue of prohibiting self-defense or protecting others from harm in an absolutely explicit way. It seems to me that we are allowed to take different positions, depending on the goodness of our conscience and the situation at the time.

In Matthew 10:21-23, Jesus told His disciples that because of the Good News they would be hated and killed, even by their own families. He did not specifically mention fleeing to protect themselves, but neither did He tell them not to do so. He instructed them to flee to another place if persecuted in one place. When Jesus stated that He did not come to bring peace but a sword, the rest of this passage shows that it was not a sword in the literal sense, but rather a division between those who follow Him and those who do not.

Christians and non-Christians should not disarm themselves by allowing despots and totalitarian governments to take control and enslave millions. It becomes a matter of self-defense, not of sitting passively by while others are murdered or put in prison. It is not a matter of faith. Certain individuals, religious groups, and countries are determined to dominate and abuse others. Maintaining peace without a strong defense is sometimes impossible. The nation as a whole cannot turn the other cheek, for as Paul's 13th chapter to the Romans says, it is not without reason that the government carries a sword against those who do evil. Or at least that's the way I see it.

Ultimately, God will punish the evil done in the flesh here on earth at a time to come, and the punishment will include both body and soul. Two of all the parables of Christ refer to Him as the One who will destroy all people who oppose Him (Luke 19:11-27; 20:9-16).

God is a God of peace, yet when necessary, He can be a God of war. It is Jesus Himself who will return to smite all the armies of all the nations that oppose His return. This will occur in the valley of Megiddo. One day Jesus will appear to exterminate all His opponents. Then evil will be eliminated, as it is also written: "He was clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is the Word of God." (Rev 19:13, UBG).

Micah, Isaiah's peer, says in his Book (4:3, BG) what Isaiah also (2:4) said of the Lord's return: "He shall judge between many nations, and shall chasten the strong nations for a long time; and they shall change their swords into plowshares, and their javelins into scythes; they shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they exercise themselves for battle any more." This will happen during the millennium after Christ returns, when He establishes His perfect kingdom. Until then, wars between countries and civil wars will take place.

God will be just and there will be different levels of punishment for sinners (the unrighteous) at the resurrection. A tyrant will not be punished in the same way as a common sinner. Nothing will escape anyone's punishment. God who is perfectly just will judge motives and actions. At this time, we need to pray for our country to make the right choices.

 

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Thank you for translating in Jesus' name.