“They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon.” (Neh. 4:17)
What say you, has the Almighty changed the rules of engagement in these two thousand years of calling the Gentiles to Himself?
“For I am the LORD, I change not;” (Malachi 3:6a)
No, He does not change and He never will, but we are not Israel, we are not in the Old Testament.
This is the question that must be asked in the heart of every man and woman who has been born-again, if I am praying for my enemy but my enemy keeps attacking me physically, am I to lay down and let him have his way over me, or am I to defend myself?
You might say to me now, “But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.” (Matt. 5:39)
And then what? The question is I have two cheeks, then what?
Was David wrong to fight the Philistines, or was that only for his day, the days before Christ told us to love our enemies, to pray for them? Are we to lay down our arms and allow the enemy to destroy us, to kill our families, to trod over our lands and claim them as their own?
Who is this verse for then?
“Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?” (Psalm 94:16)
Have you seen more devils working iniquity or more evil men doing so?
You may now bring up those last hours of our Savior and how He allowed Himself to be taken, to be spit upon, to be beaten and crucified. Have you forgotten John 18:11, “Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?”
Or John 10:18, “No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.”
Has this cup been placed in front of you? Will you stand idly by and watch as the evil man pillages your house, has his way with your wife and children? Will you fall to your knees and pray for him as he does so, or will you stand?
This is what is called a conundrum, a question not of morals and ethics, but of the Word of God and how it is to be applied in these situations.
“But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.” (1st Tim. 5:8)
Do you interpret that as only food, shelter and clothing, or do you see the word “protect” in it?
There are many what are called “active shooter” incidents around the globe in these days of great evil, and there are four words I see in nearly every account of them, “People were running away.” There are those of you who will now say, “That’s the responsibility of the police.” Another sign of giving up your freedoms for protection, another sign of men being told to not be men.
“But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.” (Matt. 24:43)
What would he do, kneel down and pray as the evil man approaches, greet him at the door and beg him to change his mind? Watch as those he loves, those he is responsible for are murdered before his eyes and then say, “Thy will be done?”
I am not going to tell you what to do, how to react, what your response should be if this situation arises in your life, but it would be extremely wise of you to contemplate these words and contemplate them at great length. Pray that it never happens to you and pray that if it does your actions glorify the Living God.
Are we who have been born-again to carry a trowel and a sword, or just the trowel today?
“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;” (Matt. 5:44)
It would have been so beneficial if someone in the crowd that day would have asked, “What if they are trying to kill my family?”
I will let you decide, this is not for me to offer any answers, you are accountable for you.
This isn’t vengeance my friends, this is protection, this is before the action, and the actions that you intend to take must be set firmly in your mind if it occurs.
