Here is something I wrote a few months ago. It is a bit long for a post but it may be worth reading.
THE CHRISTIAN AND SELF DEFENSE
Jesus instructed us in the Sermon on the Mount to be kind to our enemies. What enemies was He talking about? It seems that He is talking about people who hate us for our faith. The word “persecution” is used.
The dictionary definition for persecute is:
“To pursue with harassing or oppressive treatment, especially because of religion, race, or beliefs; harass persistently.”
For the sake of the gospel it seems God desires that we bear up under this treatment as we pray for the oppressor rather than retaliate.
Jesus says in Matthew 5:39 “I tell you not to resist an evil person”. The examples He gave in the subsequent verses were 1) being slapped, 2) being sued, and 3) being asked to lend money.
However, if we find ourselves facing a threat of immediate death from a common criminal, is retaliation as self defense appropriate? The Apostle Paul instructs us in Romans 12:18 “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.”
I cannot recall anywhere in the new testament where Jesus either allows or instructs us as believers to kill another human being. But, in the Old Testament, on several occasions the Israelites were instructed to attack cities and kill every man, woman, and child, even babies, along with all the animals. King Saul even lost his kingship for failing to carry out one of these assignments completely. The enemy king he spared was ultimately hacked to death by the prophet Samuel to complete God’s will.
Jesus instructed the Apostles to buy some swords, but then rebuked Peter for using his just a few hours later even though it set up the conditions for Jesus’ final healing miracle. The Apostles may have traveled with these weapons to protect themselves against highway men, but there is no indication that they were used to defend against religious persecution. Steven was stoned without putting up any resistance. Paul followed that example with his own stonings, though he managed to survive them.
Roman roads were of high quality and were also patrolled by Roman soldiers. In spite of that, the Good Samaritan came to the aid of a Jewish man left for dead by highwaymen. This victim was either overpowered, unarmed, or poorly trained.
We are told that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, but the differences between the old and New Testament are sometimes difficult to resolve.
My personal conclusion is that in life threatening situations against common criminals a Christian may use lethal force.
If a vicious criminal chooses to pass you on the street, by all means return the favor, and let the police deal with him. However, if you are in a fight for your life, fight! The decision on how you will handle a serious encounter must be made in advance. You will not have time to puzzle this out on the fly. Double mindedness on the subject of self defense does not lead to victory or survival.
You may wonder what qualifies me to speak on this subject. My career is in the security industry. The customers who come to me are often people who have been burglarized, beaten, raped, stabbed, or shot. My security devices are intended to prevent or reduce the chances of such things ever happening again. I routinely get stories and reports from my customers regarding how the devices performed under actual conditions. I receive statistics and case histories from many sources describing the threats we face. I am immersed in this subject. I learn what I can about all valid defensive measures. What I have learned I pass on to you.
We all have the free will to do evil. Can we always presume that God will infringe on our attacker’s free will in order to protect us?
At dusk on a Wednesday evening in May of 83 we drove up the driveway of our home, and upon entering we thought we heard something. As we went upstairs to the main floor we noticed that the kitchen door was open although nobody seemed to be in the house. I went up the spiral stairs to the bedroom to find a scene of destruction. Drawers were dumped on the floor. Our bi-fold closet doors were smashed. The mattress was flipped off the bed. We had been burglarized by someone who had some skill at it. They got all the jewelry, and some money. They dumped their loot, including the jewelry box, into a pillow case they took off the bed.
Statistics show that half of all burglars are armed. I know that many more become armed during the crime. It is stupid to put anything of value under your mattress because a competent burglar always checks there. I didn’t know that back then so that is why they departed with my loaded Beretta automatic pistol. One gets a sick feeling looking through the aftermath of a burglary. In the back of our minds we all hope that a guardian angel is assigned to protect us and our stuff. It is unsettling when that does not seem to be the case. We were not at a ball game or movie that night. We were at Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting. How could this happen? Perhaps we were mightily blessed. If we had stayed home that night we might have experienced a home invasion instead of a burglary. Burglars are not looking for a confrontation. They are timid people compared to home invaders. Home invaders are prepared to take you on and take more than just your stuff.
One hot summer day a few years later my wife and two young kids were splashing and paddling around in our above ground pool. Our pool is cut into a hill side so that the terrain drops off steeply toward the east which could allow somebody to approach without being seen. Suddenly, as I glanced toward the east I saw this huge man leaning on the edge of our pool, staring at us. He looked like a typical NFL lineman. In a booming voice he said, “Do you remember me? I’m here to pay you back.” My mind was racing. Pay me back for what? I couldn’t remember doing anything to anybody that I needed to be paid back for. I noticed that my body had developed a bit of a shake and my legs were turning to rubber. He continued, “Don’t you remember? A few months ago at the gas station you loaned me five bucks for gas. I said I would pay you back, and you gave me your address.” I replied, “Oh, I completely forgot about that. You don’t need to pay me back. Just keep it.” The man said thank you and left. He was merely a really nice guy, keeping his word. But suppose he was not a nice guy. How much trouble could we have been in? What power did I have to take control a bad situation? The answer was none. We were unprepared to do anything but submit to all demands made by an evil intruder.
I have done a lot of thinking and planning since that day. Our house is quite vulnerable, and there is nothing I can do to harden the structure. Numerous doors and windows are floor to ceiling glass. We like all the light, and don’t feel like living in a dungeon, but one tap with a brick allows any intruder to step into our home with no hindrance whatsoever. We live on an isolated three acres right up against the borough where any crazed dirt bag towney can walk here to have a go at us. I recognize that we are at higher risk than the typical home owner. I am an imaginative, inventive fellow and I have made several provisions to even the odds. I stay sharp and alert by assuming that a Home Invasion encounter is inevitable even though it probably is not.
Most people do not want to think about these things. Therefore they give no thought to planning. It is good to have a plan. Even if you choose not to implement it, you at least have the option. God willing you will never need it.
Here are some of my thoughts on the matter of self defense:
Submission is not a plan. Submission is what you have left when you have no plan.
Submission emboldens an attacker to do more to you than he may have originally intended.
Getting killed is not the worst thing that can happen to you.
Nothing offers better protection than a gun, but a gun out of reach is worthless.
Self defense is a misnomer. With strictly defensive moves you will lose. A counter attack is essential.
When defending yourself, you cannot restrict yourself to fighting “fair”. It is not fair that you are being attacked in the first place.
In responding to an attack one must get the attacker to stop thinking about you and start thinking about something else like hospital emergency rooms and how he wishes he was in one.
When defending yourself against a more powerful attacker you must use tactics that deliver the most injury with the least demand for strength, coordination and stamina.
An out of condition victim, like most of us, must win within the first 30 seconds. Beyond that we will be too exhausted to do anything.
There are moves that will accomplish these goals. You will never see these moves on Ultimate Fighter Championship since they are against the rules and potentially lethal. There are many rules in the UFC. UFC is a close combat competition in which no one is supposed to suffer serious injury. The contestants bang away at each other for fifteen minutes, and at the final bell they usually both exit the octagon under their own power to fight again. The conclusion we must reach is that all the moves they use are ineffective in a life and death close combat situation. The fights are really examples of what not to do in a life and death struggle. The moves that really work are things that anyone can learn in about five minutes, but bear in mind that these tactics will not make you invincible nor guarantee victory. They will merely give you a fighting chance against a superior opponent.
As I said before, a home invader is after more than your stuff. He may kill you or worse.
If you ever find your self facing a home invader there are two assumptions you can make:
1. You are not his first victim.
2. Unless you prevail, you will not be his last.
Conclusion: Your responsibility to yourself and your fellow citizens is to win!
For those who do not like guns there is a nonlethal weapon that can stop an attacker at a range up to 20 feet almost as good as a gun. You can buy two of these at Lowe’s for under $20. The item is Wasp and Hornet Spray, the kind that shoots out to 20 feet. Spray paint the second can to match your bedroom décor and keep it on your night stand. If someone is ever coming after you, empty it into his face. He will think of emergency rooms immediately. You may be wondering about the first can. Use it for target practice. burglarbomb.com
