Should Christians Bear Firearms?

Should a Christian own a gun?

The biblical view is clearly yes, and while most Christians understand this many never fully understand why. Let's take a look at some of the reasons why as a Christian you should consider owning a gun.

As Christians today we not only have the right but the obligation to defend our loved ones and especially the defenseless among us. Christ teaches us to "turn the other cheek" because we are to be slow to anger not defenseless subjects of evil men. The concept of turn the other cheek is often misunderstood to mean a Christian should never defend him/herself under any circumstances. Nothing could be further from the truth. As Christians we are to be humble but we must never forget that being humble is a position of strength not weakness. Our Lord was humble not out of weakness but out of a position of strength.
We should never conclude that defenselessness = humility.

In short, while we are not mandated to defend ourselves it is prudent to do so, and nothing can excuse us of our responsibility to defend others. As Christians are required to confront evil in all it's forms and often physical force is all evil will respond to. Therefore, allowing yourself to be defenseless is really just bowing to evil and certainly not loving your neighbor. We don't live by the sword (or gun) but never forget that Christ told Peter to put his sword away, not throw it away!

WARNING: The Gun Control Movement is rooted in secular humanism and is opposed to the teachings of Christ. In fact, 'gun-control' already has a long history connected to genocide, oppression and unspeakable evil. The founding fathers of the United States considered our right to keep and bear arms to be God given and rightly so.

The heart of the argument for gun-control assumes that sin is a result of external circumstances and that by eliminating guns you can eliminate the problem of sin.

However, this view is rooted in a humanistic belief that sin comes from external forces in direct contrast to the Christian view that sin is a result of man's natural state of depravity inherited from Adam's fall. The Christian view is that man sins because of his fallen nature and hostility toward God Psalm 51:4. Except through repentance (turning away from sin toward God's laws) and the inward washing of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:3-5) man's sins cannot be controlled.
The pre-gun history of man is filled with violence beyond what many of us could even comprehend. Suffice to say, if we could eliminate all guns mankind would only be sent back to darker days when the strong ruled the weak and sin would still be with us. In fact the invention of firearms turns out to be more of blessing than a curse as I will explain later.

Long before the invention of firearms the weapon of the choice was the sword. In Luke 22:35-36 Christ actually commanded his disciples to sell their cloak if necessary to buy a sword. Christ already knew that the Great Commission was going to be issued and His disciples would be sent all over the Roman Empire. Travel was a dangerous business during those days and any unarmed person was an easy victim for robbers and murderers. Just the appearance of a sword would have been a deterrent for any robber.

Christ could have used miraculous means to preserve the Apostles during their travels and simply struck every robber with lighting. However, as any serious student of the Bible knows God most often uses the practical to accomplish His will and miracles are a last resort. In a real sense leaving the Apostles unarmed would be temping the evil already known to exist on those journeys.
We know for certain the Apostle Peter obeyed Christ's command and carried a sword for self defense while a disciple. However, Peter also used his sword out of Christ's will and received a rebuke from our Lord. However, note that our Lord told Peter to put his sword away not throw it away. Leaving Peter defenseless wasn't what Christ had in mind. However, whether a sword or firearm those that bear arms also bear the responsibilities of their actions.
Many incorrectly believe that a gun is a much more powerful weapon than the sword was and therefore guns should not be viewed in the same context as the sword. In reality, before the invention of firearms a skilled swordsman could easily commit mass murder unless stopped by another skilled swordsman.
If you do not believe Jesus understood that in the absence of firearms a sword is every bit as dangerous and lethal as a gun consider Genesis Chapter 34.

"Three days later, while all of them were still in pain, two of Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, took their swords and attacked the unsuspecting city, killing every male. They put Hamor and his son Shechem to the sword and took Dinah from Shechem's house and left. The sons of Jacob came upon the dead bodies and looted the city where their sister had been defiled. They seized their flocks and herds and donkeys and everything else of theirs in the city and out in the fields. They carried off all their wealth and all their women and children, taking as plunder everything in the houses." Genesis 34:25-29 Suffice to say that millions have died at the blade of the sword throughout the ages. It"s easy to forget that firearms are regarded as the great 'equalizer' because with guns the weak are equal with the strong. The women and children of Jacob's day could have easily defended the city against Simeon and Levi. In this sense firearms have been more of a blessing than a curse and few would ever want to return to the day of the sword when the strong ruled the weak.

The Apostle Paul teaches us that we do not fight against flesh and blood but against spiritual evil that is unseen. However, we must never forget that Satan often uses flesh and blood people to carry forth horrific acts of evil that must be opposed with force.

Adolf Hitler disarming and exterminating the Jews is a classic example of the horrors that can happen when we fail to realize the potential of evil manifested in man. In fact, more than a hundred and seventy million (170,000,000) people were exterminated by their own governments during the twentieth century. The one thing all these atrocities had in common was "gun control." Clearly those that wish to disarm people are far from being within the will of God and in fact are anti-Christ. I highly recommend purchasing ' at JPFO for a history of how evil and disarming citizens goes hand in hand. After you see this documentary you'll never allow yourself or family to be disarmed by so-called 'gun control' laws.

Do not be deceived, the spirit behind the gun-control effort is allied with outright evil and history proves this point with perfect clarity. "Germans who wish to use firearms should join the SS or the SA - ordinary citizens don't need guns, as their having guns doesn't serve the State." -- Heinrich Himmler, Nazi head of the SS.

DISARM THE PEOPLE FIRST
The principle of first disarming the people before full scale oppression of the people, was seen first hand by Reverend Wesley Millen who, as a missionary, witnessed the communist take over of Asia. In his lectures he would explain how in the first 90 days the communists were so benevolent, humanitarian and helpful, and at the same time laboured vigorously to confiscate all weapons. The people were told peace had arrived and they would no longer have need of weapons. Once the people were disarmed Reverend Millen said, "Then at the end of ninety days we learned the difference between theoretical communism and Bolshevik terror."

PETER USED A SWORD
Jesus said we were not to live by the sword. This statement was made by Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, after Peter had tried to stop His arrest by swinging a sword and cutting off the ear of a slave of the high priest. (Matt. 26:52). Notice, Peter had a sword in keeping with the command of Christ (Luke 22:36,38), but he misused it by trying to interfere with the foretold arrest and crucifixion of Christ. The point is, Christianity is a way of life wherein a disciple is not to live by the sword. Christianity is a way of life wherein a disciple is to go the extra mile, forgive, petition, pray. It is not a militant, aggressive life style of one living by the sword.

It is true a Christian is not to live by the sword, but it is equally true he is not to live without one. The actions, petitions, prayers, and long suffering of our forefathers are evidence they did not live by the sword, but their refusal to lay down their guns showed they also refused to live without the sword. In effect, they understood that being defenseless only encourages evil and does not promote the peace of Christ.