Self-Defense: Is it Scriptural? Part1

Part 1: The Bible’s abundant proofs that self-defense is Godly, and it MUST be learned and sought out.

The Bible was never against self-defense. Some wrongly believe that defending yourself against tyranny is anti-Christian. Self-defense is not only morally righteous, but often God Himself commands it. Sometimes God commands it where not one person among the enemy is left alive. Not only that, but the Bible has references that gives a right to a pre-emptive strike on an enemy preparing itself to attack you. Did you know that?

Don't give me the same dumb excuse and religious garbage I have heard so often, “That was under the Old Testament, but that is not for us today". God has not changed! (Malachi 3:6) Foul religious traditions cause many to believe stuff that contradicts Scripture. Don’t you be one of them.

Look at these versions of what Jesus said in Mark 7:13:

…making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do. NKJV

You revoke God’s word by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many other similar things. HCSB

And so you cancel the word of God in order to hand down your own tradition. And this is only one example among many others. NLT

Do you really think God will honor your traditions passed down to others, making up rules that nullify God’s Word? And you’re doing many other similar things. The Passion Translation

So that the speechless donkey (in the KJV: dumb ass) naysayers get over their stupid selves, let's begin in the Newer Testament portions of Scripture and work our way into the Older Testament body of Scripture.

When a strong man, fully armed, guards his house, his possessions are safe. (Luke 11:21)

Granted that Jesus is using this as an analogy for someone with demonic strongholds, but that is not the only thing that can be learned from the verse. Notice that if this was a strong man, then that strength came through training. Couch potatoes are not “strong” men. Couch potatoes are the little (or fat) sissy boys that can’t even take a punch. They have little muscularity except around their mouth and thumbs as they viciously play their silly little video games and eat trash for food. It is only those that do something to train their body physically that will become strong. There is no way around it. Even at 55 or 65, if you stop training or retire from training, you become a useless blob that is unable to defend or protect themselves, much less anybody else.

In my early 30’s, I was into running. They weren’t long runs, but I was usually doing 4 to 5 miles 4 times a week. At the park I went to, I kept seeing this man that looked old in his face but looked like a 20 y/o athlete in his body. He was in his seventies and began his exercise program 5 years before the time I met him. He had suffered a massive heart attack and had a quadruple bypass. While recovering, he decided to change his eating habits and began an exercise program. By the time I met him, he was running 4 ten-minute miles M-F, and he would do faster sprints before going to some tall bleachers at the park. The bleachers were not for sitting! He never sat down! He would run up and down those tall bleachers numerous times. After each lap, he would do 30-50 pushups! That went on for about 20 to 30 minutes. I was stunned because I was in great shape, but this man took it to another level at 72 years of age! There is no excuse for you and me as we age!  

I was blessed to have a dad that early on challenged me with martial arts, boxing, weight training, and so on. Dad owned a gym when I was a little boy. I grew up in that environment. Even my barely 5’ tall mother could do squats at the time with 400 lbs.! My mom and dad were tough folks, though they were kind and friendly.

When I was about 11, after I got a very bad beat down, my dad found a new Karate instructor from Japan that didn’t even know any Spanish or English, except for a few words. Those were the days when training was done in the tropical heat in Puerto Rico, and there was no padding on the floors or anywhere on our bodies!

I practiced other arts throughout the years, both Japanese and Korean. I also practiced with the Samurai sword or katana, jo, bokken, and some other things. The thing that has been my constant companion in training since the early 90’s are the forms-kata and the additional shorter forms called suburi that I practice with a 5-foot (correction- 4ft.) staff (jo). Actually, the correct height of your personalized jo should be the height from the floor to your arm pit, but who's checking?

I started supplementing jo practice back in 1994 with various weighted metal core bars with an exterior rubber sleeve. I train a few times a week, so many people in my neighborhood have seen me do these exercises repeatedly. I’ve taught my sons the jo forms. People joke that we are the ninja family!

Inside the house, I sometimes train with weights on my ankles and do katas with weights in my hands. Well, it works for me. 

Why did I tell all that? I want to be like Caleb at 85! He's one of my heroes.

…Here I am this day, eighty-five years old. As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in. Now therefore, give me this mountain!... (Joshua 14:10-12 NKJV)

So, what is your excuse? Caleb was 85 when he made that statement. I love this man of God’s spirit, physical prowess, and resolve at an age when most men are dying off or dead! I desire to be like Caleb at 85! We don’t have to be sickly and decrepit just because we are 70 or much older. I’m not in my 70’s yet, but it won’t be too long, and I will get there. The keys here are being an on-fire man of God, right eating, right living, right exercising and training, and as needed, right supplementation.

I’ve had my physical challenges and issues that were difficult. With God’s help every single one was overcome. A few times, I needed medical help because I was in unbelief, but I came out victorious, and I will not quit!

Getting back to our initial text: Being fully armed develops as we train in defensive and offensive tactics. What else do I see in that verse? How are you going to guard your house from thieves or other intruders if you don’t study the layout, perimeter, and set up an alarm system or other device? All that from one verse!

But when one stronger than he comes to attack and overpower him, the stronger one will empty the arsenal in which he trusted. The conqueror will ransack his kingdom and distribute all the spoils of victory. Luke 11:22

How much could we get from that verse?

Look at what Jesus is saying and do not just look at the opportunity He took to use this analogy. Again, look at words like attack, overpower, empty his arsenal, conqueror, ransack, and distribute the all the spoils of victory. All these images of violence (when needed) are coming from Jesus, but not the traditional weenie “bones-with-skin-stretched-over-it” version of Jesus often taught in Sunday school and through Hollywood’s ignoramus portrayals! Their versions of Jesus look like a bad cartoonish figure, a puny, long-haired, unkept freak who could be a drug addict, and one with zero muscularity. It’s deceptive and disgusting. Frankly, I hate those perverted images of Jesus.

Anybody that could walk 15 or 20 miles in a day, and then preach and minister to the entire population in the area was no weakling, hippie-type, love guru! He was strong and He was courageous.

I am not an advocate of living violently. Not at all. I like peace. No, I love peace and quiet. I don't engage in wrangling or fussing and fighting. Violence should ONLY be necessary in extreme cases, and it should never be a lifestyle. So, don't get me wrong, but let's remove any weird ideas about Jesus, self-defense, and our part in all this.

I am going to write something that will trigger a lot of folks, but do I look like I care about offending people with the truth? I don’t!

If you are a real man, don’t hang out with weak men. Hang out with strong and courageous men. I will never hang out with girly beta males! Jesus didn’t either! He didn’t pick flower children for His inner circle of disciples. He picked armed fishermen (remember Peter cut off a man’s ear with his sword and he wasn’t aiming for his ear), a revolutionary zealot that never left home without his sword/knife, two armed tough guys (sons of thunder that could kill evil people and not blink), one tough "hombre" that didn’t care about all the insults and hatred against his elected profession (a tax collector), and his other chosen men that were ready to rumble when they came to arrest Jesus. None of these guys were girly beta males!

Jesus could command crowds of 5000 men and 4000 men (not counting women and children) with His voice and gestures! That was no small feat to command such large crowds of men (let alone women and children) to sit on the grass and quiet down while He prayed, and the miracles of food multiplication followed. He must have had a booming and commanding voice! Girlie betas move over because a real man showed up!

Even after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus you see that Peter faced the government leaders that commanded them to stop preaching about Jesus, and he told them to their faces, “We are going to obey God first, and if you command us to stop preaching or to shut down our church services, we will not obey you!” That is easily understood from Acts 4:18-20 and Acts 5:27-30. Civil disobedience, resistance, and rebellion against the onslaught of tyranny in government was done, but there was obedience towards God and His commands!

Something else you need to see here that dispels the myth that Jesus was some pushover. The leaders that commanded the apostles to stop teaching were shocked because they could tell from these men’s boldness and courage that they had been with Jesus! Jesus was so bold and courageous that the Sanhedrin could see the same things in the apostles.

That was a real man, Jesus my Lord! Bold and courageous! He made a lasting impression! (See Acts 4:13.) Beta-girly-males would have been long forgotten. You were never going to forget Jesus after meeting Him! The boldness, the courage, the command of His presence, His anointed and powerful words, the fire in His eyes, were unforgettable. He was THE true Alpha male, a bold and courageous example to follow into manhood!      

Let's talk about a man's man, a real example in Scripture for all believers.

The patriarch Abraham was called the father of our faith or the father of those that believe, depending on the Bible translation you are reading. That verbiage came from none other than the apostle Paul. He also exhorts us to follow in the steps of the faith of Abraham, and that he (Abraham) is the father of us all in Christ. (Romans 4:11, 12, 16)

That will be shocking in a minute.

Rarely mentioned, here is a faith action by Abraham that should be emulated.

When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he called out the 318 trained men born in his household and went in pursuit… (Genesis 14:14 NIV)

When he was still called Abram, he kept 318 trained men at his command ready to defend him and his loved ones. Talk about being extremely well prepared for confrontation, this patriarch kept his own trained defense and attack force! That meant that these men were trained in the use of bow, spear, shield, unarmed combat, tactics, cavalry, and whatever they had available at the time. That is the father of the faith of real Christians, and we are heirs to the blessings God gave Abraham, and part of those blessings involves self-defense, armament, tactics, and so on! (Galatians 3:14, 29)

Read it again and weep if you are still hanging on to devilish pacifism dreams of nothingness. Pacifism is NEVER taught in the Bible. Having peaceful relations with people are good until they are not. We will always be peacemakers, until the enemy tries to take us out. Then, and only when peaceful relations fail, actions to defend family and friends may be necessary and righteous.

Part of the curses for disobedience under the law involved defeat by foreign enemies and armies, to the place that you lost your land and everything in it, such as cities, houses, crops, possessions, and even family. There would be no way to protect your daughters and wife from being ravished by foreigners under the curse. See Deuteronomy 28:25-37, 47-52. Though Jesus paid an awesome price to redeem us or set us free from the curses pronounced under the law (Galatians 3:13), people are still the subjects of the curse through disobedience. The redemption was never automatic. It is to be received by faith, or by trust and obedience. Obviously, the blessing for obedience is the exact opposite of the curses. Blessings will include protection, power, preparation for battle, and being armed to the teeth naturally and spiritually! See examples in Deuteronomy 28:1-14; 11:22-25. When God’s people obeyed, everywhere they went, they defeated their enemies in battle, and nobody could stand against them because God was with them.

Today we would include as part of the blessing of Abraham on us training with firearms, hand to hand combat, ordnance, ammunition, transportation (land, sea, air), communications, navigation, and many other things. Unfortunately, most of these things are only taught in military environments, but all believers should include some training in the “martial” or war arts to some level of proficiency. All men, but also any woman that wants should join in. I'm talking scripturally. I think in most cases, we are far behind in this blessing. I know that personally, I am not as far up the ladder as I'd like to be, but I am constantly educating myself. I don't stop. 

Sorry to burst your “prayer only” bubble, but prayer is good in its place as communication with God. I ask daily for God’s help and wisdom. If you don’t do that then you are shortchanging yourself because you cannot prepare smartly without His direction. You and I don’t know everything, BUT He does! He will even reveal things to come, things that are hidden, as needed! He will unveil the truth about everything we could ever face, but we must come to Him first. (John 16:13-15) Not only do I know the power of prayer, but I also pray to God daily. Prayer is not a substitute for prep work to defend church, family, friends, county, state, and our country from enemies both foreign and domestic. No sir, we put our trust in God as our Help, Protector, and Defender (Psalms 91). We pray daily. Also, we should already be engaged in preparing the “horses” for battle! We prepare profusely and trust God for the victory!

A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but the victory is from the Lord. (Proverbs 21:31 NET)

We will get valuable insight by preparing to fight, BUT our trust is not in chariots or horses (today armed vehicles, guns, rifles, etc.). We put our trust in God as the one that gives the victory, but we should be prepared to defend our people and families!

Some trust in chariots and others in horses, but we depend on the Lord our God. (Psalms 20:7)

A horse disappoints those who trust in it for victory; despite its great strength, it cannot deliver. (Psalms 33:17)

Now look at this verse from the lips of Jesus!

He said to them, “But now, the one who has a money bag must take it, and likewise a traveler’s bag too. And the one who has no sword MUST sell his cloak and buy one.” (Luke 22:36 NET)

What? Wait a minute! Do you mean to tell me that Jesus taught that "anti-Christian" and "anti-Christ-like" message? Yes, the real Jesus of the Bible taught that we MUST buy a weapon! MUST is a command and not a suggestion! The sword today could still be a literal sword, but the main weapon in our day is a gun, rifle, or shotgun. Every household MUST have at least one weapon and know how to use it! That is a command of Jesus that is rarely if ever taught as one of the commandments we are told to preach to the whole world.

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. (Matthew 28:18, 20a NET)

Oops! The church at large has defiantly and erroneously refused to teach about the command of Jesus to have at least one weapon at your house! Doesn’t all this begin to paint a very different portrait of Jesus than the churchy Jesus?

How many churches have you heard teaching that you MUST own at least one weapon? How many churches teach concealed carry license classes or have a gun range? I know a few. Oh boy, I am really treading on garbage religion now! What do a lot of churches have? Some add to their already dead environment a cemetery next door to bury their dead. So lifeless and weak! Many have silly, sissified, and unscriptural classes that do nothing to prepare people for life and all the dangers out there! No classes on trusting God for protection, healing, anointing, power, AND self-defense!

Jesus was very different than the inert and weakling “Jesus” pushed by the traditional religious hacks. If He was ministering in person today among us, He would have been banned from preaching or teaching at most churches because His message would have been considered too strong, uncompromising, controversial, revolutionary, and too ballsy to be accepted in 99.9% of churches, especially in the West. He would have been de-platformed from all social media, had his accounts frozen and seized on Paypal, Visa, Mastercard, and so on. He would have been maligned for years by the MSM. The government would have brought false charges against him through many lying witnesses. He would be arrested, tried, found guilty, given a death sentence, and finally, they would murder an innocent man.

Sound familiar? It should. That's exactly (without the modern stuff) what happened to Jesus 2,000 years ago! Nothing new under the sun. It was all a religious and secular government conspiracy to silence a powerful, anointed, godly, and highly revolutionary voice! They failed because He was raised from the dead and He became the most influential man-the Son of God, to ever walk on this earth! And He is coming back soon!

This time, Jesus is coming as the conquering King of kings, and Lord of lords, and NO ONE will stop Him or interfere in any way. No world government, not even the Beast's one-world government of the antichrist will be able to stop Jesus. The antichrist and his minions will be cast into the lake of fire, and all those under his control will be killed and cast into hell on the day of the physical return of Jesus. All the armies of the earth will be arrayed against Jesus and His people. They will be killed by the sharp sword coming out of His mouth, and the vultures will gorge themselves on the dead bodies of those that dared to resist Jesus! See it in Revelation 19:11-21. It's going to be more violent than anything this world has ever seen, because it’s going to happen within a few moments of time. The bodies of the dead will be piled up along with their kings, generals, strong warriors, and a huge amount of the world population with them. A vulture Octoberfest is coming, and it will make all other celebrations pale in comparison!

Here is another shocker.

All of that mayhem happens as a manifestation of love! God is love! Remember? (1 John 4:8) God is love and Jesus was and is still love because he was God manifested in a human body. (John 1:1-3, 14) Here’s the real teaching of Scripture that opposes the modern but false Christian thinking and wrong theology. Love is not always nice, nor does it always play nice. Love will sometimes kill its enemies because it has a wrath side to it. It's undeniable and those that don't get that just don't understand love. They are confused because they don’t know the Scripture. If 1 Corinthians 13 is all you think you know about love, then you are woefully ignorant of the wrath side of love. 

Yes, you can give an enemy food and water, and that way demonstrate love, fulfilling the words of Jesus to love your enemy. If they turn and attempt to kill you, then you have every right to defend yourself and kill them first. That would also be love, mercy, and compassion.

Sounds like a paradox, but it is crystal clear in Scripture, and you will see it if you stick around.

On Being A Gentleman 

In this two part series, I don't discuss much about manhood and integrity and their intimate connection, and  I also leave out what it means to be a gentleman. My subject is about manhood and self defense. Being a gentleman is almost a completely lost art in this generation! It is an integral part of what it means to be a man. A real Gentleman will have morals about him. He would rather die than commit adultery! For the record, there is no such thing as a whoremonger, thief, party animal, drunkard, or homosexual that could ever be called gentlemen. Gentlemen serve God and would fight to the death to protect family and country. 

I saw a a real gentleman in my dad, and I have endeavored to get that into my sons. Some very fortunate, happy, and blessed women will marry these great boys of mine some day! Those three women (for my triplet sons) will once again enjoy the kind and strong heart of a gentleman. I'm raising real men. No sissies here!

Why did I write all that is what I am asking myself right here. God only knows who will read this and be helped. 

Be blessed!

Stay tuned for Part 2 coming soon.

Let me bring the truth of the matter out clearly. I am totally against violence. I believe in going low, keeping my mouth shut when necessary, and I am a firm believer in de-escalation when confronted with someone expecting a fight. I am a peacemaker. I hate fights and I hate violence. Violence is the LAST thing on my map. If I have to fight, I have already failed at de-escalation, diplomacy, and communication. There has never been a greater truth than to harden yourself with training and learn to fight and defeat an enemy so that you never have to fight! It is a deterrent. So many years have passed since I first began training in martial arts. I still train, just to a lesser degree. In all those years, I only used my training a few times, and never because I instigated the violence. I did know how to stop the violence. Thank God! I never look for fights and I don't instigate violence. I have learned the "martial" art of talking my way out of potentially violent encounters. That has served me much better than my fists or a firearm. Just a note for those that may want to misinterpret my words in this article and push violent actions, and use me as an excuse.