The City of Houston, in cooperation with the Department of Homeland Security, has developed a short training video regarding “active shooter” events. Although this video was designed for domestic audiences, the principles apply anywhere, and even more so in countries and settings where law enforcement help may not be available.
See the video at…
Jesus told his disciples to keep a couple of swords handy, and His teaching on physical defense was pretty clear–like everything else in a Christ-follower’s life, it must be Spirit-controlled. I believe that the ability to physically defend life, with deadly force if necessary, is a spiritual gift. We don’t like to talk about it much, because as Christians our primary call is to love our neighbors. Sometimes, though, loving our neighbors may involve defending them from violent aggression. If you don’t like to think about this, then perhaps this topic isn’t for you. Jesus didn’t say that all the disciples should carry swords, just a few of them.
If you watch the video, you’ll notice that the front door of the building has the “30.06” legalese requiring Concealed Handgun License holders to leave their weapon outside. Obviously, neither the criminal nor law enforcement pay any heed to the “no guns allowed” signage. Those who are not armed are victims, but they were forced to be victims by their own company–and their own willingness to obey a bad law. Putting forth the idea that attacking an armed criminal with a chair or a fire extinguisher, rather than with a personal firearm, is incredibly irresponsible, especially coming from the City of Houston, Texas, where firearm ownership and use is perfectly legal.
If you live in a physically dangerous area, and if you are called to provide physical defense–of your family, your church, your community, or the people around you–then it behooves you to arm yourself with the best defensive weapon available in your area. In Jesus’ time, it was the sword. Today, it’s probably a pistol or shotgun. Firearms are available everywhere, you just might need to be a little creative to obtain one. Pepper spray can be a great demotivator of criminals. Knives and clubs are better than nothing. Whatever the weapon, you need to learn how to use it effectively. Take advantage of furlough time, online resources, etc. to improve your skills–not just with your weapon, but also with situational awareness and crisis de-escalation skills. This is not about becoming a vigilante; it’s about having a well-thought-out, Spirit-controlled plan of action for basic physical defense.