Self defense

[Guest dove2]

If I have strength in the flesh Larry it is only what God has given me.

I can tell a person in Jesus name to stop. That doesn't mean they will because God will let a person do whatever they want to do. He does not and will not invade their will. That does not mean that God won't send His angels to protect me and my family though.

When Gary and I were on the pipeline in Alaska we lived out in the middle of nowhere. Well, at that time it was no where. North Pole, Alaska is where we lived back in the woods in a log cabin.

Gary had to go deeper into Alaska to work on the pipleine. That left me and the children home alone in the middle of the night. I prayed that God would put his angels around the house and protect the kids and me.

Late that night I heard a car drive up. I heard the screen door open on the porch and then biggest noise and fighting I have ever heard in my life. All of a sudden the screen door slammed and the car took off screeching and driving like a maniac. I think with my whole being that God sent his angels and they ran the person or people in the car off and protected us before evil could be done to us. With that said, I feel that we should ask God to protect us and our children daily.

I failed to add that if the people had come into the house I would have done whatever was needed to protect my children.

[larryt]

You are all asuming something of me that I have never refered to nor mentioned. You all have asumed that I would stand by and do nothing if some great evil was happening in front of me. I assure you that the power of God is more real to me than my own flesh. All I hear from you all is the last resort is to off the other person.

Another true story.

3 years ago in Maylasia the muslim extremeists were seeking out christians and killing the men and raping the women. They came to a brother in the Lord that I know personally and were in the midst of storming his compound. This brother walked out and told the crowd they had no business with him and his congregation and they must disperse in Jesus' name. They left him and all that were in his compound alone. They were the only christians in that area not abused.

If you doubt what I say is true you are calling me a liar. If you doubt what God says in His Word, yu call Him a liar.

LT

I fail to see how this is related to a criminal threatening your family for the sake of his desire to steal your stuff.

In this case, your friend was not reduced to using lethal force, and that is the way I wish all confrontations would end.

There are times, though, where it doesn't end there.

t.

This thread is about resisting evil. I chose to do it in the spirit and put no confidence in the flesh.

LT

That is your right...I hope your family feels similarly...

My family does.

[Crusader4Christ]

If the situation ever arose that you need to defend your family, yourself, or your friends, I whole-heartedly believe that you should, nay, must, protect them in any way. If the last alternative is killing the intruder(s), it is justified. However, do pray to the Lord for protection also. He will most certainly protect you if you have faith in Him. This is the best solution. But remember, The Lord will not condemn you for protecting your family.

Just look at Jesus, the greatest example! He protected us and saved us (His children), by dying on the cross for us! He saved us from sin and evil (which is of Satan!) He gave up His life to save us from spiritual death.

[senerhu]

You are all asuming something of me that I have never refered to nor mentioned. You all have asumed that I would stand by and do nothing if some great evil was happening in front of me. I assure you that the power of God is more real to me than my own flesh. All I hear from you all is the last resort is to off the other person.

Another true story.

3 years ago in Maylasia the muslim extremeists were seeking out christians and killing the men and raping the women. They came to a brother in the Lord that I know personally and were in the midst of storming his compound. This brother walked out and told the crowd they had no business with him and his congregation and they must disperse in Jesus' name. They left him and all that were in his compound alone. They were the only christians in that area not abused.

If you doubt what I say is true you are calling me a liar. If you doubt what God says in His Word, yu call Him a liar.

LT

I fail to see how this is related to a criminal threatening your family for the sake of his desire to steal your stuff.

In this case, your friend was not reduced to using lethal force, and that is the way I wish all confrontations would end.

There are times, though, where it doesn't end there.

t.

This thread is about resisting evil. I chose to do it in the spirit and put no confidence in the flesh.

LT

That is your right...I hope your family feels similarly...

My family does.

Then, as I said before, if your family concurs, I don't have a problem with it. You are the head of the family, and if that is the way you intend to provide, that is between you and God...

[alecia]

larryt I dont know what your intentions are but I feel you are dangerously close to portraying yourself as righteous.. your argument was initialy a doctrinal one but you have been slipping away from that and relying more and more on examples of how strong your faith is and how close to God you are... and that others may be less so.. which leads me to wonder if you are continuing this argument out of pride and display... I cannot say these are your intentions but I do perceive it in your words.

[Guest shiloh357]

If the situation ever arose that you need to defend your family, yourself, or your friends, I whole-heartedly believe that you should, nay, must, protect them in any way. If the last alternative is killing the intruder(s), it is justified. However, do pray to the Lord for protection also. He will most certainly protect you if you have faith in Him. This is the best solution. But remember, The Lord will not condemn you for protecting your family.

Just look at Jesus, the greatest example! He protected us and saved us (His children), by dying on the cross for us! He saved us from sin and evil (which is of Satan!) He gave up His life to save us from spiritual death.

Very true!! Ephesians 5:25 tells husbands to love their wives as Christ loves the Church and gave Himself for it. Men should be willing to give up their lives in defense of their wife and kids if it comes to that. That is a tall order, but any man worth his salt, would not hesitate for a moment to give his life for the ones he loves.

[Guest dove2]

You never know who is coming into your house or why. Deciding to kill anyone who violates your space is a very dangerous thing to do.

[Guest Calamity]

larryt, why did Peter carry a sword? I mean, why did he even have it, and why did Jesus let him?

John.18

[10] Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus.

[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?

Jesus didn't tell Peter to throw the sword away, he said to put it back in the sheath. He allowed him to have the weapon. Why?

I've had the "mama bear" kick in on me several times since I've been a mother. I have been crouched in the dark holding a shotgun waiting for someone to come in the front door because of noises I heard. I was not intending to let anyone through, to hurt my baby. Thankfully, it was not a prowler, but the noises I heard were from next door.

I would like to think that if you/I have a shotgun, that aiming below the waist to miss the vital organs would possibly let them live, but disable them to where you could get away and get help. However, it's hard to say what you'd do in that situation and if you didn't have a shotgun, then you might miss entirely trying to hit a leg.

Also, I think the situation matters. Missionaries in foreign countries, with no weapon at all, are in the hands of God for sure. They are more vulnerable and in a lot of danger in some of the countries. If you have no way to protect your family physically, then I believe God will step in, but if you have the opportunity and means to protect them, yet don't lift a finger to do anything, I'm not so sure He will step in, since you are not doing your part in protecting them. It seems like "tempting" God, in a way, to just sit there saying "God will protect me", when there is something you could do to help yourself/family. Just my 2 cents.

[Guest shadow2b]

-If you doubt what I say is true you are calling me a liar. If you doubt what God says in His Word, yu call Him a liar.

LT

-hmmmmm??-I wonder IF any of the following words might be Applicable??- Not sure- --jest Wondering??-

-PRESUMPTUOUS--LYING--ARROGANT---INSULTING--

-ANNOYING-- CONDESCENDING-- IMMATURE- -IMBRUTING-INSOLENT-LITTLE-TWERP

-WOFFER- -DELUDED- -RUDE-- -DECEIVED- ---

[Kabowd]

Does Jesus believe in self-defense or protecting other's with force?

"Then Jesus asked them, "When I sent you without a purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?"

"Nothing," they answered.

"He said to them, "But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. It is written:"And he was numbered with the transgressors; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching it's fulfillment."

"The disciples said, "See, Lord, here are two swords."

"That is enough," he replied." Luke 22:35-38

"Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a Man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in His hand. Joshua went up to Him and asked, "Are You for us or for our enemies?"

"Neither," He replied, "but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come." Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, "What message does my Lord have for his servant?"

The commander of the Lord's army replied, "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy". And Joshua did so." Joshua 5:13-15