Fame is a game not
everyone can play, but for the many that do – personal protection is not only a
need, but also a must have. Stalkers and
paparazzi out for their own personal interest and gain, cause people in high
powered positions to enter into situations that without the backup of well
trained professionals, can lend to danger.
Perhaps one would think that professional body guarding is a newer
profession, brought on in more recent centuries, but picking up a bible will
show you that body guarding is as old as handwriting itself. In fact, not only is body guarding biblical,
so are getaway cars. You think I’m
making this up don’t you – seriously – getaway cars – in the bible – what kind
of acid are you trippin’ on girl? No
seriously – take a look!
Jesus grew to draw
a huge following. In Mark 3, he is found
performing miracles and people were paying attention. People were pouring in from all over just to
see and hear him. Can you imagine going
from a nobody to having flocks of people wanting to get to you? The sheer mass of people led Jesus to need to
make sure that he had an escape route so he could go and chill after a day of
serving. Being a loved/hated public
figure, he needed some personal protection, and so he created out of his
surroundings and made his twelve disciples into his own personal security
agents. In Mark 3:9 is where I will
personally dub the first getaway car…
“Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready
for him, to keep the people from crowding him.” Can you see it? Jesus, in a crowd of people, the disciples
with ear pieces and dark glasses standing around in watch, Jesus says his piece
and quickly they escort him to the lake where the getaway boat is waiting and
they speed off to – well – I guess the other side of the lake. Ok ok – silly I know but really – it’s legit
(well, minus the high tech gadgets)
Jesus – through
his disciples, had his own personal protection agency. Sure he is the Son of God – born of a virgin
– that should have been all the protection he needed. But perhaps we should look at what surrounded
Jesus and open our eyes to see that Jesus too needed his own human source of
protection. I think that all too often
in the church, men and women of God believe that God will protect them from the
evils of the world, that nothing bad will happen to them because God protects
his babies. Well can I slap you with a
stupid sticker on this one? Look around
– it doesn’t take a genius to see that evil does not discriminate between
Christians and non-Christians. If it
did, then tell me why church shootings happen, why rape happens, or murders
occur. Why do homes get broken into, why
do evangelists get death threats or their homes burned down? If God is omnipresent and can be in all
places at all times – why do these things happen? Maybe it’s time to quit asking why and
realize that they just do – and it’s our responsibility to co-labor with God
and become protectors and warriors for his kingdom. Are you one of those sheeple that think this
way? That war is not godly? And defending the defenseless is not
something we should be getting our hands messy with? If that’s your opinion, then keep it to
yourself because there are godly men and women that put their lives in danger
every day to protect us from the threats that are there that will harm us. Morally, war is difficult, the protection
service is difficult, but our protectors need to know that we support them –
and I for one will always defend their honor because of the battles that they
have entered for my freedom. Here are
some scriptures to back up our back ups – be renewed in your mind sheeple! “Praise be the Lord my rock, who trains my
hands for war and my fingers for battle” Psalm 144:1, “Learn to do good; seek justice, rebuke the
oppressor; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow.” Isaiah 1:17, “For he is God’s servant for
your good. But if you do wrong, be
afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain.
For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on
the wrongdoer.” Romans 13:4. Did you see a common thread throughout those
scriptures? Gods servant, God trains,
defend the defenseless… How else can
God’s children be broken from slavery and brought to freedom if there is no one
to fight for them? The children in the
sex trafficking industry – being bought and sold as prostitutes, 8-year-old
girls being sold into marriage because her family is too poor to keep her. Do you not think on that innocent girls side
of the story? Do you think at 8 she is
ready for grown up sex or pregnancy?
Wake up! This is your call – open
your eyes to the hurt and dying world around you – and in whatever forms you
can – become a defender. If your child
is being bullied at school, have them trained in self defense – at the very
least, knowing how to defend themselves will empower them and give them
confidence. I did this with my daughters
and they started befriending the bullies – and stood in the gap when these
bullies tried to hurt their friends.
Little bodyguards.
The twelve
disciples were the original royal bodyguards.
They learned and trained under the authority of Jesus. Not only were they spiritually trained in the
skill of the sword of the spirit – able to cast out demons and speak truth and
perform miracles in power, they were also skilled in battle. In this scene in Matthew 26:50-51, Jesus was
about to get arrested before his crucifixion… “Then the men stepped forward,
seized Jesus and arrested him. With
that, one of Jesus’ companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck
the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.” Now I’ve never played with swords, or have
been one to play with knives, but to have the skill to cut an ear off – doesn’t
sound like this was this guy’s first sword fight. And looking at the bigger picture here –
Jesus was the Son of God – of all people, I wouldn’t expect him to need a
bodyguard – but he had 12. They had a
purpose whether they knew it or not, and it was to keep Jesus alive until the
day appointed to him be crucified.
Jesus’ bodyguards
– they certainly did lack in their recognition of the immense job that they
had. They stumbled through trainings,
falling asleep when Jesus commanded that they stay awake. They grew afraid during a storm when Jesus
was peacefully resting; they betrayed him, which led to his arrest. These amateur bodyguards certainly did not
realize that they were protecting something so precious and valuable as the
savior of the world.
So why is it that
Christians feel that fighting is wrong?
Guns are evil, and being prepared is evidence of a lack of trust? I think it is because we are looking at the
Jesus before the cross. Misinterpreted
scripture can point out faulty evidence that lends to thinking that we don’t
need to do or shouldn’t do anything to protect ourselves. That’s ok thinking if you’re a sheep – but if
we are to truly become Christ like – shouldn’t we look at the Jesus that came
to be after the cross? The Jesus that
revelations 1:14 declares as having fire in his eyes. “his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a
furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and
out of his mouth came a sharp double edged sword.” If that’s the Jesus that was created after
the cross – and we are to become more Christ-like – then wouldn’t it deem to be
true that we too should become warriors and fighters? Filled with godly righteous anger, with
painful truth coming from our tongue like a sword, built up and trained – and
through our trainings become defenders of those who are unable to defend themselves? The men and women and children of God who
perhaps are unable to access the resources needed to learn how to protect
themselves. What about the part that
says he has a sharp double-edged sword coming out of his mouth. That to me says boldness – to be able to cut
with your tongue by using words that are to the point and dare I say
offensive. “speak up for those who
cannot speak for themselves,” Proverbs 31:8. This verse makes it sound to me
like we have all been commissioned to be bodyguards. Even just by speaking up for someone too
afraid to speak out for themselves is protection. To become a person like that
I would dare say that you’re going to make some enemies.
Ok, so break this
all down to a personal level. No you
don’t need to run out and join the military or sign up for bodyguard school,
but what about protecting your home? Do
you own a gun? Do you know how to use
it? Oh wait – do you think owning a gun
is not godly? Wreck that with this… “He
(Jesus) 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.” Luke 22:36.
Why would Jesus himself tell people to buy a sword? I prefer to use study bibles so that I can
get perspective on verses that don’t make sense to me – and in the footnotes of
my bible it explains his comment as this, “buy one, An extreme figure of speech
used to warn them of the perilous times about to come. They would need defense and protection”. (Courtesy of Zondervan’s “The NIV Study
Bible” 1985) So if Jesus is telling us
to buy a sword (obviously no – we cant walk around looking like a bunch of
freaks yielding swords – not only would that totally freak people out but I’m
sure – they’re not the easiest weapon to conceal) shouldn’t we take his
direction and have some kind of weapon?
Look around you, it’s no secret that the world, our country, our
neighborhoods are becoming ever more dangerous.
If an armed robber entered your home – how would you defend? By calling the police? Ok so he shoots you on the way to the phone –
or after you hit the panic button on your house alarm – what good did any of
that do? Nothing! You’re dead – and your house and loved ones
are now in danger. What could you have
done to avoid this situation? Train to
be a warrior! Become like the one who
created you! Discover more of the
warrior that God is through this song of Moses from Exodus 15… “I will sing to
the Lord, for he is highly exalted. The
horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea, The Lord is my strength and my
song; he has become my salvation. He is my
god and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is his
name. Pharaoh’s chariots and his army he
has hurled into the sea. The best of
Pharaoh’s officers are drowned in the red sea.
The deep waters have covered them; they sank to the depths like a
stone. Your right hand, O Lord, was
majestic in power. Your right hand, O
Lord, shattered the enemy. In the
greatness of your majesty you threw down those who opposed you. You unleashed your burning anger; it consumed
them like stubble. By the blast of your
nostrils the waters piled up. The
surging waters stood firm like a wall; the deep waters congealed in the heart
of the sea. The enemy boasted, I will
pursue, I will overtake them. I will
divide the spoils; I will gorge myself on them.
I will draw my sword and my hand will destroy them. But you blew with your breath and the sea
covered them. They sank like lead in the
mighty waters. Who among the gods is
like you, O Lord? Who is like you –
majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders? You stretched out your right hand and the
earth swallowed them. In your unfailing
love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your
holy dwelling. The nations will hear and
tremble; anguish will grip the people of Philistia. The chiefs of Edom will be terrified, the
leaders of Moab will be seized with trembling, the people of Canaan will melt
away; terror and dread will fall upon them.
By the power of your arm they will be as still as a stone – until your
people pass by, O Lord, until the people you bought pass by. You will bring them in and plant them on the
mountain of your inheritance – the place, O Lord, you made for your dwelling,
the sanctuary, O Lord, your hands established.
The Lord will reign for ever and ever.”
Moses was defending
the defenseless – he was leading people out of Egypt and headed for the Promised
Land – and this created enemies. But God
had his back – just as he’ll have yours if you ever have to face battle. Isaiah 55:17 says, “No weapon formed against
you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the
Lord, and this is their vindication from me, declares the Lord”. This verse clearly says that there will be
weapons against you – but they will not prevail – how? Because you will be a trained servant,
protector, steward of what God has given to you to protect. You have a call on your life to battle. If you aren’t already, isn’t it time to
prepare?
It’s an
overwhelming task to consider. Becoming
personally responsible for the life of another human being. It is definitely not a task for the faint at
heart, nor for the weak minded. But God
has called you to be strong and courageous according to Joshua 1:7 “Have I not
commanded you? Be strong and
courageous. Do not be afraid; to not be
discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” You have the tools at your hand to mentally
prepare to get in the game. God has
provided you with spiritual armor, that as a warrior in the kingdom of heaven,
we must put on daily to protect ourselves.
Ephesians 6:13 says “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that
when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you
have done everything, to stand.” So just
what does the armor of God consist of?
It’s nothing you can buy in a store – and it can only be purchased
through prayer… “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can
take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers,
against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the
spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms… Stand firm them, with the belt
of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in
place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel
of peace. In addition to all this, take
up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of
the evil one. Take the helmet of
salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians 6:10-17
To see a perfect
representation of the ultimate bodyguard, look to Jesus and his last days on
earth. He was guarded by men, but
allowed himself to be put on the cross as an ultimate bodyguard to all of
mankind. The fiery dart of the enemy
that wanted to kill him, he shielded from by willingly putting himself on the
cross and refusing to allow his spirit to be taken over by the enemy. He took punishment upon himself – punishment
that was meant for us. Jesus was our
ultimate shield so that we wouldn’t get what we deserved. He saw death aimed at us – and he stepped in
the gap. He left all that he had to come
in to the slums of earth just to rescue us.
He left the kingdom of heaven and all of its glorious riches – and traipsed
through the pits of hell to rescue – and came out victorious. With Jesus living inside us – we are
empowered to do the same. We are
empowered to venture into dark territory to rescue those who need our
help. Imitate the one who gave it all to
rescue you. It’s time to get our hands
dirty, because there is a world out there that is silently dying in your
absence. Open your eyes and see it. Your comfy lifestyle is hindering you from
the reality that there is a broken and dying world out there – and God needs
you to stand up and be strong – go to the nations and save his babies from the
pain and torture they’re experiencing.
Don’t be afraid – he promises to be with you no matter where you go
(Joshua 1:7) If the God of the universe is with you, and Jesus, the ultimate
bodyguard lives within you, what greater empowerment will you need?
God, you are the
Lord of Lords and the King of Kings. In
your righteousness you call us your beloved, your cherished, your
children. Thank you for your peace that
settles deep within us and calls to our spirits. Renew our mindset to the kingdom mindset that
you desire for us to have. Prepare us
for battles that lie ahead of us and make us aware of the real problems facing
us and afflicting your children today.
Remove the veil that has been placed on our heads that blinds us from
the truth that your babies are being hurt and need human protection -
protection that you are calling on me to provide. Bring me revelation to see what your call is
on my life and give me discernment to see where I am called. Provide me with the tools to protect who you
send me to. Remind me until it becomes a
habit to put on my full armor every single day, and remind me of my authority
in your kingdom until it becomes a lifestyle.
Give me the strength to stand up and say yes to your call God, to not be
afraid, to become a defender, a protector, a strong and valiant warrior for
your kingdom. In Jesus name I pray,
Amen.
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