Some Thoughts For Men About “Gun” Free Zones and “Sword” Free Zones

“If you do not have a sword, sell your cloak and go buy one.” Luke 22:36b

We are all too familiar with the numbers of people being killed and/or wounded in what have come to be identified as soft targets and universally characterized by being “gun free” zones. These lethal zones have included such diverse sites as military bases, public schools, movie theaters, post offices, churches, night clubs, synagogues and a Wal-Mart in Texas.

These examples, occurring in the “natural realm”, are carried out with the use of what Paul referred to as “carnal” weapons. The mayhem, a manifestation of evil, is only ended when the shooter runs out of ammo or someone shows up wielding a carnal weapon and neutralizes the threat. Recently I was speaking at a conference on the spiritual warrior and mentioned the analogy between “gun free zones and sword free zones. The concept seemed to resonate seemed to resonate immediately!

Many Christian men do not “pack” the “mighty” spiritual weaponry Paul spoke of. When evil is encountered, such as sickness, temptation, a relationship crisis, etc., the absence of a skilled swordsman, to challenge and engage the darkness, places the Christian man and others in spiritual jeopardy. Sadly, these precious men, many all alone, passively succumb to the threat and continue to live defeated lives.

Jesus gave us numerous models to follow in various situations and they invariably include the wielding of our sword, the Word, by speaking Truth into the situation. I believe the master model is the scenario in Matthew 4 and Luke 4 where Jesus confronts the devil himself and quickly dispatches his lies, his temptations, and then the devil himself with three scriptures from Deuteronomy… “IT IS WRITTEN”. In similar fashion, two jabs and a round house kick from Chuck Norris, as Walker Texas Ranger, dispatches the “bad guys”. Then there is the well-known scenario with the Centurion in Matthew 8 and Luke 7 where the Centurion confidently says to Jesus, “just send the Word” to heal his servant.

The Centurion dramatically reveals the symbiotic relationship between the natural realm and the spiritual realm when he declares, “I am a man under authority”. The Centurion then simply explained that he was packin’ in his realm and Jesus was packin’ in His realm. Most importantly the Centurion understood these two realms were governed by principles. Many of the same principles apply in both these distinct but interdependent realms. As Paul points out, our weapons are not carnal, however they are powerful…and, when wielded by a spiritual warrior, can “demolish spiritual strongholds.”

The use of any weapon, such as our sword, the Word, is an acquired skill and therefore is a perishable skill, requiring practice and discipline to become effective. Accordingly, this explains much of the anemic response of many Christian men to evil…no discipleship. Bad guys with guns are often stopped by good guys with guns, who have been disciplined and trained specifically for appropriate responses. Again, “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but do require familiarity training and operational use to gain proficiency. Jesus gave us the command to “make disciples” out of love, so we could live in Victory!

Sun Tzu gives us great counsel on the subject: “The art of war teaches us to rely not on the likelihood of the enemy’s not coming, but on our own readiness to receive him; not on the chance of his not attacking but rather on the fact that we have made our position unassailable.” This “unassailable” position is on “the Rock”…remember the hymn, “On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand?”

Peter gives us the same counsel to “Be alert and on guard. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” Paul also tells us, “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.” Advice for the Christian Man…Train Hard…Be Packin’

Barney Barnes, Warrior Spirit, 08-06-2019