Gravelbelly Meets South African Sheepdog/Missionary

In South Africa, Charl Van Wyk preaches the Gospel of Christ, wages warfare against the spiritual forces of wickedness in high places, and stands ready to use lethal force to protect those under his care. Oh, and after nine years of knowing about him, last Saturday I met this missionary sheepdog brother face to face in Wyomissing, PA.

In 2008, I blogged about a Reformed Christian Martialist who had stopped a terrorist attack on his church in 1993 (see here). I followed up with another blog several months later (see here), and then just two years ago, I referenced him in a post about the inadvisability of turning churches into gun-free zones (see here).

Last week, God granted me the privilege of chatting with him before and after his lecture "Fighting Demons in Africa, Body and Soul." You can hear his lecture below. It runs over an hour, but it includes teaching 99% of American evangelicals have not and will not hear in their churches

Self Defense Song with Hebrew Flavor

Some years back, my barber sent me the link to this songwriter's channel on youtube. I found this Bible based self defense song and  shared it in another place. It reminds me of a Hebrew folk type song.

After too long a hiatus, I'm bringing it to WARSKYL for your inspiration and enjoyment.

Restraining Orders: Far from Bulletproof

ABC's news headline reads:

Kansas Gunman Issued Restraining Order at Scene of Deadly Shooting Before Killings . . . .

The story underscores the fact that a restraining order represents a judge's declaration on paper. As such, it cannot in and of itself compel compliance. I has no more power to physically restrain someone of violent intent than one of those "Gun Free Zone" signs.

Worse, as Gavin DeBecker has pointed out in his book The Gift of Fear, restraining orders too often precipitate the very violence they assay to prevent. An article by Steve Albrecht in Psychology Today, "Do Domestic Restraining Orders Ever Work?" concurs:

 Restraining orders work really well for good rule followers in general, and for those who fear the consequences of violating the order in particular. Sadly, most dv suspects have already proven they are not good rule followers and don’t always fear the police, arrest, jail, prison, or even death by their own hands or via the police. Someone who says, “If I can’t have you, no one else will,” and means it, is not often deterred by papers, even when they are handed to them through the screen of a patrol car or betwixt the bars at jail. 

If you fear for your safety or that of your family, you need to strongly consider using more than a piece of paper as your first line of defense. The labels at the bottom of this post will take you to some relevant articles.

The Day after Tomorrow Will Be Better

My soul has had her dwelling too long with him who hates peace. I am for peace, but when I speak, they are for war. (Psalm 120:6-7)

Hitler's hate-filled attacks on Czechoslovakia became more frequent and wounding. Something unpleasant was in the air, but the consensus was that it would never become a true danger. It was hard for peaceful, moderate people to grasp the concrete implications of the thoughts and words of a man like Hitler, whose whole outlook was so different from their own. (Zdena Kapral, Tomorrow Will Be Better, p. 43.)

In a previous post, I have quoted Zdena Kapral's book, Tomorrow Will Be Better, which details her family's suffering and surviving WWII in Czechoslovakia. My wife supplied that quote, but since then, I've started to read the book for myself.

It's one of those books such that, if you don't see a multitude of analogies and applications to the present day situation -- and I'm only 50 pages into its 400 plus pages --, you're either a head-in-sand ostrich or just plain clueless. Assuming you're neither hiding from the truth nor blinded by an evil eye (Matthew 6:22-23), let me point out a self-defense application to the quote above.

Pre-WWII Czechs found themselves in the same position that many potential victims of violence face. They were going along minding their own business, pursuing peace, tranquility and prosperity, when suddenly they became aware of a threatening presence.

I have dealt with the types of threats in a series of posts on confrontational types: the true orc; the raging bull; the big deal; the bantam rooster and the psychopath. Appeasement works with only one of these types. (If you don't remember which one, you probably need to review the whole series.)

Which type or types was Hitler? I'll let you decide. In fact, I hope you'll consider this an exercise in discernment and drawing inferences. Once you decide, please share your conclusions in the comments section.

On the Gravity of Taking Human Life

Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man. (Genesis 9:6)

The reason that murder is such a heinous crime is that God made us in His image. Although the murderer strikes out at a creature, he also strikes out at the very image of God. In so doing, he makes his own life forfeit.

Capital punishment is not murder because God sanctions it. The death penalty properly applied does not strike out at God's image, but rather reflects another aspect of His image: justice.

Taking life in self defense is likewise sanctioned by God (Exodus 22:2). The fact that God allows legitimate taking of human life does not in any way diminish the gravity of such an act.

Sometimes, those involved in self defense or various aspects of warrior culture speak lightly of killing. This should not be so among Christian Martialists.

My barber recently sent me a link to a forum discussion on the subject. The first letter is by a woman who had taken a handgun self defense course.

Two things stood out to me:

1. Her realization of the deep responsibility for taking the life of another, even in self defense -- to the point of nausea;
2. Her resolute conviction that it remained the right thing to do.

Much discussion follows, and it is worthwhile to meditate on it in the light of God's teachings on the subject.

Riding the Emotional Waves of Self Defense Training

A Strong Man's House

No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house. (Mark 3:27)

Jesus gave this analogy to refute the Pharisees who claimed that when Christ cast out demons, He was doing it in the power of Satan. In other words, Jesus was pointing out that His life and ministry were diametrically opposed to the devil's agenda.

It's not unusual that the Lord would use this illustration. Defense of one's home against thieves and robbers stands as not only a universal human instinct, but also as a cultural phenomenon rooted in Scripture.

If a thief be found breaking up [i.e., breaking in], and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him. (Exodus 22:2)

I discussed this passage a while ago in "What Does the Bible Say about Self Defense". While the original post gives a brief statement of the passage's teaching, the questions in the comments section really helped me expand and clarify. 

Self Defense and Mercy

Within the last week I have heard two professing Christians advocate dying at the hands of an assailant rather than defending oneself. To opt for death rather than self defense is not [Biblical] mercy.

One of these gentlemen stated that if he should die , he would go to heaven, but if any assailants who died would go straight to hell. The idea is that it shows mercy to keep the other person out of hell.

Let's think about that for a moment in light of Scripture:

That servant, who knew his lord's will, and didn't prepare, nor do what he wanted, will be beaten with many stripes, but he who didn't know, and did things worthy of stripes, will be beaten with few stripes. To whoever much is given, of him will much be required; and to whom much was entrusted, of him more will be asked. (Luk 12:47-48)

Theologians have long associated this passage with the idea that, even for the lost and hellbound, there will be degrees of punishment in eternity. The more sins (and the more egregious the sins) a person commits, the worse it go for him in the judgment.

Now, let's apply this to your assailant. If he kills you, he goes to judgment with your murder plus all the violent acts he commits for the rest of his life. If you kill him, he still goes to hell, but with fewer offenses and with a sentence of "fewer stripes".

I might also query whether one of these gentlemen would be so willing to sacrifice his Christian wife or child (or grandchild) in his mercy to an attacker. After all, if they are Christians, they will go to Heaven, too.

If he would defend his loved ones, then what about his neighbors? How many of them will die at the hands of this orc? How many victims will he send to hell before he goes there himself?

Since the Bible condones self defense, we can be assured that God is more concerned with protection of the victim than the assailant. For the rest of us, I would recommend that we not try to be holier than God.

About Learning (Way off Topic)

Today's post is way off topic -- well, maybe not. It's about learning as opposed to schooling.

As a college student and a teacher in a private, pseudochristian school, I learned that people pay good money for a product they don't really want -- education. Students in general (there are exceptions) like shorter assignments, less reading and easier courses.

As a consequence, (or perhaps it's a causal factor), students tend to orient themselves to the byproducts of their schooling (i.e., diplomas, degrees, certification) rather than the content (learning stuff).

I have concluded that my regular readers are among those few (we happy few!) who keep coming back because they want to learn something about the philosophy & application of Christian Martialism. To that end, I'd like to recommend a great resource.

Gary North has written a series of lessons on how to become an outstanding student. In other words, you can study to become an expert in any field, including the Bible, self defense (or the Bible & self defense), history, political science, or you name it.

Here's the link to the page where you can access those lessons, free of charge:


Two Weeks to Success

Here's how I'm using what I've learned about how to learn from Dr. North's course: I've started a highlights in calculus  course offered by MIT. Well, I'm viewing the course online, because MIT is in the process of putting its whole curriculum online for free.

No credit, no degree. Just the teaching from one of the world's top schools. Here's the link for that, if you're interested:


MIT Open Courseware

Or you could just go back through the posts in this blog & become an expert Christian Martialist. (Granted, Dr. North's course is slanted toward the academic & cognitive, whereas Christian Martialism includes a lot of kinesthetic skills, but if you are my average sharp reader, you will see how to adapt the principles to physical learning, as well.)

Self Defense and Holiness

I have had a little correspondence lately with RPC on the subject of self defense. He sent me a quote & comment that I want every Christian Martialist to read.

The reason is that from childhood you've no doubt been propagandized with the notion that, for the Christian, meekly submitting to violence is somehow holier than defending himself. A lot of this comes from taking Jesus' turn-the-other-cheek comment out of its historical, cultural, moral and legal context.

Here's the quote:

Self-defense against unlawful violence is always legitimate. It is more than legitimate: it is a moral obligation. Our life is not our own; it belongs to God, and therefore as stewards of God's possessions we are under obligation to preserve our own life, and the lives of others, from destruction by criminal violence. The principle that necessary self-defense is legitimate is generally upheld by the civil laws of nations. To claim that the "Golden Rule," or the obligation to love our neighbor, means that it is wrong to kill in an effort at self-defense is to push loving our neighbor to an absurd and fanatical extreme.

The Scripture commands a person to love his neighbor as himself: that is, love for one's neighbor is to be kept in balance with a proper love for oneself. The person who will let himself be murdered by a criminal, without attempting self-defense, loves his neighbor too much, and does not love himself enough. G. Vos. on Westminster Larger Catechism, Question #137.

RPC's comment follows. (Note that our culture is not accustomed to following long sentences, but it will be worth your while to understand exactly what he is saying):

A deeper understanding of the moral law of God as seen in the practical out workings of the case laws of the OT that reflect the Moral Law in action and their practical application in principle always forms a world view that holds in proper balance the application of the general equity of the Law of Liberty. The unity of Scripture found in textually thematic doctrines . . . which can not be separated under the one covenant of grace prevents the error of looking to the Bible as a book of topics--a dangerous error.

In all cases, regardless of the principles employed according to the event at hand, the thoughts and attitudes of the heart come under the double-edged sword of the Word of God. So even self-defense is a situation in which sanctification will take place. (emphasis added)

Designed for Work, Destined for War, 5

Continued from "Designed for Work, Destined for War, 4"

Man's design allows for a broad range of physical and intellectual application. The hands that grasp a hoe, rake or shovel can also grasp a club, spear or firearm. The mind that plans parks, orchards and gardens can also plan strategy and tactics.

I believe humanity's ability to adapt to widely differing aspects of work and war has resulted from the providence of his Creator. God made man as His vice-regent to bring godly rule and order to the world by means of fruitful, fulfilling and purposeful labor.

In order to do this, Adam might have had to fight a dragon. Whether he would have slain the dragon immediately, or the attacks would have persisted over centuries as Adam and his progeny subdued creation, we cannot know.

We do know that our first parents' Fall into sin changed the nature of man with profound effects upon the nature of Nature (Rom. 8:22). Conflicts among men became inevitable.

From whence come wars and fightings among you? Come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war . . . . (Jas 4:1-2)

From the time that "Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him (Gen. 4:8)," it was manifest that, ultimately, war is an expression of rebellion against God and, by extension, against those upon whom God has set His love and grace.

As part of Christ's elect body, Christian Martialists must give thanks to their King for the high calling of placing themselves between the forces of evil and His people. And likewise thank Him for fitting us spiritually, mentally and physically for the task.

Blessed be the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands to war, and my fingers to fight. (Psa 144:1)

For we are workers by design, warriors by destiny.

End of series (for now).

Designed for Work, Destined for War, 4

Continued from "Designed for Work, Destined for War, 3"

How is it that God could design man for the task of taking dominion over the earth, yet expect him to function as a combatant against the dragon, as well? The lies in the fact that God made man to be a generalist.

Honeybees are specialists. They are fitted by the Creator for the task of producing wax combs and filling them with nectar they extract from flowers. They also produce an enzyme that turns the nectar into honey.

Likewise, birds are specialized for building nests, and rabbits for burrowing into the ground. Man, however, is different.

The tools his mind conceives, his hands can fashion and wield. He can hoe a garden, clear brush, fell a tree, build a house, compose and play music, and perform a host of other disparate tasks.

Because God constituted man as a generalist, individual human beings can specialize in whatever area suits them: farming, industry, business, science, technology, etc. This makes the division of labor possible for humans alone among the species.

A canary could not aspire to become an Olympic swimmer. Nor could a goldfish raise a field of turnips.

The secular humanist crowd credits evolution for man's generalist abilities. I don't know which is more incredible to believe, that totally random events produced a) a highly specialized creature like the honeybee or that aimless cause and effect resulted in b) a generalist creature like man, who can perform 10,000's of tasks well.

Those who posit an ultimate irrationality underlying all things demonstrate it personally by uttering such absurdities.

Continued in "Designed for Work, Destined for War, 5"

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Designed for Work, Destined for War, 3

Continued from "Designed for Work, Destined for War, 2"

The Lord not only told Adam & Eve to subdue the earth, He also told Adam to guard the Garden of Eden. Presumably, since Eve was Adam's helper, she was to assist him in this task.

And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. (Gen 2:15)

The word translated dress means, literally, to work. Adam was to work the garden (involving agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, entomology, etc.)

The word translated keep carries the idea of protection. J. Strong explains it thus:

A primitive root; properly to hedge about (as with thorns), that is, guard; generally to protect, attend to, etc.

This role from their Creator involves a security function in that the garden was their home and workplace, but it also involves a priestly function, because it was also the sanctuary where they met with God. One function of the priest is to keep the profane out of the holy place.

This leads naturally to the question, "From what or whom did God expect Adam to protect the garden?" Well, who first trespassed and challenged God's lordship over the garden?

Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? (Gen 3:1)

Adam should have protected the place that served as the center for his home, work and worship by ejecting (or slaying!) the dragon (Rev. 12:9; 20:12). In this he utterly failed, but that was clearly his duty in that circumstance.

Continued in "Designed for Work, Destined for War, 4"

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Designed for Work, Destined for War, 2

Continued from "Designed for Work, Destined for War"

And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it. . . . (Gen 1:28)

The Hebrew word translated subdue in Genesis 1:28 is kabash. The Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (TWOT) explains this term as follows:

Despite recent interpretations of Gen 1:28 which have tried to make "subdue" mean a responsibility for building up, it is obvious from an overall study of the word's usage that this is not so. kabash assumes that the party being subdued is hostile to the subduer, necessitating some sort of coercion if the subduing is to take place.(Vol. I, p. 430)

The TWOT concludes,

Therefore "subdue" in Gen 1:28 implies that creation will not do man's bidding gladly or easily and that man must now bring creation into submission by main strength. (ibid.)

The Hebrew kabash comes from a root that means "to tread down". The Lutheran expositor Leupold observes that it carries the idea of a conqueror putting his foot on the neck of his foe.

God's use of this word, at the very least, lets man know that Adam would find his work a lot more challenging than a walk in the park. But there's a more sinister warning than hinted at in one word.

Continued in "Designed for Work, Destined for War, 3"

Designed for Work, Destined for War

God designed Adam and Eve for dominion. That was His stated purpose before He created them.

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. (Gen 1:26)

The Lord's instruction to them begins,

Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion . . . . (Gen 1:28)

Since our first parents had to subdue the earth, you may infer that it needed subduing. Except for one relatively small part, the world was wilderness. It was good, as God had pronounced it, but it was also wild and untamed.

The Creator did not set them about their assignment without a plan of execution. He gave them a template for their task: a garden.

The Garden of Eden was, no doubt more than a flower bed or a vegetable garden. From what Scripture relates, we can conclude it was part orchard, part park, part botanical garden and part zoological garden.

God designed Adam and Eve for work. He put them together in such a way that fitted them physically and intellectually to tame the wilderness and turn it into garden through productive thought and labor.

The command, "Subdue the earth," sums up the intended work of man, but within it dwelt a foreboding.

Continued in "Designed for Work, Destined for War, 2"

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If you're a regular reader of WARSKYL, you keep coming back because you find something here that you don't find at other self defense and martial arts sites; philosophy and perspective.

I draw my philosophy from a traditional Reformed Protestant interpretation of Scripture. My Biblical worldview embraces all of life, including personal defense.
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Mindset: Ruthlessness

In Principles of Personal Defense, Jeff Cooper addresses the various facets of a survival mindset: alertness, decisiveness, aggressiveness, coolness, speed, ruthlessness and surprise. Today, I want to address the mental attitude of ruthlessness.

It is essential for the Christian Martialist to understand and practice ruthlessness in combat from a Biblical perspective. First, let's consider what ruthlessness does not mean.

From the perspective of God's Law, ruthlessness does not and cannot mean that we forsake Biblical ethical standards. I fully understand that there are a lot of teachers out there -- many with combat experience -- who say that everything you learned in Church goes out the window when you're fighting for your life.

I know I'm bucking the crowd here, but my answer to that assertion is: Not if you've gone to the right kind of church.

Not the tiniest particle of dust, not a single atom in the vastness of the cosmos exists apart from the rule of God in Christ. Further, there is no circumstance of human existence that does not come under His Law, including mortal combat.

In What Does the Bible Say about Self Defense, I have shown that defense of life and property are protected rights under God's Law, up to and including taking the life of the intruder. But this is not the same as saying "anything goes." For example, the context of the passage that protects a householder who, in protecting his home, kills a thief (Exodus 22:2 ff) also says that he may not hunt the thief down and kill him.

Before going any further, I'd like you to take a look at Merriam-Webster's definition of ruthless:

ruthless
Pronunciation: \ˈrüth-ləs also ˈru̇th-\ Function: adjective Date: 14th century
: having no pity

Having no pity. It's short and anything but sweet, but ruthlessness is pitilessness. Does the Bible address pitilessness? Take a look at the mental attitude God requires of His people when they execute someone found guilty of murder:

Thine eye shall not pity him, but thou shalt put away the guilt of innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with thee. (Deu 19:13)

Pity involves "sharing the painful feelings of another" (Merriam-Webster), and the Lord does not want His people identifying with violent predators. This applies to those duly convicted of murder, and -- by extension, in light of Exodus 22 -- to those who assault you or who attack those under your care.

Once the imminent threat is past, however, you are not allowed to kill, torture, maim or disfigure your attacker. If you have gained control over him, you may turn him over to authorities, but you may not exact revenge upon him.

Furthermore, even if you rightfully shoot an attacker, you are not allowed to wantonly spray bystanders with bullets. You are responsible for every projectile that leaves the muzzle of your weapon. That's in harmony with Jeff Cooper's rules of safety as well as with God's Law:

4) Identify your target, and what is behind it. Never shoot at anything that you have not positively identified.

So, you see that while Biblical self defense can involve the extreme of ruthlessly taking human life, it does NOT condone the anything-goes mindset. Observing God's Law is what sets Christian Martialists apart from the orcs.

(By the way, Jeff Cooper's Principles of Personal Defense is the self defense book I recommend if you can have only one (assuming you already have a Bible). It does not include techniques or drills. And although it was written by the premier firearms specialist, the principles apply to unarmed defense, as well.)

Meditation on the Psychology of Battle

After reading "Defeat Your Assailant's Will" and "The Psychology of Combat", do these articles give you an insight into the following passage?

Now when the Philistines heard that the people of Israel had gathered at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the people of Israel heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines. And the people of Israel said to Samuel, "Do not cease to cry out to the LORD our God for us, that he may save us from the hand of the Philistines."

So Samuel took a nursing lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the LORD. And Samuel cried out to the LORD for Israel, and the LORD answered him.

As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to attack Israel. But the LORD thundered with a mighty sound that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion, and they were routed before Israel. And the men of Israel went out from Mizpah and pursued the Philistines and struck them, as far as below Beth-car. (I Samuel 7:7-11)

Here's a passage that not only includes Divinely-provided noise, but also incorporates the maneuver warfare tactic of attacking behind enemy lines:

And the Philistines came up yet again and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim. And when David inquired of the LORD, he said, "You shall not go up; go around to their rear, and come against them opposite the balsam trees. And when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then rouse yourself, for then the LORD has gone out before you to strike down the army of the Philistines."

And David did as the LORD commanded him, and struck down the Philistines from Geba to Gezer. (II Samuel 5:22-25)

It is a marvelous thing that we learn from Scripture not only by precept, but also by Divinely appointed example.

The Right to Keep and Bear Arms, 3

Continued from "The Right to Keep and Bear Arms, 2"

The sixth commandment explicitly sets forth the individual's right to life: Thou shalt not kill (murder). Traditional Protestant interpretation also sees there an implicit responsibility to defend both oneself and others. Witness the Westminster Larger Catechism' s explication:

Q. 134. Which is the sixth commandment?
A. The sixth commandment is, Thou shalt not kill.

Q. 135. What are the duties required in the sixth commandment?
A. The duties required in the sixth commandment are, all careful studies, and lawful endeavors, to preserve the life of ourselves and others by resisting all thoughts and purposes, subduing all passions, and avoiding all occasions, temptations, and practices, which tend to the unjust taking away the life of any; by just defense thereof against violence, patient bearing of the hand of God, quietness of mind, cheerfulness of spirit; a sober use of meat, drink, physic, sleep, labor, and recreations; by charitable thoughts, love, compassion, meekness, gentleness, kindness; peaceable, mild and courteous speeches and behavior; forbearance, readiness to be reconciled, patient bearing and forgiving of injuries, and requiting good for evil; comforting and succoring the distressed, and protecting and defending the innocent. (emphasis added)

Exodus 22:2-4 makes the right to self defense more explicit. I have treated that passage in my post "What Does the Bible Say about Self Defense?" You may want to pay special attention to the questions and answers in the Comments section.

This Biblical understanding of self defense crossed the Atlantic and was considered a given among Congregational and Presbyterian ministers.

As a 1747 sermon in Philadelphia put it: He that suffers his life to be taken from him by one that hath no authority for that purpose, when he might preserve it by defense, incurs the Guilt of self murder since God hath enjoined him to seek the continuance of his life, and Nature itself teaches every creature to defend itself.(The Religious Roots of the American Revolution and the Right to Keep and Bear Arms by David B. Kopel)

The Rev. Simeon Howard reiterated that point in 1773:

The New Testament said that a man who neglects to provide for his family has implicitly denied the faith and is worse than an infidel. “But,” asked Howard, “in what way can a man be more justly chargeable with this neglect, than by suffering himself to be deprived of his life, liberty or property, when he might lawfully have preserved them?” (A Sermon Preached to the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company in Boston quoted in op.cit.)

The argument here is that the Christian has many God-given responsibilities to fulfill, and in order to so so, he must live. It is a dereliction of Christian duty to passively submit to life-threatening violence when one has the power to resist. (Note: Howard's use of the word lawfully probably refers to compliance with God's Law.)

Of course any right to self defense presupposes the means necessary to that end. This leads us to conclude that weapons or arms are a logical corollary to the right of self defense. Rev. Howard wholly embraced that corollary:

A people who would stand fast in their liberty, should furnish themselves with weapons proper for their defense and learn how to use them.(ibid.)

Puritan New Englanders did not leave this principle in the realm of theory alone, but put it into practice:

The meeting houses for church services were fortified buildings where the community could gather if attacked, and where arms and powder were often stored. (The community supplied militia arms to families which could not afford their own.) (op. cit.)

Contrast that image with the one you get from this passage of Scripture where the king of Israel and his son led the people to rise up against their Philistine oppressors:

Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, "Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears:" But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock. Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads. So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan: but with Saul and with Jonathan his son was there found.

Scripture recognizes that an unarmed people is a people in bondage and servitude. And, conversely (or is it inversely?), the civil power that disarms them is tyrannical and oppressive.

There is also a passage in the Bible that relates the tale of a man who fashions his own weapon (very much like a Scottish dirk), conceals it, and uses it to assassinate a tyrant. Read the tale of Ehud:

But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab. But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh.

And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab: and Eglon was a very fat man. And when he had made an end to offer the present, he sent away the people that bare the present. But he himself turned again from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, "I have a secret errand unto thee, O king."

. . . [The king] said, "Keep silence." And all that stood by him went out from him.

And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in a summer parlour, which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, "I have a message from God unto thee." And he arose out of his seat. And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly: And the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly; and the dirt came out. (Judges 3:15-22)

Presumably, Ehud had to make his own dagger because the Moabites, like the later Philistines had disarmed the populace. Further, while it says that God raised up Ehud, there is no record that He specifically spoke to him. It looks as though the Lord providentially raised Ehud up as a martialist sheepdog for His people.

Now, I have not said that you should carry weapons contrary to our society's laws. That would, in most cases expose you to high risk at this point, with a low return. I have just given you principles that I find in the Word, that you need to make up your mind about. At this point, you have to take God's Word, meditate on it, and decide for yourself how to apply it to your life in the context of today's society.

The Christian Martialist & Providence

Although US civil authority has historically treated the indigenous -- not native (native simply means born here) -- population abominably, the following story makes a valid point:

In the days of the American frontier, there was an itinerant preacher who believed in God's governing providence in the affairs of men. He particularly liked to apply this doctrine in his evangelistic sermons. "God has determined your time to die, and when your time comes, it comes, so you'd best be prepared to meet Him," he'd say.

One day, a somewhat cynical hearer approached the minister and posed a question. "Preacher, I've heard you say many times that 'when your time comes, it comes.'"

"Yes, that's so," replied the preacher.

"Well, if that's so," went on the man, "why do you always ride with a rifle slung across your saddle?"

Without hesitation the preacher replied, "Why, that's just in case I meet some Indians whose time has come."

The point is that God's providence works through secondary means, and that includes the unviolated free will of men (it's a paradox; accept it). From one second to the next, you retain life because of His providence. But you must never presume upon providence by lack of preparation or training.

Do you have that firmly in mind? I hope so, because this video may blow away all your confidence and cause you to ask, "What chance do I have?" Here, thanks to dlr, is the link:

Sparrow Hitman

Some say, "Do the best you can & leave the rest in God's hands." It's better to say, "Be the best you can and leave it ALL in God's hands."

Now, I'd like to hear your reactions, observations & ideas. Please comment.

WARSKYL Conference

This is the first official announcement that a WARSKYL conference is in the works. I have not settled on a final date as yet with the folks who are hosting the event. Right now they are busy preparing for a shooting match to be held at their place this weekend (young children will be able to watch the shooting from the host's living room window -- so cool!).

The conference is to be held in the vicinity of Peoria, Illinois, America's heartland. The theme of the conference will be: Understanding and Responding to Personal Violent Attack. It will include, among other things, Biblical insights into the psychology of violence, the Biblical rationale for self-defense, the anatomy of an assault, avoiding violence and some hands-on training for when violence is unavoidable. I've touched on some of these things here at the WARSKYL blog, but at the conference it will be presented in a systematic way and will include new material I haven't addressed here.

The best reason to come, however, is not to learn philosophy, mindset, tactics and techniques of self defense from some old fat guy. It will present an opportunity to get together with people like yourself. You will meet other Christian Martialist sheepdogs and from the first moment and forever after, you will know you're not the only one.

More details will be forthcoming, but right now the plan (if the Lord will) is to hold the conference some time this summer or early fall. It will depend largely on the host, as an event such as this requires a lot of planning and preparation.

I would be honored to meet you there as one of God's

Men in training for the King and by the Book.

(Shieldmaidens as well as warriors will be welcome.)