Guns or Angels

I find it hard to understand the obsession that Americans Christians have with guns. The nation seems to be under a strange corporate mental and spiritual stronghold.

I have never owned a gun. I have never fired a gun. In my 65 years, I have never been in a situation where I have needed a gun. If I had stayed on the farm I grew up on, I would have needed a gun to kill sick animals or old dogs, and to get rid of pests like rabbits, but not for killing people. But I moved to the city, where I do not need one.

The police on the streets of New Zealand do not carry guns. Yet it is safer here than in the United States.

Plenty of people here own guns. They use them for hunting and various forms of competition, but they do not seem to be an obsession.

If this nation is attacked, we will defend ourselves. The risk is not very high at the moment. The greatest risk to peace seems to be cowboys like George and Obama wandering round the world with their six guns looking for someone to shoot.

An invasion by an invading army is not the worst thing that can happen for Christians. If a Christian is killed, they go straight to glory, which is good. The church can survive a persecuting invader. The church grew rapidly under the ruthless Roman government. The fastest growth of the church ever was in China under a harsh communist government.

Persecution is not nice, but it does not stop the Holy Spirit from working. Jesus confirmed this when he said,

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell (Matt 10:28).

The modern world has this the wrong way round. We fear those who can kill our bodies, but do not rear those in can destroy our soul and body. American Christians are passionate about their guns and marines, but they are strangely ignorant about spiritual protection.

The greatest threat to New Zealand is not an invading army. It is the spiritual forces of evil that are seeking to make their home here. We have cast off restraint, which has left evil unrestrained and constrained God’s ability to protect us. As our culture become more and more secular, they have more and more and freedom to inflict their evil on us. Strong spiritual protection will be absolutely critical in the next season.

The same is true in the United States. A great host of evil spirits are making their home there. They are experts on political and military empire. They are skilled in death and destruction. Guns will be useless against them. If American Christians could see into the spiritual realms, like Elisha’s servant, they would be shocked at the forces arrayed against them. They would stop worrying about guns, and be seeking to learn about protection from the spiritual forces of evil.

As society becomes more secular, the need for Christians to be spiritually alert increases. Unfortunately, we have compromised with the secular world view, and are unprepared for a season when the spiritual warfare will be extremely intense.

Many American Christians are more familiar with their guns than they are with angels. When under attack, whether physical or spiritual, I would sooner have and angel close by than a gun.