"Self-Defense" is a Sin
A Theonomic Analysis

1. What is Meant by the term "Self-Defense?"
2. What is "sin?"
3. Christian Ethics: "Love your enemy."
4. You are Going to DIE
5. Might as well die a MARTYR
6. There is no such thing as a "random" attack
7. The Word of God is more powerful than your attacker
8. Self-Defense and "National Defense"
9. Objections and Rebuttals

What is meant by the term "Self-Defense?"

Is "self-defense" ever justified? By "self-defense," of course, we do not mean "defense of self," which might include radar around the perimeter of your house, locking your doors, video cameras, electrified fences, tranquilizer darts, a phaser set on "stun," or ordering Scotty to "beam-up" an intruder to the brig of the U.S.S. Enterprise. All of these actions would defend the self and his property, but without killing the intruder. By "self-defense" we mean killing someone who threatens harm to you. By "self-defense" we mean "lethal force."

I am a "pacifist." I've never met a pacifist who said it was wrong to defend yourself against an attacker by locking the door. If your attacker has a sword, no pacifist I know of would say you cannot use a shield.

As a pacifist, I get some heated conversation on social media from those who defend "self-defense" and oppose "pacifism." These people exhibit what I call the "self-defense gestalt." A "gestalt" is an emotional, non-rational, habitual, instinctive, unexamined, non-systematic worldview.

Their position boils down to this:

"If someone is going to murder my wife and kids, I'm going to kill him first."

The emphasis is on kill.
With a "religious" zeal.
Failure to intend to kill -- unflinchingly and without internal mental debate -- is said to be a dereliction of responsible headship of one's family. Emotions run high in these conversations.

No pacifist I know would say it is wrong to try to prevent such a murder of family from taking place. Pacifists oppose violence. They do not support or assist it. The question is whether a Christian has a moral obligation to consider non-violent or non-lethal alternatives to defensive killing -- or in fact is there a moral obligation (as I've heard some say) to kill the attacker without hesitation.

Here's a simple question that will prove you are a "pacifist."

Imagine you are "Star Trek" Captain Kirk of the U.S.S. Enterprise. You are walking down the street of a planet in the Deltoid Galaxy with one of your never-ending stream of beautiful women at your arm, when a large burly alien with the tattoo "I AM A RAPIST" across his forehead jumps out from a dark alley, grabs your female companion and says "I'm going to rape this woman!" You pull out your Phaser™ gun and . . . here's the question:

Do you set the Phaser to "stun" and quickly put the rapist to sleep and call the proper authorities, or do you set your Phaser to "maximum molecular disruption" and utterly obliterate the rapist, ending his life, and dispatching him off to hell?

When given such a choice, only a sociopath would choose annihilation or lethal force. Everyone else is a "pacifist." It's that simple.

No pacifist I know would say you cannot put a crazed rapist/murderer to sleep and prevent a violent attack on a woman.

Non-pacifist lethal "self-defense" is pre-emptive vengeance. Vengeance is a sin. You're mad at the attacker (or "threatener") before he has even attacked. A follower of Christ the executed pacifist must ask further questions. "Why did Jesus send this attacker to me?" "How do I love this attacker?"
 

What is meant by the term "sin?"

What is "sin?"

"Sin" Defined: The violation of God's Commandments:

Westminster Shorter Catechism Question 14
Q: What is sin?
A: Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God.¹

1. 1 John 3:4. Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
   James 4:17. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
   Romans 3:23. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.

"Conformity" is an interesting word. To what should we be conformed?

Romans 8:29
For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
 
Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
 
Philippians 3:10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,
 
Philippians 3:21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.
 
1 Peter 1:14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance;

1 Peter 2:21-24
For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:

²²  “Who committed no sin,
Nor was deceit found in His mouth”;

²³ who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; ²⁴ who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.

It is a sin for a Christian not to respond to an attack as Christ responded to His attackers.

Matthew 26:52
But Jesus said to him, “Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.

 

John 18:36
³⁶ Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.” 

Christian Ethics: "Love your enemy."

Christianity is not the same religion as terrorist Jihad. The teachings of Jesus are unique.

Matthew 5:43-44
⁴³ Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
⁴⁴ But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

"Everybody knows" that Jesus commanded His disciples to be "pacifists." You can sum up basic Christian ethics in a sentence: "Don't Hurt People and Don't Take Their Stuff."

Jesus said ("Thou shalt not kill." Mark 10:19, quoting Exodus 20:13).  John Calvin recognized that

"The sum of this Commandment is, that we should not unjustly do violence to any one. Under the word 'kill' is included by synecdoche all violence, smiting, and aggression."[1]

Jesus also said "Thou shalt not steal," (Matthew 19:18; Exodus 20:13-16; Deuteronomy 5:17-20), meaning, Thou shalt not confiscate someone else's property.

So can we all agree that basic Christian morality includes this:

• "Don't Hurt People and Don't Take Their Stuff"

But Jesus goes further. He says we are not to hurt our enemy. Even if our enemy hurts us first. Consider these commands:

1. Love your enemies (Matthew 5:44)
2. Forgive enemies (Matthew 6:14-15)
3. Bless enemies (Romans 12:14)
4. Pray for enemies (Luke 6:27-28)
5. Give gifts to enemies (Romans 12:20; Matthew 5:42; Luke 6:30)
6. Resist not evil (Matthew 5:39)
7. Turn the other cheek (Matthew 5:39)

Then if someone else decides to hurt you or take your stuff.

10. Exhort your enemy to repent (Matthew 18:15-17)
11. And if this fails to bring repentance, restitution, and reconciliation with your enemy,
• Leave vengeance to God (Romans 12:19-21; quoting Deuteronomy 32:35)

That means that if someone hurts you or takes your stuff, and you seek reconciliation, but you're rebuffed, then you cannot hire a Mafia "hit-man" to take vengeance against your unrepentant enemy.

Most Christians will agree with that.

But here's the kicker:

If someone hurts you or takes your stuff, and you seek reconciliation, but you're rebuffed, then you cannot "vote" for a "representative" to tax your neighbor and build a "military-industrial complex" to take vengeance against your unrepentant enemy.

That claim causes many people to do a double-take. Your Sunday School teacher never put it quite like that.

In other words, if you take Jesus seriously, you will not only be a "pacifist," but you'll be an "anarchist" -- that is, an advocate of no "elected representatives." No "civil government." Jesus said, When the enemy government enslaves you for one mile, Go a second mile (Matthew 5:41). If you take this verse seriously, it means "national defense" is a sin. If Jesus commands you to "Render unto Caesar," that is, to pay taxes to your enemy who invaded your country, slaughtered thousands of your countrymen, and put your country under tribute (an undemocratic occupation government that enslaves and pillages your people), and subject yourselves to their tyranny, going a second mile of conscripted labor, why would you not beat your swords into plowshares?

But nobody takes Jesus that seriously. That's "taking things to an extreme." Well, it's taking things to 100%. We believe in obeying Jesus with 100% of our heart, 100% of our soul, 100% of our mind, and 100% of our strength (Mark 12:30).

The God of the Bible is not a pacifist, but the God of the Bible commands you to be a pacifist.

And me.

And every human being on the planet.

Jesus sacrificed Himself to save His enemies.

The heartfelt desire of every true Christian is the
Regeneration,
Repentance,
Restitution,
Reconciliation, and
Redemption
of "the enemy."
Not the destruction of the enemy.
In short: "Love your enemy." (Matthew 5:43)
"Thou shalt not kill." (Exodus 20:13).
You cannot love your enemy after you kill him.

It is better to be killed than to kill. Jesus chose to be killed rather than to kill. 1 Peter 2:21 commands us to follow "in His steps" at precisely the point where physical violence is unrighteously threatened against us.

"Blessed are the Peacemakers." Matthew 5:9

"Pacifism" is a Biblical worldview. A way of looking at the whole world, and a way of looking at the specific individual with whom you are in conflict.

Here's an example of how to love an "enemy."

Obviously if you saw someone being attacked, and the attacker was ready to plunge a knife into the victim, you would consider the attacker to be your "enemy," just as the victim does.

But suppose the attacker was your son?

Let me try to engage your imagination.

When I was a kid I read a weird book called The Day of St. Anthony's Fire. It's the true account of a small town in France in the 1950's which experienced mass hallucinations and madness. The flour that made the bread for the town had spoiled, and the mold turned into a kind of LSD. Your son is a good kid, and wouldn't intentionally do drugs, and certainly wouldn't stab anyone, but what if your son got some bad bread and went temporarily insane, and thought someone was a dangerous threat, and (since you didn't raise your son to be a crazy pacifist) thought lethal self-defense was justified. Except it wasn't really "self-defense."

Would you depersonalize your son and intentionally shoot to kill?

No, you would try something else. You might yell "STOP, [name of son]!!" at the top of your lungs, just to jolt him out of his pattern of thinking ("pattern interrupt"). Maybe you're in a position to grab the knife or the arm that holds it. But because you LOVE your son, you wouldn't just kill him without second thought.

Many "self-defense" gurus strongly advocate killing without a second thought. But if you're a Christian, you know that's not consistent with what the Bible says about the creation of your attacker in the Image of God, and Christ's work to redeem that person.

You have a moral obligation to engage in creative thinking to LOVE your enemy by preventing the attack without becoming an attacker yourself. You would want everyone to think that way if the attacker were your son.

Jesus requires a second thought.

You Are Going to DIE

God knows the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10). God knew when you would be born and the exact day and time when you would die, before there was even a world for you to step foot on.

The question is not whether you are going to die or not, the question is whether you are going to die as judge and executioner, taking vengeance instead of leaving it to God, or as a martyr, like you are commanded to do.

Martyr? Who, Me?

The English word "martyr" comes from the Greek word μάρτυς. The Greek word means "witness." A witness makes a "testimony" (μαρτυρία).

An attack against you is an attack on God. You are the Image-bearer of God. You are being attacked for the faith. (If you are only being robbed of your property, you should not be contemplating killing the robber. Your stuff is not worth a human life.) Given the opportunity, you should testify to your attacker. Your attacker claims to be an atheist. He claims that there is no God, no Judge. You must refute that claim, with firm prophetic gentleness. You must preach the Gospel. The Word of God in your testimony is more powerful than your attacker.

Are those who champion macho self-defense too embarrassed to witness for Christ? Who is braver: the unarmed witness or the armed killer ready to swat down attackers like flies?

Prudent defense against an attacker is something every pacifist agrees with. But a pacifist also believes in a supernatural offense. The gates of hell will not withstand such an offense.

Christian Store Owner Commands Armed Robber to
Leave in the Name of Jesus - Inspirational Videos

If someone threatens to kill you, you "witness" to him, announcing the good news of the Gospel. "Witness" here includes the demand for repentance from violations of God's Law, including, obviously, the harm being threatened.

Acts 1:8
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Acts 22:20
And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him.

Revelation 2:13
I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.

Revelation 17:6
And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

Revelation 1:9
I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Revelation 6:9
And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held :

Revelation 11:7
And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.

Revelation 12:11
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Revelation 12:17
And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ

Revelation 19:10
And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren that have  the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

Revelation 20:4
And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

John 5:10
He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.

John 7:7
The world cannot hate you; but Me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.

Acts 14:3
Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of his grace,

Acts 26:22
Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come:

1 John 1:2
(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)

1 John 4:14
And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.

An attacker is not a meaningless random event. It is providence. The Bible says "Thou shalt not kill." Where is the Biblical injunction to kill rather than witness?

Proverbs 16:7
When a man's ways please the LORD,
He maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.

You do not know that God has in store. Your job is to obey:

Deuteronomy 29:29
The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.

The Word of God is more powerful than your attacker.

Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Isaiah 55:11
So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

Psalm 119:130
The entrance of Your words gives light;
It gives understanding to the simple.

Jeremiah 23:29
“Is not My word like a fire?” says the Lord,
“And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?

Romans 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,

James 1:18
Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth,

1 Peter 1:23
having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever

Acts 2:37
Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart,

Ephesians 6:17
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;

Revelation 2:16
Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.

Revelation 19:15
Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations.

Isaiah 11:4
But with righteousness He shall judge the poor,
And decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth,
And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.

• A robber says "give me your wallet." Is "deadly force" justified?
  • No. Human life is more important than your wallet.
• You honestly and sincerely believe he MIGHT try to kill you. Is deadly force justified?
  • No. Not Biblically.
  • The power you are using is equivalent to that of capital punishment. Is the death penalty the rightful penalty for contemplating attempted murder? But that's the penalty that you, as judge, would impose on someone you think might try to kill you.
• You are absolutely convinced that the bad guy IS DEFINITELY going to try to kill you. Is deadly force justified?
  • No, same reason as above.
• With clairvoyant accuracy, you KNOW the robber is IS GOING TO SUCCEED in killing you. Is it better to take his life or let him take yours?
  • What did Christ say?
  • Wouldn't it be better if you used an incapacitating, non-lethal force? A tranquilizer gun to put the assailant to sleep? A "phaser" set on stun? Something which would immobilize but not kill? Why not?

This shows that intentional use of lethal force is not necessary nor justified. You can stop an evil act from taking place without killing the evil-doer. I've never met a pacifist who said we should not try to stop evil or defend others; pacifists only oppose using lethal force.

The Christian position is that it is better to be killed than to kill. You should not take someone else's life just to preserve your own.

The Holy Sprit promises that God's Word will not return void.

"When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him" (Proverbs 16:7). 

If the Lord does not do this, then you may become a "martyr," which comes from the Greek word for "witness." There is no evidence in the New Testament that any faithful Christian chose to kill someone in "self-defense" rather than be a martyr. They followed the example of Jesus.

Self-Defense and National Defense

• Swords Into Plowshares
  • approximately 130 links to other pages on war and defense

In the pages above, we criticize the U.S. military machine and the murder of millions of people.

In response, we are usually asked, "what about self-defense?"

The implication of this question is that our "pacifist" position is completely unreasonable, because it would allow evil to triumph.

The concept of "Self-Defense" is always used to justify the existence of "The State," which kills hundreds of millions of people.

Even if there were not other ways to prevent theft or attempted homicide (and there are), how would the concept of "self-defense" justify the concept of "national defense?" 

"National defense" does not arise when a nation threatens another nation, but only after an attack has already been made. Here is the analogy: While on the beach at Waikiki, a burglar breaks into your hotel room and steals your valuables. The hotel video camera identifies the intruder as a resident of the island of Kauai. You bomb Kauai and all its residents. Of course it goes without saying that you didn't "intend" to kill the innocent neighbors of the burglar. This is merely unfortunate "collateral damage."

Of course, if a nation engages in a "first-strike" of the island before the burglar has actually done anything wrong, the offense of "the State" becomes particularly egregious.

"National Defense" usually means "defense of the State" or defense of "the government," Not defense of YOU. YOU are expendable. Since the State is an unlawful entity, killing someone created in the Image of God in order to protect systematic vengeance and rebellion against God is not an ethical option. Christ clearly taught it was better to be occupied and put under tribute than to engage in violent revolution against "the powers that be," or "national defense" against the powers that wanna be.

The movement from "self-defense" to a justification of "the State" is never a logical one.
And yet the movement is a universal one.
Everyone who justifies "self-defense" ends up justifying mass murder by the State.

Earlier thoughts:

• Why I Reject "Self-Defense"
• Self-Defense in Exodus 22?
• Vengeance vs. Self-Defense

The Case for Pacifism

Biblical Theology

Bible Verses on Peace

Biblical Theology

I believe the Bible is a "pacifist manifesto." An anti-war manifesto.

This claim shocks many people, especially atheists who deride the Bible and the God of the Bible as a "violent" and "genocidal" "warmonger."

And it's true: God did command ancient Israel to commit a form of genocide against the Canaanites and other ethnic groups residing in the land God promised to Abraham.

So how can a book that endorses "holy war" be a "pacifist manifesto?"

Just because the Bible reports wars, does not mean the Bible endorses those wars. And while the Bible does endorse the "genocide" of the Canaanites four thousand years ago, any politician who recommends a foreign policy of military genocide in our day today based on those verses does not understand the Bible.

"Holy War" and "Capital Punishment" vs. Jesus -- How to understand Old Testament "Capital Punishment" and Genocide

The Case for Pacifism

The word "pacifism" comes from the Latin word for "peace" -- pax (genitive pacis). It does not come from the word "passive." Indeed, Biblical pacifists are active in overcoming violence, but they overcome evil with good (Romans 12:14-21).

No pacifist I know is opposed to "self-defense," strictly speaking. If someone comes after you with a sword, and you have a  shield, every pacifist I know would approve of you defending yourself against the attacker with your shield. But if your attacker tires, and lies down to take a nap, you cannot use your shield to crack his skull open. "But it's a pre-emptive strike to defend myself against a future attack!" Nope. That kind of "self-defense" is a sin.

People who want to be respected by Presidents, Generals, Political Science Professors, and Defense Industry CEOs claim Jesus was only talking about our "personal" or "spiritual" side of our lives, but His commandments are not to be followed by those who are in positions of public responsibility ("The State"). As a result, since I was born, the government of the United States has killed, crippled, or made homeless TENS of MILLIONS of innocent non-combatant civilians around the world.

People who do not identify themselves as "pacifists" or do not believe that politicians and generals should take Jesus literally, believe that the United States is basically good, and is a force for good and for peace in our world. The prophets of the Old Testament would say that "The United States" is the modern parallel to Babylon or Assyria of old. The U.S. is the enemy of God and humanity.

Believing that "a friend of the world is the enemy of God" (James 4:4), I don't care if I'm respected by the “military-industrial-congressional” complex (as Dwight Eisenhower at one point called it),

How can you love your enemy if you are intentionally killing your enemy "in self-defense?"  Better to be killed than to kill. Better Red than dead.

• These commands are not just for "personal relationships." They apply to governments as well.
• Pay your taxes; don't take up arms against the Red Coats ("Render unto Caesar," Matthew 22:15-22; Mark 12:13-17; Luke 20:20-26).
• When the enemy government enslaves you for one mile, Go a second mile (Matthew 5:41). If you take this verse seriously, it means "national defense" is a sin.
• In short, to follow "in His steps" (1 Peter 2:21), you have a moral obligation to "be subject" (Romans 13) to sinful acts which the defendant/perpetrators have a moral obligation to repent of (cease and desist).

A logically consistent Christian pacifist is also an anarchist, for two reasons: first, a pacifist is against violence, and "the State" is institutionalized, systematic violence; second, Jesus prohibits His followers from being "archists" An "archist" is one who believes he has a right to impose his own will on others. Chiefly, the "archist" imposes his will on others through the machinery of "the State," which includes fines, prisons, torture, executions, armed invasions, and terrorism. The Christian, on the contrary, believes it is always sinful to impose your own will on others by initiating force or threatening violence. (We are to be servants, not "archists." Mark 10:42-45.) I know, that sounds "weird." "Anarchism?" Aren't "anarchists" bad people?

Because it is a pacifist manifesto, the Bible is an Anarchist Manifesto. "The State" is "the Sword." "The State" is a war machine.

During the 20th century alone (1900-1999) Non-pacifists and archists using the machinery of "the State"

• murdered hundreds of millions of people, through "war" against other nations, and by internal police against its own people;

• infringed on God-endowed unalienable rights and enslaved billions of people under "socialism" and "communism," and

• destroyed or confiscated trillions of dollars worth of private property

But opponents of anarchism tell us that if pacifists have their way, and all the men in business suits and military uniforms were to beat their "swords into plowshares" and get a real job, that "evil will take over." But if all the murderers, enslavers, and thieves who run "governments" were to start plowing fields, who are these "evil" people who will "take over the world?" Pathetic meth addicts breaking into your garage to fence your weed-whacker for a couple of dollars of drug money? Really?

"Evil" has already "taken over" the world. It's called "the government."

"Common criminals" will never "take over" the world. The world is ruled by the rich (Proverbs 22:7). The world is ruled by Harvard-educated warmongers.

There will always be criminals -- in a pacifist society, and in a militarist society. But if we reject Jesus' commandments for dealing with evil criminals, then we will be cursed with war and tyranny (see Deuteronomy 28 and Leviticus 26). God supernaturally curses societies that refuse to take Jesus seriously, and yet this supernatural act of providence can be explained "naturally" -- non-pacifists "vote" for tyrants and generals to "protect" them from criminals. They "vote" for their own cursing and judgment.

Here is how the Bible says a pacifist society can respond to criminals.

Here is how the Bible says a pacifist society can prevent a lot of crime from occurring in the first place. (Example: our government prohibits public school teachers from telling students that God says "Thou shalt not steal." Do you think that's going to lower crime or increase it?)

The total social cost of a non-pacifist "government" (including police, courts, prisons, and the military-industrial complex) to "protect" us against criminals (both foreign and domestic) is greater than the total cost to society of criminals. "Government" takes 60% of everything you earn to "protect" you from criminals. (And it doesn't protect you, it only takes punitive vengeance against criminals after you have been damaged, and you pay for the vengeance.) If we abolished the institutionalized violence of non-pacifist "government," your income would be triple what it is today. You would have to pay half of your tax dividend for roads and schools and other "government services" in a competitive free market, where the quality of those services would be much higher than those you receive from socialist bureaucrats. Your discretionary income would double, and most people would tithe a fraction of that windfall profit to schools and rehabilitation programs for the poor (because when they voted to abolish the government, they understood the need to do this. See below.). This would dramatically reduce crime. There would still be some crime, but the cost to society would be much less than the cost to society of maintaining vengeful archist "government."

How Can a Society Beat "Swords into Plowshares" and Abolish "The Government?"

What are the necessary conditions for us to beat "swords into plowshares" (Micah 4:1-5)? At least a plurality -- if not a majority -- of voters would have to become pacifist/anarchists to vote all the politicians and generals out of office. They would most likely come to this point as a result of conversion to Christian pacifism. They will become "the salt of the earth" and a "city upon a hill." "The State" and its military-industrial complex will not be abolished by the criminals which state-educated people think of as "anarchists" -- atheists, criminals, and meth-heads. The typical cartoon "anarchist" character is a caped, bearded, bomb-throwing assassin. The Christian anarchist is a pacifist who takes personal responsibility to become the servant of others. In America, we would need 200 million church-going Christians to repudiate their support for the MIC and stop their cheerleading for war.

Abolition of the State requires massive, society-wide moral elevation. We would have to raise our commitment to obey Jesus in order to abolish the State.

Christian Theocracy: The Only Path to Liberty -- Does Anarchy Lead to Chaos?

The State will not be abolished by so-called "anarchists." It will not be abolished by people who "resist" tyranny. Resistance only feeds the Beast. Resistance only gives the State a raison d'etre and a joie de vivre. The State will go out of business when politicians, bureaucrats, generals, soldiers, and police realize that they are cracking the skulls and burning the flesh of people who are their moral superiors. The State will go out of business when statists repent of their non-pacifism and become followers of Jesus the executed Christ.

"But if we abolish the government and its armies, evil will take over."

That's the standard objection.

But after massive, society-wide conversion and moral elevation, sufficient to abolish the State, who is going to sign up to help "evil take over?" If Germans had been Christian pacifists, who would have run the trains that took the Jews to the concentration camps? Who would have run the concentration camps? Who would have gone door-to-door rounding up Jews? Hitler could not have done it himself. He needed "sensible," "practical," "realistic" Lutherans who didn't buy into all this "Christian pacifist" nonsense. Hitler needed "Christians" who limited Jesus to their "personal," "non-public" lives.

Take Jesus Seriously

If you take Jesus seriously, the unbelieving world (and most church-goers) will say you're "unrealistic," "impractical," and "utopian." They will call you a "pacifist" and an "anarchist." 

• DominionPacifism.com
• TheonomicPacifism.com
• The Christian Case Against "National Defense"
• more links
• verses on peace

The Westminster Larger Catechism elaborates on the implications of the Sixth Commandment, "Thou shalt not kill." It is pretty much a pacifist manifesto. But the Westminster Divines included three excuses for not being a pacifist, and these three exceptions to the rule against killing virtually swallow up the entire rule:

• capital punishment
• war
• self-defense

We cover capital punishment here, war here, and self-defense here and here.

When God says "Thou shalt not kill," it is clear that God abhors killing. Why did God destroy Sodom and Gomorrah? Most Christians know the Biblical answer. Or think they do. Why did God destroy the world at the time of Noah? The Bible says it was because "great men" were committing "violence" (Genesis 6). Who does most of the killing in the world? "The State" -- rich and powerful people -- through war and capital punishment (or other "police actions," like those in Korea and Vietnam). Very few people are killed in "self-defense," and most of those killings are by non-pacifist private citizens who are imitators of state action. "If the government can do it, so can I." They graduated from government-run "public" schools.

To repeat, no pacifist I've ever met is opposed to defending oneself against violence. If you have a shield, and some evil man is approaching you with a sword, no pacifist says you cannot use your shield to defend yourself against his sword. But if he gets tired of hitting his sword on your shield and says, "I need to take a break," you cannot bash his skull open with your shield while he sleeps, even though that would prevent him from resuming his attack after his nap. You can defend yourself by running away. Leave a note and a gift encouraging him to repent. "Thou shalt not kill."

What is called "self-defense" is almost always pure vengeance, and vengeance is prohibited by Scripture.

Capitalism and Pacifism

Capitalism has raised the material standard of living of billions of human beings in the last two centuries. Socialism means tyranny, dark poverty, and mass death.

100% Pure laissez-faire capitalism is anarchism. Some call it "anarcho-capitalism."

Capitalism is economic pacifism.

Capitalism is a social system based on
the rejection of the initiation of force or violence against others.

Under Capitalism, if you want something, you work for it by serving others.
Under Socialism, if you want something, you vote for it, by electing violent thugs to seize what you want from your neighbor.

Capitalism is freedom.
Socialism is tyranny.

Wealth is created under capitalism and becomes more abundant for all.
Wealth is confiscated under socialism, and becomes the property of the State, leading to shortages for all -- except the Party Leaders.

Despite the obvious evil of socialism and the obvious good of capitalism as seen in history over the last 200 years, growing numbers of Americans (and, we assume, church-going Christians) think socialism is a good thing, and capitalism is bad. This is because growing numbers of people are secular humanists who don't understand Christianity.

Capitalism does not require economic planners in Washington D.C. Capitalism is freedom from archists.

Archists represent violence,
capitalists represent peace and prosperity.

As long as everybody is obeying "the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God" (to quote the Declaration of Independence) capitalism raises everyone's standard of living without the involvement of any politicians or bureaucrats. Fundamental economic laws ensure peace and prosperity, just like the law of gravity ensures that objects fall to the ground. Obedience to God's Law means God is King. Capitalism is "The Invisible Hand" of Divine Providence. This is how Christ reigns as Messiah: He wields the "sword of the Lord," which is His Word, which is His Law-Word. Every Word of the Messiah is Law. Christ governs by His Word.

Rushdoony writes:

The Kingdom of God is a Kingdom of peace, not of state-imposed violence. Jesus is the Prince of Peace, the King of Peace, therefore the Ruler of Capitalism.

Bible Verses

(Luke 6:27-28) But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, {28} Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.

(Luke 2:14) Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

(Luke 1:77-79) To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, {78} Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, {79} To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

(Hebrews 12:14) Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

(1 Peter 3:9) Do not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse; but, on the contrary, repay with a blessing. It is for this that you were called--that you might inherit a blessing.

(1 Peter 2:21-23) For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps: {22} Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth: {23} Who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously:

(Romans 12:17-20) Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. {18} If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. {19} Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. {20} Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink:

(Psalm 34:14) Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.

(Psalm 35:20) For they do not speak peace, but they conceive deceitful words against those who are quiet in the land.

(Psalm 37:11) But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

(Psalm 37:37) Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.

(Psalm 72:7) In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.

(Psalm 85:10) Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

(Psalm 119:165) Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.

(Psalm 120:2-7) Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue.{5} Woe is me, {6} My soul hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace. {7} I am for peace: but when I speak, they are for war.

(Psalm 122:6-8) Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. {7} peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces. {8} For my brethren and companions' sakes, I will now say, peace be within thee.

(Proverbs 3:17) The ways of Wisdom are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.

(Proverbs 12:20) Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil: but to the counsellors of peace is joy.

(Proverbs 16:7) When a man's ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.

(Isaiah 9:6-7) For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of peace. {7} Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

(Isaiah 26:12) O LORD, you will ordain peace for us, for indeed, all that we have done, you have done for us.

(Isaiah 32:17-18) And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. {18} And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places;

(Isaiah 48:18) O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:

(Isaiah 48:22) There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked.

(Isaiah 52:7) How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!

(Isaiah 54:13) And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.

(Isaiah 55:12) For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

(Isaiah 57:19) I create the fruit of the lips; peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the LORD; and I will heal him.

(Ephesians 2:14-17) For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; {15} Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; {16} And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: {17} And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.

(Isaiah 59:8) The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace.

(Isaiah 60:17) For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron: I will also make thy officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness.

(Isaiah 66:12) For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream: then shall ye suck, ye shall be borne upon her sides, and be dandled upon her knees.

(Ezekiel 34:25) And I will make with them a covenant of peace

(Ezekiel 37:26) Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.

(Daniel 4:1) Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; peace be multiplied unto you.

(Daniel 6:25) Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; peace be multiplied unto you.

(Nahum 1:15) Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace! O Judah, keep thy solemn feasts, perform thy vows: for the wicked shall no more pass through thee; he is utterly cut off.

(Haggai 2:9) The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts.

(Zechariah 6:13) Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.

(Zechariah 8:16) These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates:

(Zechariah 8:19) Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love the truth and peace.

(Zechariah 9:10) And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth.

(Malachi 2:5-6) My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him for the fear wherewith he feared me, and was afraid before my name. {6} The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity.

(Malachi 2:6) The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity.

(Romans 1:7) To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

(Romans 2:10) But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:

(Romans 3:10-18) As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: {11} There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. {12} They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. {13} Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: {14} Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: {15} Their feet are swift to shed blood: {16} Destruction and misery are in their ways: {17} And the way of peace have they not known: {18} There is no fear of God before their eyes.

(Romans 8:6) For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

(Romans 10:15) And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

(Romans 14:17-19) For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. {18} For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. {19} Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.

(Romans 15:33) Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

(Romans 16:20) And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

(1 Corinthians 1:3) Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

(1 Corinthians 14:33) For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

(2 Corinthians 1:2) Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

(2 Corinthians 10:3-5) For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: {4} (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) {5} Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

(2 Corinthians 13:11) Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.

(Galatians 1:3) Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ,

(Galatians 5:22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

(Galatians 6:16) And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

(Ephesians 1:2) Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

(Ephesians 4:3) Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

(Ephesians 6:15) And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

(Ephesians 6:23) peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

(Philippians 1:2) Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

(Philippians 4:9) Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

(Colossians 1:2) To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

(Colossians 1:20) And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

(Colossians 3:15) And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

(1 Thessalonians 1:1) Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

(1 Thessalonians 5:23) And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

(2 Thessalonians 1:2) Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

(2 Thessalonians 3:16) Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.

(1 Timothy 1:2) Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.

(1 Timothy 2:2) For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

(2 Timothy 1:2) To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

(2 Timothy 2:22) Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

(Titus 1:4) To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.

(Philemon 1:3) Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

(James 3:17-18) But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. {18} And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

(Hebrews 13:20) Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,

(1 Peter 1:2) Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

(1 Peter 3:11) Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.

(1 Peter 5:14) Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen.

(2 Peter 1:2) Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,

(2 Peter 3:14) Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

(2 John 1:3) Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.

(3 John 1:14) But I trust I shall shortly see thee, and we shall speak face to face. Peace be to thee. Our friends salute thee. Greet the friends by name.

(Jude 1:2) Mercy unto you, and peace and love, be multiplied.

(Revelation 1:4) John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;

The Sovereignty of God - Providence

God orchestrates the actions of every human being on the planet.

(Proverbs 16:7) When a man's ways please the LORD, He maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.

• The desire of our Father in Heaven is that every human being, in every nation, of every ethnicity, become a son of Abraham.

We are Now in the Daytime of the New Covenant. In fact, as James Jordan points out, the entire Old Covenant economy could be viewed biblically as being the “night” and the New Covenant as the “day.”

The moon, of course, governs the night (Psalm 136:9; Jeremiah 31:35), and in a sense the entire Old Covenant took place at night. With the rising of the Sun of Righteousness (Malachi 4:2), the “day” of the Lord is at hand (Malachi 4:1), and in a sense the New Covenant takes place in the daytime. As Genesis 1 says over and over, first evening and then morning. In the New Covenant we are no longer under lunar regulation for festival times (Colossians 2:16–17). In that regard, Christ is our light.²

Following this same idea, Zacharias prophesies at the birth of John the Baptist that he would be “the Sunrise from on high” who shall “shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace” (Luke 1:78–79). The light of Christ creates the everlasting day, so that in the New Jerusalem,

the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed; and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it (Rev. 21:23–24; compare Is. 60:19–20).

The New Testament was written in the last days of the Old Covenant. The "night" of the Old Age was passing (Hebrews 8:13), and we are now to live in the Day (Romans 13:11-13; Luke 1:78; Malachi 4:2; Revelation 22:5; 1 John 2:8). Christians who live in the Day do not need to kill. God will hold us to the higher standard.

“And [Jesus] came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both [Jews and Gentiles] have access by one Spirit unto the Father” (Ephesians 2:17-18).
This is the truly “good news” of the Star of Jacob, the Star of Bethlehem, and the King which it announces.
The American Vision: Why a Star?

Deuteronomy 20: A Pacifist Approach

Objections and Rebuttals