Transcription
If your pastor isn't armed or at least doesn't have armed people in the congregation, to me that's not faith, that's negligence. And before you get uncomfortable, let me show you why I think the Bible actually agrees with this.
"Are you strapped right now?"
"Did you go through the metal detector?"
"You just asked me, Bishop."
"No, I don't."
"I'm going to tell you the truth. It's not a game, but we live in America."
"Okay. And we have an amendment."
"Quote the Bible to the asalent."
"Okay. Okay. I'll quote the Bible. Quote to the asalent."
"I quote the Bible to the asalent."
"Yeah."
"In Luke 22 or 38."
"Uhhuh."
"Okay."
"Which what chapter?"
"228."
"Verse 38."
"Yeah."
"When Jesus was getting ready to leave the garden of Gethsemane."
"Yes."
"He says, 'Peter, do you have your swords with you?'"
"Yes."
"Peter said, 'I have two of them.'"
"Jesus said, 'That's enough. Let's roll, big homie.'" He and it's in Luke 22:38 to let you know you can carry a 22 and a 38. So why..."
"I just carry a nine though."
All right, let's get something straight right up front. Nothing that pastor said, at least I don't think was unbiblical. People hear pastor with a gun and immediately assume it conflicts with Jesus's teachings, like Christ was advocating some kind of soft, passive, eyes-closed approach to evil. I don't really think that's scripture.
In Luke 22, Jesus reminds his disciples, "When I sent you without purse, bag, or sandals, did you lack anything?" They respond, "Nothing." Then he says, "But now let the one who has a money bag take it. And if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one." That's not a metaphor. That's preparation. And when the disciples say, "Lord, here are two swords." Jesus responds, "It is enough." Not, "Why do you have those? Not get rid of them, just that'll do." And later, when one of those swords is used offensively, Jesus immediately stops it. "No more of this." Notice the correction. He doesn't condemn being armed. He condemns misuse. That distinction matters.
Faith doesn't require pretending dangers don't exist. Faith requires understanding the world as it is and preparing responsibly without becoming the evil you're guarding against. No matter what you believe, who you pray to, or how you worship, in reality, you are still your own first responder. That's what "I Am The Militia" is about. This country was founded with a Christian moral framework. And even then, the founders understood something crucial: that the people are the militia, not the government, not someone who might show up later, the people. That's why the Second Amendment doesn't grant permission. It recognizes a right.
So, if you believe in personal responsibility, self-defense, and the idea that your life is worth protecting, check out the "I Am The Militia" line that I have at shop.mmrcolonthewar.com. We have them in shirts, we have them in hats, we have them in hoodies, drinkware, you name it. I'll put a link in the description for you to go and check them out.
I am a Christian. Admittedly, not a very good one, but I am a Christian. My mom, on the other hand, is what I like to call a super Christian. If you can't find her, she's in church. I remember when I gave my mom a gun. She looked at me and said, "I don't want that. I have Jesus." And me, in typical fashion, I said, "Yeah, Jesus gave you a son to give you a gun." She laughed, then she took the gun.
And I say all that to say this. I'm no biblical scholar. I don't pretend to be. But I never understood this insistence from some Christians that faith requires being an unrelenting pacifist. I know the Bible talks about turning the other cheek. I get that. But I don't really think that was ever meant to translate to becoming a complete doormat for anyone who wants to harm you.
The Bible is filled with stories that on the surface almost sound like fairy tales or fantasies, depending who you are. But when you actually read them, they're rooted in the fundamental principles of reality: danger, evil, responsibility, and consequences. David killed Goliath with a slingshot and a rock. That wasn't symbolic. That wasn't metaphorical. That was a real threat being stopped with the tool available at the time.
Then you've got Exodus 22:2-3, which says, "If a thief is caught breaking in at night and is struck a fatal blow, the defender is not guilty of bloodshed." That passage doesn't celebrate violence. It recognizes uncertainty. It recognizes danger. It recognizes that when someone forcibly enters your space at night, you don't know their intent and you're allowed to protect yourself.
Then in Luke 22, Jesus straight up tells his disciples, "When I sent you out with a purse, bag, or sandals, did you lack anything?" The answer, they said, "No, nothing." Then he pivots. "But now let the one who has a money bag take it. And if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one." That is not poetic language. That is logistics. Jesus is acknowledging that danger is coming and preparation matters.
And here's the part people always skip. When a sword is later used offensively, Jesus immediately stops it and says, "No more of this." He doesn't say, "Why did you have a sword?" He doesn't say, "This should have never been here." He says, "This is not what it's for." The lesson isn't pacifism. The lesson is restraint. Jesus draws a clear line between being prepared to defend yourself and using force to advance violence. Carrying a weapon for protection isn't a rejection of his teachings. Abusing it is.
Unfortunately, I think a lot of Christians, including my own mom at one point, have fallen victim to the subtle and not-so-subtle political messaging around guns. Instead of vilifying behavior the way Jesus does in Luke 22, modern political media vilifies the object itself, and somehow mere possession gets treated like a moral failing, almost like a sin. And a lot of Christians have bought into that.
A pastor carrying a gun should be a no-brainer, as far as I'm concerned. I'll admit it. A small part of me judges a pastor who isn't armed or doesn't have armed people in a congregation because a little voice in my head goes, "You're supposed to be the leader. You're supposed to be protecting your flock, and you're leaving them defenseless in a world full of wolves."
Ironically, one of my favorite passages and one my mom used to leave me with all the time explains this perfectly. Matthew 10:16: "Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore, be wise as serpents and innocent as doves." Jesus settles the naive pacifist argument right there, as far as I'm concerned. He doesn't say pretend wolves don't exist. He doesn't say close your eyes and hope reality plays nice. He acknowledges predators, wolves, and then commands wisdom.
"Innocent as doves" speaks to moral intent. Don't become evil. But "wise as serpents" is about understanding how evil actually operates. Carrying a gun for self-defense fits that second half perfectly. You don't have to be a criminal to understand criminals. You don't have to be violent to prepare for violence. Wisdom isn't pretending the world is safe. Wisdom is recognizing danger and being ready for it without becoming it.
One thing's for certain and two things are for sure. Politicians and tech giants don't want gun content to be recommended to you. And we're all fighting this culture war together. Now, you can help do your part by liking, commenting, subscribing to the channel, but most importantly, sharing this video with at least one person. Together, we can stop the suppression of our two-way rights. And don't forget to click the link in the description section of this video for the products that I mentioned in this.