Too many denominations and religious groups have been taken over by non-bible-believing people, who are pacifists, and who want to disarm law abiding citizens. On the contrary, the New Testament says to Christians that many of our great "Heros of the Faith" were men-at-arms.

• Heb 11:32 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets,
• Heb 11:33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions,
• Heb 11:34 quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.

What does the Bible say about Christians and weapons?

1. Christians should be in control of their right to own weapons. In Luke 22:36 Jesus commanded His disciples: "If you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one." The disciples were not wealthy men, and their cloaks were very important to them. Therefore we see the urgency and necessity in Christ's mind of His people being armed with weapons. Jesus is saying, "Your cloak is valuable and useful to you, but you MUST have a weapon." Jesus also taught: "When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe" (Luke 11:21). Because Jesus commanded us to buy weapons, gun ownership may be seen as a God-given right. The right to self-defense is inalienable, and may not be taken away by any government.

2. Christians should discipline themselves to actually CARRY weapons when necessary to defend life and limb. A good example of God's people carrying weapons for self defense is Nehemiah 4:11-18:

• Neh 4:11 Also our enemies said, "Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work."
• Neh 4:12 Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, "Wherever you turn, they will attack us."
• Neh 4:13 Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows.
• Neh 4:14 After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, "Don't be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes."
• Neh 4:15 When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to his own work.
• Neh 4:16 From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah
• Neh 4:17 who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other,
• Neh 4:18 and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked.

It is also clear from this passage, and the rest of the Book of Nehemiah, that one benefit of being armed was that they never had to actually USE their weapons. The enemy knew they were armed and ready, so the enemy stayed away. Civil peace comes from strength and preparedness, not from dialogue and wishful thinking.

The Book of Esther provides an example of God's people not only carrying weapons, but using weapons in self-defense:

• Est 8:17 In every province and in every city, wherever the edict of the king went, there was joy and gladness among the Jews, with feasting and celebrating. And many people of other nationalities became Jews because fear of the Jews had seized them.
• Est 9:1 On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, the edict commanded by the king was to be carried out. On this day the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, but now the tables were turned and the Jews got the upper hand over those who hated them.
• Est 9:2 The Jews assembled in their cities in all the provinces of King Xerxes to attack those seeking their destruction. No one could stand against them, because the people of all the other nationalities were afraid of them.
• Est 9:3 And all the nobles of the provinces, the satraps, the governors and the king's administrators helped the Jews, because fear of Mordecai had seized them.
• Est 9:4 Mordecai was prominent in the palace; his reputation spread throughout the provinces, and he became more and more powerful.
• Est 9:5 The Jews struck down all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying them, and they did what they pleased to those who hated them.
• Est 9:6 In the citadel of Susa, the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men.

The wicked Grand Vizier Haman had masterminded the murder of every Jew in the kingdom of Persia, but instead he and his henchmen were killed by the Jews they attacked. This act of self defense was approved by God, and memorialized in the Jewish Feast of Purim, which is still celebrated by the Jews of our time.

3. Christians should personally regulate access to and use of their own weapons. Guns are like power tools. You would not allow your little child to play with a razor blade knife, an electric drill or table saw. To do so would invite injury or death. So you keep your power tools in such a place, and in such a condition, that your little children are not able to use them. Christians are duty bound to use the same care with firearms as they would with power tools. When firearms are not being used they should be rendered inoperative, and locked away. Any Christian who leaves a gun out where a child can find it and play with it is acting with great irresponsibility and sinfulness. Your weapons must either be locked away, or under your personal control. There is no other option. It is also the Christians duty to control his/her weapons in such a way that they are difficult for thieves to find and steal.

4. Christians should restrain and discipline themselves with regard to the use of their firearms. You should take gun safety classes, and memorize all the safety rules. You should read the manual that comes with your gun from cover to cover. You should use your weapon knowledgeably. You should discipline your mind and spirit to insure that you would never use a gun jokingly, carelessly, negligently, criminally or in anger. If your State in which you reside offers a carry permit, you should follow the laws of your State, take the State mandated classes, and get licensed by your State. God wants Christians to be law-abiding citizens.

5. Christians are constrained to keep and bear arms for the sake of creating a society of peace and liberty. Christ has commanded His people to love their neighbors as they love themselves. It is the Christian's duty to not only defend his own life, and the lives of those in his family, but to defend his neighbors' lives, too. We must not only prevent criminals from stealing our things, we must prevent criminals from stealing our neighbors' things. In other words, it is our duty to create a society in which people's individual rights are honored, and in which criminals are punished and deterred. By keeping and bearing arms, we are taking a step in that direction. It is a well documented fact that the cities which have taken guns out of the hands of ordinary law-abiding citizens have the highest crime and murder rates in the United States. Cities and states that defend the Second Amendment rights of citizens enjoy lower crime and murder rates. You should buy, and keep and bear arms for your neighbors' sake, as well as your own.

So, what is the Christian view of gun control? In a sentence, Christians should stay in control of their right to keep and bear arms. This kind of gun control will be good for them, their neighbors, society at large.

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