SUFFERING and SELF-DEFENCE

in TRIBULATIONS/AFFLICTIONS
By Very Rev. Dr. Ifechukwu U. Ibeme
Websites: http://www.scribd.com/ifeogo ; http://priscaquila.6te.net ;

The Greek word θλίψις (THLIPSIS) translated as TRIBULATION (10x) or AFFLICTION (15x)
in the KJV Bible means ANY STRESSFUL CONDITION WHICH SUBJECTS HUMANS TO ANY
FORM OF SUFFERING such as: deprivation, dispossession, disaster, dangers, distress,
death, persecution, pestilence, peril, prison, torching, torture, temptations, trials,
vilification and violence (Rom 8:35; 2Cor 11:23-27). TRIBULATION/AFFLICTION includes
all trouble of every form, eg:
- Persecution to harass and oppress believers.
- Plague (pestilence, sword, famine, disaster) to chasten/discipline, or
restrain/distress or remonstrate/judge a society or a people.
- Trial or Test to prove faithfulness of believers.
- Temptation to push people into sin.

Christ said, “In the world you shall have tribulation…” (John 16:33) and the Apostles
said, “We must through much tribulation enter the Kingdom…” (Act 14:22). Therefore,
tribulations/afflictions are inevitable part of life as Citizens and Faith as Christians in an
evil, crooked and g world. It is also important and comforting to know that tribulations
that come to Christians also come to all other people in their own different ways (1Cor
10:13).

What is "PERSECUTION" according to the

Scriptures?
Webster defines PERSECUTION as the act or practice of pursuing someone with hostility,
enmity or vengeance; the infliction of pain, punishment or death upon others unjustly,
particularly for adhering to a religious creed.

The NT Scriptures uses PERSECUTION (Grk= διώκω "DIŌKŌ" or Grk= διωγμός

"DIŌGMOS") in various helpfully descriptive contexts and instances e.g...

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Matt 5:11
Blessed are you, when men shall revile you, and PERSECUTE you, and shall say all
manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

Mat 23:34
Therefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of
them you shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall you scourge in your synagogues,
and PERSECUTE them from city to city:

Luk 21:12
But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and PERSECUTE you, delivering
you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for
my name's sake.

Joh 5:16
And therefore did the Jews PERSECUTE Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had
done these things on the sabbath day.

Act 22:4
And I PERSECUTED this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both
men and women.

Act 26:11
And I punished them often in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and
being exceedingly mad against them, I PERSECUTED them even unto foreign cities.

Persecution is a peculiar form of Tribulation/Affliction which Christians are often

specifically singled out to suffer alone at the hands of others. The Apostles suffered
arrest, mob attack, false accusation, unjust sentence, imprisonment, beating, bans and
threats, stoning and death (Act 4:1-21; 5:17-42; 6:8-15; 7:54-60; 8:1-4; 12:1-6; 14:8-20;
16:16-24). So, Christians should be ready for persecution which comes in many forms
such as:
- disruption of ACTIVITIES,
- denunciation of MESSAGE,
- deprivation of RIGHTS,
- denial of FREEDOM,

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- defamation of REPUTATION,
- destruction of PROPERTY,
- exiling from RESIDENCE,
- excruciation of the BODY,
- extermination of LIFE.

In 2Corinthins Chapters 6 and 11, the Apostle Paul mentioned various forms and
severities of PERSECUTION and other forms of TRIBULATIONS he suffered during his
Apostolic ministry. Every true Christian should be acquainted with such and be prepared
for any or all of these in the cause of our Christian life and ministry!

2Corinthians 6:3-10
(3) We do not want anyone to find fault with our work, so we try not to put obstacles in
anyone's way.
(4) Instead, in everything we do we show that we are God's servants by patiently
enduring troubles, hardships, and difficulties.
(5) We have been beaten, jailed, and mobbed; we have been overworked and have
gone without sleep or food.
(6) By our purity, knowledge, patience, and kindness we have shown ourselves to
be God's servants---by the Holy Spirit, by our true love,
(7) by our message of truth, and by the power of God. We have righteousness as
our weapon, both to attack and to defend ourselves.
(8) We are honored and disgraced; we are insulted and praised. We are treated
as liars, yet we speak the truth;
(9) as unknown, yet we are known by all; as though we were dead, but, as you
see, we live on. Although punished, we are not killed;
(10) although saddened, we are always glad; we seem poor, but we make many
people rich; we seem to have nothing, yet we really possess everything.

2Corinthians 11:23-29
(23) …. I have been in prison more times, I have been whipped much more, and I have
been near death more often.
(24) Five times I was given the thirty-nine lashes by the Jews;
(25) three times I was whipped by the Romans; and once I was stoned.
I have been in three shipwrecks, and once I spent twenty-four hours in the water.
(26) In my many travels I have been in danger from floods and from robbers, in
danger from my own people and from Gentiles; there have been dangers in the
cities, dangers in the wilds, dangers on the high seas, and dangers from false
friends.

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 (27) There has been work and toil; often I have gone without sleep; I have been
hungry and thirsty; I have often been without enough food, shelter, or clothing.
(28) And not to mention other things, every day I am under the pressure of my
concern for all the churches.
(29) When someone is weak, then I feel weak too; when someone is led into sin, I
am filled with distress.

In other words, forms of Tribulation/Affliction we may have to suffer could be classified

as: Legitimate persecution for the Gospel, Illegitimate infraction, Criminal brigandage,
Difficulties/Dangers of life, Natural disaster/disease, Spiritual danger, and
Harmful/Deadly violence. Our responses to any of these vary with the merit of each case
or category and with the leading of the Spirit at a particular time.

Why do Christians suffer Persecution?

The impenitent world persecutes the Church because depraved darkness ruling them
makes them not to want the light of the saving Gospel Truth to spread.
The spread of the Gospel provokes the unbelieving world to feel:
 discredited and threatened (Act 5:26-28),
 challenged and jealous (Act 13:45; 17:5), and
 angry and bloodthirsty (Act 5:17-18, 33; 7:54-60).
The spread of the Gospel makes persecutors to anxiously seek ways of suppressing the
Faith in order to protect their:
 interests in maintaining control over affairs (Act 4:15-18),
 interests in perpetuating crookedness (1Pet 2:12; 3:16),
 interests in making economic profit (Act 19:23-29), and
 interests in living their immoral and godless lives (1Pet 4:4).

Persecutors often justify their wickedness on the basis of erroneous of divinities or

pretentious defence of legalities (John 9:22; 16:1-3).
Persecutors exploit such evil means as framed accusation (Act 6:10-14), unjust
marginalization, mob action, violent attack, abuse of law and abuse of power.

It is important to note that Tribulation is not only about the world troubling the saints
by persecution, but also the LORD troubling the world by plagues and afflictions.
2 Thessalonians 1:6

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“Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble
you”

Christian RESPONSES to TRIBULATION/AFFLICTION

Suffering and Self-defence for our spiritual FAITH and our temporal RIGHTS should never
be lumped together as is often naively done when discussing response to tribulations in
Christian circles. This uncategorized all-or-none and one-only approach is narrow-
minded and hastily muddles up issues.

Church members have DUAL HERITAGE of responsibilities, relevancies and rights, not
only to endure persecution as CHRISTIANS in the Faith, but also to resist
extermination as CITIZENS in the State. It is therefore good to know that God has set
up the Faith and the State to serve different specifically categorized SPIRITUAL and
TEMPORAL purposes in our lives.
 Through the Faith we contend to CONVERT by the spiritual weapon of the
persuasive WORD for the Church or Congregation against Demonic Temptations
to defend our FAITH and conviction in the Divine Truth and Tenets (Rom 12;
1Tim 3; 2Cor 10:3-6). This is peculiar to CHRISTIANS ALONE which should be
well studied understood by the Church.
 Through the State we contend to CONQUER by the temporal weapon of the
punitive SWORD for the Country or Community against Human Troubles to
defend our RIGHT and commonwealth of Territories, Treasures, Traditions,
Trends and Tendencies (Rom 13; 1Tim 2; Rev 19:19-21). This pertains to
CHRISTIANS AND NON-CHRISTIANS ALSO which are well legislated in the State.

NOTE: The Christian should not be lopsided, but be well grounded in matters of both
the Secular State and the Sacred Faith to know how and when one should engage by
either or both divine institutions of the Faith and the State. The snag is that when
Christians are under pressure of danger, many of us seek to ONLY understand and
dash for the State’s temporal operations of self-defence which is SECONDARY, but
very few of us bother to ALSO understand and devote to the Faith’s spiritual
operations of suffering which is PRIMARY. In the same vein, many Christians under the
pressure of their dire needs, only seek after the secondary power for signs and
prosperity, while few also seek after the primary power for sanctity and purity!

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 “It is pertinent to notice the difference and relationship between biblical pattern
for leadership in the Church and biblical pattern for leadership in the State:
IN THE Christian CHURCH, the emphasis is on God’s redemption by His
Word, justification and mercy granted through the Suffering Messiah; on
humanity’s inner spirituality and hearts, conscience and sin dealt with by
remission, persuasion and faith, administered by ministerial leaders and
pastors (Rom 12; 1Tim 3).
IN THE pluralistic STATE, the emphasis is on God’s restraint by the sword,
justice and wrath guarded under the Sovereign Messiah; on humanity’s
outer temporalities and goods, civility and crime dealt with by retribution,
enforcement and fear, administered by magisterial leaders and princes
(Rom 13; 1Tim 2).”

“That is why civil authorities (especially the Christians amongst them)

could be approached or appealed to by the Church for their “God ordained
sword bearing for vengeance and wrath” to discipline lawless criminals,
transgressors and conquer aggressors that would require fines, forfeiture,
incarceration, corporal and capital punishments. This is why civil
authorities have officers for legislative, judicial (tort and crime), security,
enforcement, jail and military services to execute justice, vengeance and
wrath as ordained by God (Rom 13). Though the Church needs
adjudicatory structure for resolving internal tort conflicts, she does not
need enforcement, jail and military officers, nor has she the
responsibility for criminal justice, forfeiture, incarceration, corporal and
capital punishments. It is therefore the divinely bounden duty of the
Christian to fulfil their civic duties: to be peaceable and law abiding, to
pray for and respect civil authorities as well as pay taxes to sustain the
State (Rom 13:4-7; 1Tim 2:1-4; Tit 3:1-2; 2Pet 2:13-17).”

For good conscience toward God and good citizenship in the community, the Church
should not be subversive against the State but rather faithfully witness, serve and even
willingly suffer to salt, wisely light and leaven the State to bring peace and righteousness
(Mat 5:9-16; 13:33; Eph 5:13-17) and duly appeal to the State for the benefit of its good
services (Act 25:10). Nor should the State legislate over spiritualities or against the
Church but rather seek conscience (Luke 3:10-20), cooperation and intercession (1Tim
2:1-4) from the Church as well as ensure temporal provision and protection for the
Church (Act 18:12-17; 21:27-40; 22-26).

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Therefore, it is more scriptural and discrete to examine issues by thinking in categories,
with each context approached according to its distinct merit. Even though the Holy
Spirit leads the believer in facing any form of tribulation/affliction, it is helpful to know
what possible options in the Scriptures and the society which are available to and
acceptable for the believer. Again, we must realize the distinct realities that we may
suffer tribulations/afflictions in this life not only as Christians for our faith but also as
Citizens for our rights, and not only as Church Congregations but also as State
Communities. So, our responses are not only spiritually for the Church but also
temporally for the Country.

Since persecution for our Faith is only a special aspect of tribulation/affliction that is
brough on to Christians by non-Christians, it then means that not all
tribulations/afflictions are actual persecutions, but again not all persecutions are
legitimate to deserve acquiescence without redress. Apart from what is truly a
persecution, other forms of tribulations/afflictions require various forms of due redress,
mitigation and defence both by the Church and their affected Ccommunities.

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More often than not we fail to recognize that the need and duty for response to
Tribulation/Afflictions should not be conceived or perceived as if it is limited to
Christians alone. Even persecution specifically directed against Christians breeds
insecurity and suffering that collaterally affects the whole community or society made
up of both Christians and non-Christians alike. Therefore, it is not proper to always think
that the responsibility to mobilize defence for life and property against criminal
brigandage and hostile infractions during persecution should belong to Church Pastors
alone. Rather, in any event when the LARGER State security apparatus fails to secure
life and property or ensure law and order in any locality in the nation/country, the main
responsibility for LOCAL community defence, civil defence or vigilante actually belongs
to all leaders and citizens (Christian and non-Christian) in our families, neighbourhoods,
communities, villages, clans, tribes, localities or cities.

The believer’s PRIMARY response options in tribulation/affliction as CHRISTIANS are

always SPIRITUAL, such as ensures prayerful faithfulness and purity of faith toward God,
as well as seeks peace with and pardon toward the enemies of the Faith, especially
when the tribulation/affliction is specifically and truly a persecution for our Faith (Mat
5:10-12; Luk 6:22-23; 1Pet 4:12-19).

However, when tribulation is not specifically limited to persecution of the believers

against their Faith, but genocidally endangers the wider preservation rights of citizens or
survival of communities and ethnicities, then various TEMPORAL forms of duly
legitimate redress, mitigation and defence become expedient civil responsibility as
CITIZENS for the rights, security and survival of the society. Such duly defensive and
survival options against homicidal or genocidal extermination include various forms of
legitimate SECONDARY redress and resistance options without excluding armed
defence (which Christ indicated in Luk 22:35-38) as a possible but only the last option
(Luk 22:49-51).

1. AGAINST LEGITIMATE PERSECUTORS, pray always to be ready with spiritual

assurance to suffer cheerfully with no offence (like the Apostles Act 4:23-25; 2Cor 6:3-
10, and Stephen Act 7:54-60) but
(a). either suffer victoriously and of good cheer (as Paul did in Act 16:16-40),
(b). or if possible –
(i). pray and strategize for favour to obtain legitimate counter defence (as Esther
and Paul did in Est 9; Act 18:9-18).

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 (ii). seek to escape to where you still make Christ known (as Christ taught in Matt
10:21-23 and the Apostolic Church did in Act 8:1-5; 9:23-25; 11:19-21),

2. AGAINST LEGAL STATE ENFORCEMENT,

(a). there is usually no way for self-defence or armed struggle/resistance (as Christ
cautioned Peter in Mat 26:51-54; and the Church in Rev 13:9-11),
(a). but there may be ways
(i). for apologetic advocacy for the Gospel (as Peter, Stephen and Paul did in Act
4:5-22; 7:1-53; 22:1-30; 23:1-11; 24:1-27; 1Pet 3:14-17),
(ii). for strategic undercover favours (as with Paul in Achaia Act 18:12-17; in
Ephesus Act 19:29-41; and in Jerusalem Act 23:12-35; or in Malta Act 27:41-44),
(iii). for escape to a place where the persecutors would not know or reach (like
Paul and Peter did in Act 9:23-25; 12:1-17; and as the Church would be helped to
do in the future final tribulation Rev 12:13-17).

3. AGAINST INJUSTICE, you could:

(a). evoke State legal rights to defend yourself (as Paul did by appealing to Caesar in
Act 25:1-12); or
(b). request security intervention by police, military or security operatives (as Paul
did by reporting to Jerusalem Centurion and Chief Captain in Act 23:12-35; and to Julius
the Centurion in Act 27:29-32).

4. AGAINST ILLEGITIMATE INFRINGEMENTS OR CRIMINAL BRIGANDAGE, civil duty

on you as citizen demands that such violations should not be aided and abated by
acquiescence, but should rather be restrained and resisted as appropriately as possible:
(a). if limited to personal infringements you may decide to –
(i). either to PRIMARILY suffer sacrificially by joyful forbearance and hope of
glory (Mat 5:11-12; 2Cor 4:17; Heb 10:34; Jas 1:2; 1Pet 1:6-7),
(ii). or to SECONDARILY stand your ground by combining SELF-DEFENCE
measures with State Law enforcement redress as may be appropriate (as
indicated by Christ in Luk 22:35-38; Mat 26:51-53).
NOTE: From Christ’s teaching and caution to His Disciples in Gethsemane, ARMED
RESISTANCE/DETERRENCE for self-defence or community defence is a plausible
option for preservation or defence against harmful harassment and violent
violation (Luke 22:36-38). However, it should always be a secondary and last
option (Luke 22:49-51), because it cannot be guaranteed as a quick fix or sure
solution, since Christ warned that armed conflict is bound by the boomeranging

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 LAW OF THE SWORD – “all who bear the sword die by the sword” (Mat 26:50-
53; Gen 9:6). It was also revealed to the Apostles that THE LAW OF THE SWORD
“requires the steadfast endurance and faith of the saints” (Rev 13:10).

(b). but if extended beyond personal infringements into brigandage against citizens
and communities, you have legal and natural civil duties as a citizen to ensure security
of community and ensure preservation of life and property through mobilization for
citizen-defence and COMMUNITY-DEFENCE –
(i). either by means of armed civil defence combined with State Law
enforcement redress (as Esther did in Est 9),
(ii). or by means of armed local vigilante (as Nehemiah did in Neh 4).
NOTE: On the basis of fundamental natural right to life and self-preservation for all
humans, all Christians (like all other humans) are backed by temporal law and spiritual
principles to defend themselves against harmful harassment and criminal brigandage.
Therefore, the Christian needs to understand these spiritual principles and temporal
legalities that matter to their self-defense, so that they would devise formidable
strategy for this purpose. Since tribulation is inevitable, every Christian must
strategically prepare to endure persecution and actively confront criminal violations
and brigandage. Especially, is the need for local community vigilance as employed by
Esther and Nehemiah (Est 9; Neh 4).
Christians should therefore join in setting up community security vigilante proactively
according to spiritual principles and security principles, so that they would be
strategically prepared to do Nehemiah 4 type of VIGILANT watch, and to give Esther 9
type of RESISTANT response.

Internationally, military and counter-terrorism studies have shown that armed

brigandage thrives in societies only to the extent where instruments of violent coercion
lie in the hands of the brigands. The case takes an alternative posture on a general
perception that the erstwhile victims have become belligerents capable of armed
self/group defence and offense, no matter how unorganized they may be. This is well
known deterrent fact throughout history that partly informed Second Amendment
constitutional rights for citizens to bear firearms for armed self-defence and armed civil
defence militia by Christian and non-Christian citizens in the United Staes of America.

The Second Amendment of US Constitution ratified on 15th December 1791 states,

“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State,  the
right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

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This was in line with the right of Christian subjects particularly Protestants in Britain to
bear arms found in the ancient English Bill of Right of 1689, Clause 7 which provides,
“That subjects which are Protestants may have arms for their defence suitable
to their conditions and as allowed by law.”
Unlike the Second Amendment which is the Constitution and cannot be superseded, the
Bill is a law that has since been superseded by other laws like the English Firearms Act of
1968. These laws are based upon the principle that the State must guarantee and
protect the right of self-preservation as a fundamental natural right. This principle is
also followed in the Nigeria Firearms Act 1959 (as amended 1990), under which people
usually apply to government for gun ownership licence and even gun dealership licence.

Remember that although Firearms are regulated through State licensing, yet there are
many varieties of traditional and modern weapons and methods of self-defence other
than Firearms, which do not require any form of licensing. So, armed self-defence and
armed civil defence do not necessarily mean use of firearms. It is also important to note
that right to bear firearms is not only useful for civil purposes but also for game
hunting.

Recently in the 21st century, several "modern" oppressive, globalist ideologies and
manipulative “new world order” governments pretend to argue that legitimate liberty
or right to bear arms would breed rather than deter criminality and anarchy, even
though US and UK historical experiences of centuries have proved such pretext as
fallacious.

FROM THE FOREGOING, we have seen that the Scriptures teach us the whole truth
about our rights and responsibilities on all matters not only with respect to the Christian
Faith as Believers primarily or spiritually, but also with respect to the Civil State as
Citizens secondarily or temporally. Christ both died as the Suffering Messiah as well as
lives and reigns as the Sovereign Messiah – He is the Saviour and Lord of all, Who was
both slain as the Lamb (Rev 5:6) and reigns as the Lion (Rev 5:5).

IN SUMMARY, depending on the nature/basis (e.g. legality, severity, criminality,

authority) of the tribulation we face at any particular time, there are responses we may
be prayerfully led by the Spirit to give. These options could be both:
the primary response of SUFFERING on spiritual/congregational basis as members of
the Church or as Christians in particular –
1. Ensure consecration,

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 2. Evangelize consistently (Proclamation and Apologetics),
3. Suffer sacrificially,
4. Hide/Run to safety;
as well as the secondary response of SELF-DEFENCE on temporal/community basis as
citizens of the State together with others who are not Christians –
5. Invoke Legal Rights,
6. Invite Law enforcement,
7. Involve State Authorities,
8. Mobilize Advocacy and even Protest against injustice,
9. Stand Your Ground against criminal homicide/genocide through Self Defence,
local Defence Vigilante and formal Civil Defence paramilitary/militia.

Grace to you.

Updated October 4, 2022

by Very Rev. Dr. I. U. Ibeme
Copyright  © PriscAquila Publishing, Maiduguri, Nigeria.
Click here for
PriscAquila Christian Resource Centre
http://priscaquila.6te.net

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