Does the Biblical God promise Christians physical protection from their enemies? In the focal passages used in this series He promises that though thousands will fall at their side, they will remain standing,  that though their enemies will come at them one way, they will flee many ways. He also promises that when they knock, that door will open, that they will find what they seek, and that they will receive that for which they ask, which includes physical protection from those who hate them, meaning the rest of mankind. See Persecution. However, as plainly stated in God’s Word, there are EXCEPTIONS to the Lords promise of protection for His righteous saints.

The Lord speaks about these exceptions in His Word. Hatred, physical attacks and possible martyrdom are PROMISED those few people who are called to God’s ministry. The Old Testament prophets, the original apostles and Jesus Christ Himself being prime examples. But they are not alone. As we are told in Hebrews 11:36-40, anyone who walks in righteous obedience to God is subject to attack and martyrdom. Only God can decide who lives and who dies at the hands of Satan’s disciples. The Catholic Inquisition claimed between 50 and 150 million victims, some of whom were God’s true saints. Jesus warned those who would join Him that they would be treated exactly as He was, and for the same reason–righteousness proven by obedience to the Father. Though all who obey Him will be hated and rejected by the churched and unchurched alike, God chooses those among His true saints who will have the privilege of dying for Him. For some saints, negativity toward them will be strictly mental. Others will be hated openly but only verbally. Others will be attacked physically while still others will die at the hands of the devil’s people. Let it be known that all true saints will suffer for obeying the Lord: “ALL who will LIVE GODLY in Christ Jesus WILL SUFFER PERSECUTION” (2 Tim. 3:12). The Lord’s “all” means exactly that. No one is immune from man’s rejection. The Apostle Paul’s statement to Timothy tells us that if one is not hated and rejected by others, especially church people, one is not a child of God. Man’s hatred for God’s people does not end at his door. Jesus warned that a righteous person’s enemies will be members of his own family (Mat. 10:36). This is only one of the ways that Satan injects himself into the work of God as the following will show.

Abuse, hatred and martyrdom relative to professing Christians do not necessarily reflect the spiritual condition of the victims. Contrary to church opinion, harsh treatment, including martyrdom, does not automatically mean that one is a child of God. In the past we have witnessed the horrendous beheadings, burnings, drownings, etc. of people because of their professed love for Jesus Christ. As I watched them willingly giving their lives I was saddened by the fact that these poor, ignorant souls were dying in vain. Question: How can God-professing people who willingly give their lives in the name of Christ not belong to Him? Answer: These Satan-led counterfeit Christians are the product of Catholic and Protestant missionary efforts.  People such as those we saw being beheaded die without knowing the very One they believe has saved their souls. They die believing the false teachings of that which calls itself “the church.” The question now becomes, how did Satan pull off this incredible ruse? How did he gain control over professing Christendom? How did he persuade billions of people, beginning in the Garden of Eden, to believe and obey his “truth” and to reject God’s Truth? How has he persuaded so many God-seekers to accept him (Satan) as their lord, savior and sustainer? We will allow the Lord to answer those questions. L.J.