INTRODUCTION

1. Since its beginning, the church has been under constant threats, and these threats continue today.

2. To counteract these threats, we who are Christians have a mandate to defend the church, which is really a matter of defending ourselves, our brethren, and our common faith in Christ.  Let us consider this defense.

    

TAKE UP THE "SWORD"

1. There is no Scriptural record of the early church ever violently defending itself against persecution.

   1. Jesus taught the proper response to persecution in the Sermon on the Mount.  He blessed those who make peace and those who suffer for Him (Matt. 5:9-12), and He commended a peaceful, passive response to force (Matt. 6:38-42).

   2. Jesus set a precedent when He rejected a violent defense for Himself.  When Peter drew his sword to protect Jesus, the Lord said, "Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword" (Matt. 26:52).

   3. When the apostles were persecuted for preaching Jesus, they did not respond with violence against their oppressors (Acts 3-5).

   4. After Stephen was put to death (Acts 7), a great persecution arose against the whole church in Jerusalem.  Again, no defense was made other than fleeing from danger (Acts 8:1-4).

   5. As persecution continued against the church in New Testament times, Christians did not pay back evil for evil (Rom. 12:17; 1Pet. 3:9), but instead they patiently endured their suffering (1Pet. 1:6; 2:19-20; 3:17) and even joyfully accepted the seizure of their property (Heb. 10:34).

2. Nevertheless, Christians are instructed to vigorously defend the church.

   1. This defense is not to be made by the use of violent weapons, but rather it is a spiritual defense made by protecting the church from those who would draw its members away from the truth.

   2. For example, when Paul called the Ephesian elders to meet him in Ephesus, his primary message was a charge to defend the church.  Consider Acts 20:28-30:

      ²⁸"Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.  ²⁹I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock;³⁰and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them."

      1. This charge was specifically given to the Ephesian elders of that day, but the warning is preserved for all Christians.  The flock, which is the church, must be defended.

      2. "Savage wolves" still lurk today even from within the church, so each Christian should be on guard and ready to make a defense against this danger.

   3. To this defense, God has provided each Christian with the armor necessary to succeed.  This armor is described in detail in Ephesians 6:14-17, but the nature of the fight is first given in verses 10-13:

      ¹⁰Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.  ¹¹Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.  ¹²For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.  ¹³Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.

      1. The armor is given for a spiritual battle of resistance against Satan.  The implements of the armor are defensive for the protection of the warrior, but the battle is also for "all the saints" (Eph. 6:18).

      2. The only weapon we are given is the "sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." Rather than weapons of violence, it is this spiritual weapon that we are to wield.

   4. This defense and its weapons are given further explanation in 2Corinthians 10:3-6:

      ³For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, ⁴for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.  ⁵We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, ⁶and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.

      1. Here again, we see that the church does not use violent weapons for defense.  Rather, the church's weapons are "divinely powerful."

      2. We are defending against ideas that are contrary to the knowledge of God.  These are the greatest threat to the church, for they captivate Christians to draw them away.

          

DEFEND THE CHURCH AGAINST...

1. It is important that we understand the threats against the church so that we know what and who to fight.

   1. If we are mistaken about the threats, then we may find ourselves on the wrong side of the battle.

      1. Consider the Jews who thought Jesus was a threat to Israel and accused Him of blasphemy (Matt. 26:65-66).  They mistakenly crucified the Son of God.

      2. Later, those same Jews were warned by one of their own about resisting the apostles.  In Acts 5:39, Gamaliel told the Sanhedrin, "...if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them; or else you may even be found fighting against God."

      3. Too often, Christians have fought on the wrong side of issues and have done damage to the church rather than defending it.  Let us be careful not to make this mistake.

   2. If we don't recognize threats against the church, then we will not fight at all, and the enemy will win with no resistance.

      1. Consider the church at Corinth, which did not discipline an immoral brother (1Cor. 5:1-13). They did not perceive his behavior to be a threat, and therefore the whole church was "leavened" by his sin.

      2. Also consider the church at Thyatira which tolerated "the woman Jezebel" (Rev. 2:20-23).  Her false teaching was unopposed, and it corrupted the whole church.

2. Therefore, let us consider some specific threats to combat as identified in the Scriptures.

   1. We must defend the church against those who try to hinder the truth.  Notice Romans 16:16, which says, "Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them."

   2. We must defend against anyone who attempts to divide the church (1Cor. 1:10).

   3. We must defend against those who stir up needless, false controversies.  Notice several passages:

      1. 1Timothy 6:3-5 -- ³If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, ⁴he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, ⁵and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.

      2. Titus 1:10-11 -- ¹⁰For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, ¹¹who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain.

      3. Titus 3:9-11 -- ⁹But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and strife and disputes about the Law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. ¹⁰Reject a factious man after a first and second warning, ¹¹knowing that such a man is perverted and is sinning, being self-condemned.

   4. Perhaps most of all, we must defend against false teachers. Consider these passages:

      1. 2Peter 2:1-3 -- ¹But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.  ²Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; ³and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

      2. Jude 3-4 -- ³Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.  ⁴For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

          

CONCLUSION

1. It is a noble calling to defend the church, which is the holy temple of God (1Cor. 3:16-17).

2. Therefore, let us be sure that we are fighting on the right side of the right fight for the church.