By The Craig Bushon Show Media Team
Let’s be blunt: evil doesn’t care about your sacred spaces. It doesn’t pause at the church doors or respect the cross hanging over the pulpit. As horrific headlines have shown us time and again, those intent on doing harm will target even the most peaceful congregations. And in this age of rising violence and open contempt for life, many churches are waking up to a sobering reality: the best defense of their flock may come from the very people sitting in the pews.
That’s why we’re seeing more churches not only allow, but actively encourage, members to carry firearms. It’s a profound shift, born not out of paranoia, but out of a clear-eyed understanding of human nature, responsibility, and yes — our God-given, constitutionally protected right to defend ourselves.
The sanctuary is no longer safe by default
For decades, churches were considered off-limits for violence. But from Charleston to Sutherland Springs, the unthinkable has become all too common. Open doors and welcoming hearts, sadly, also make for soft targets. And while we can’t predict when or where the next twisted soul will strike, we can decide whether we’ll stand defenseless or ready.
The Constitution doesn’t stop at the church doors
Our founders recognized that the right to bear arms was essential to a free people, precisely because tyranny and evil are not confined to government halls. That same right extends into our houses of worship. In fact, there may be no place more fitting for the exercise of personal responsibility and stewardship over life than the very spaces where we gather to give thanks for it.
States like Texas have taken this truth seriously, enacting laws that empower churches to organize armed volunteer security teams. Many congregations have embraced this, building disciplined ministries dedicated to watching over the flock. It’s community defense at its finest — neighbors protecting neighbors, shoulder to shoulder, faith and freedom intertwined.
“A good guy with a gun” is more than a slogan
Critics scoff at the notion that armed citizens deter crime. Tell that to the countless would-be attackers who were stopped by law-abiding gun owners before their carnage could begin. The truth is simple: evil calculates risk. When churches are known to be defended by trained, armed members, they become far less attractive targets.
Faith and defense are not at odds
Some argue that bringing guns into church betrays a lack of trust in God. But Scripture is filled with calls to watchfulness and prudence. Just as we lock our doors at night, install alarms, and teach our children to be cautious, so too must we take reasonable steps to safeguard our communities. Carrying responsibly doesn’t replace faith — it complements it.
A biblical mandate to protect what God has entrusted
For those who claim that carrying a firearm into church shows a lack of faith, we would gently remind them that Scripture itself teaches a different lesson. Jesus told His disciples plainly, “If you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one” (Luke 22:36). He didn’t instruct them to rely on the goodwill of the world, but to be prepared — even if it meant personal sacrifice.
Nehemiah’s builders labored on Jerusalem’s walls with a trowel in one hand and a sword in the other (Nehemiah 4:17-18), refusing to leave themselves defenseless while doing God’s work. Likewise, “the prudent see danger and take refuge” (Proverbs 27:12), not ignoring evil or pretending it cannot reach the doors of their community.
The Bible never divorces faith from practical stewardship. The psalmist proclaims, “Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle” (Psalm 144:1), acknowledging that God Himself prepares His people for the hard realities of defending the innocent. Even the Law of Moses recognized a householder’s right to stop an intruder by force if necessary (Exodus 22:2-3).
Above all, we are told, “If anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith” (1 Timothy 5:8). This duty extends beyond bread on the table — it is the obligation to protect life itself.
So as churches across America choose to embrace responsible carry and stand vigilant, they do so not in defiance of trust in God, but in faithful alignment with it. They refuse to be easy targets. They refuse to abdicate the biblical mandate to guard what is precious. In doing so, they uphold not only the Second Amendment but also the sacred charge to defend life and liberty — gifts from God that we dare not squander.
At The Craig Bushon Show, we’ll continue to stand for these truths. Because in America, and under Heaven, the right — and the duty — to protect the innocent is as clear as Scripture and as fundamental as freedom itself.
