Published January 21, 2026
After leftist activists intruded into a Southern Baptist church in Minnesota—disrupting worship, frightening children, and intimidating congregants—a predictable question follows: If Christians are commanded to love their enemies and not resist an evildoer, how can churches justify security teams?
The answer is straightforward. Scripture’s commands to love one’s enemy (Matthew 5:44), to “not resist an evildoer,” and to “turn the other cheek” (Matthew 5:39) are not invitations to martyrdom, nor are they mandates for institutional negligence. They are moral commands aimed at restraining revenge, confronting injustice through moral defiance, and restoring proper order. They do not abolish the responsibility to protect one’s own life or the safety of others.
Start with first principles. The Sixth Commandment prohibits murder; it does not prohibit self-defense. From Augustine through Aquinas to the Reformers, the Christian moral tradition has consistently distinguished between legitimate defense of life and bloodlust, revenge, or the desire to kill. Loving oneself and loving others entails taking appropriate and proportional action to protect both. Prudence, law, and defense are not negated by Christian love. Love will ensure that prudence, law, and defense are properly ordered.
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Andrew T. Walker, Ph.D., is a Fellow in the Evangelicals and Civic Life Program at The Ethics and Public Policy Center. He is also the Dean of the School of Theology and Professor of Christian Ethics and Public Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, and the founding Managing Editor of WORLD Opinions. He co-hosts The Bully Pulpit, a weekly podcast exploring faith, culture, and politics from a conservative Christian perspective.
