The phrase, “Draw the sword, die by the sword” comes from the lips of Jesus when Peter draws a sword and cuts off the ear of a man in the crowd arresting Jesus on the night of His betrayal.
I realized that this is the best leadership advice for Christians I have ever heard. This counsel is brilliant whether you are being attacked, mistreated, neglected, or challenged directly in any way. You will never find better and clearer counsel for those settings than right here. It is in Matthew 26 and here it is:
““Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?”
Hey, lover of Jesus - you who claim to trust in the Sovereignty and goodness of God - listen up!
Put your sword away! Whoever draws the sword will die by the sword. Maybe not immediately. Maybe not even in this current conflict. But sword drawing people always die by the sword. Mercy triumphs over judgment. Grace and humility are the power weapons of a believer. We triumph through trust in the goodness and Presence of our God. Put that sword away!
Remember that you can call on your Father and He will at once dispatch more than 12 legions of angels on your behalf. That is the military manpower of 72,000 angels!!!
Trust in your Father! Whenever you draw the sword, you declare that you must protect yourself, fight for yourself, destroy your enemies, and power up. This is the opposite of the nature of Jesus! Entrust yourself to Him who judges rightly.
Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Trust Jesus and suffer wrong rather than destroy your brother, for whom Christ died. Jesus will defend the justice of your cause and make your righteousness shine like the noon-day sun!
This is a game changer and requires you to practice great faith and trust in God. But remember, Jesus cannot be your defender if you won’t put your own sword away and quit defending yourself!