It all started in the Garden of Eden. A happy couple was in a perfect world when that world fell apart.
In this decisive moment in history, Eve stands before the forbidden tree alone, unguarded, unsecured and completely vulnerable outside the guardianship of man. This is still the enemy’s plan for every woman.
In wandering outside the safety of man’s protection, women venture far beyond the forbidden tree into the forbidden world of confusion, rebellion, danger and enmity against God’s will for the happiness of mankind. Today, the family is under attack, lives have been destroyed and the gendered warfare continues as propagated by the empire of evil. This is what happens when men are absent as leaders of the home and society. Things aren’t working in our world and we all know it. Therefore, let’s go back to the creation plan and restoration through the plan of redemption, and humbly confess that we need men to lead as fierce protectors, courageous shepherds and our final defense against evil.
Men as Fierce Protectors
“No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord” ~Isaiah 54:17
Men have three primary roles as provider, protector and leader. But we will see all three roles are an expansion of their duty to protect their loved ones physically, financially, mentally and emotionally.
The dangers a woman faces in her lifetime are threats against her safety, feminity and personhood. Women need to be protected from evil in the form of spiritualism, witchcraft and demonic activity; protection from error and deception masked as theology; protection from harm to her body from violence and brutality; protection from harm to her sexuality in the form of rape and sexual assault; protection from those who would attack her femininity, purity and beauty in the form of bullying and abuse; protection from exploitation in the form of poverty; protection for her offspring and finally her home. The world a woman lives in is truly against her. The spiritual threat is clear in Revelation 12 when the pure woman is fleeing from the dragon and trying to find safety in the earth. The physical threat is clear in Judges 19 when a woman was raped, exploited and violently killed.
What women’s rights activists forget is that the event is not only recorded in the Bible, but the adjudication and severe punishment that followed is chronicled in the next two chapters. If that’s not enough, we have another rape case with Dinah chronicled in Genesis 34. Both cases are important to show that even if the woman is immoral (in Judges 19 she’s a concubine) or innocent (Dinah was a virgin not at the age of consent), violence against women is indefensible. Not only is a woman’s life vindicated by men but men bore the punishment for abdicating their responsibility to safeguard a woman’s life.
The warning is clear: the Bible teaches that a man’s role to be a fierce protector is non-negotiable and the punishment is life for a life. There’s no way around it, men must protect women in order to stay alive in a world filled with violence and death.
Why am I discussing these cases? Because we are living in a society where we won’t allow men to be fierce protectors. We have disarmed men’s duty to self-defense, to be watchmen over our lives, and to use their right to adjudicate in church boards, courtrooms, school boards and civic halls. We have disarmed men by taking away their weapons of true masculinity. And when our protectors are absent who are the victims? Emasculated men create a dangerous world that leave women as prey. This was the enemy’s plan in Genesis 3 and continues in Revelation 12.
Men as Courageous Shepherds
“For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. ~Acts 20:29
Many women fear men leading them, and I understand why. As discussed previously, there are threats women face, from fear of exploitation, abuse, infidelity and such. My rebuttal is simple: who will protect us from the bad guys if we emasculate all the good ones?
The burden of leadership requires intelligence, discernment, wisdom and courage to do the right thing always. Women need protection from savage wolves; abusive predators; exploitation and enslavement; threats from within and without; and protection for the vulnerable, weak and elderly. But how can you sense a threat? Experts say men are instinctive and women and intuitive. The Bible is clear that discernment is a gift of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:10) and wisdom is supplied to all who ask for it (James 1:5). Let’s study this further.
“Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock. The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered. My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them” (Ezekiel 34:2-6).
Study this passage and notice the power vacuum. Remember, nature abhors a vacuum and the vacancy must be filled. The absence of good men allowed bad leaders to destroy society, leave it defenseless and exploited. Is there a power vacuum today in the political world, the church or in society? We can tell how the vacuum is filled by asking: what is the condition of the sheep? In this case, it’s our women, children and vulnerable groups such as minorities, the aged and disabled. Can we unanimously say that in today’s world, women are as feminine as ever; or our children are as competent as ever; or our vulnerable feel protected as ever? Au contraire.
The sheep are scattered, wounded, wandering and weakened as prey. What is a man to do? This is stated at the end of the passage for “none did search or seek after them.” Shepherding is leading and without sheep there’s no one to lead; therefore, leadership begins where another has failed. Men, in going after their sheep, enroll in a deadly mission. Learn from David’s experience as a war general.
“And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God” (1 Samuel 17:34-36).
Did you notice the warning? When he went after the sheep, the enemy arose against him. What was his response, play dead? Not at all, he caught him, smote him and slew him. That’s what courage is: walking away only when the job is done. What a man!
Men our Final Defense
“The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.” ~Matthew 11:12
My heart sympathizes with our good men as it seems there are so few left in this world. The kingdom of heaven suffers violence and its effects are feel everywhere from our homes, churches, society and the world around. But these are the beginning of the end times. Let’s fast forward to the Book of Revelation and get a sneak peak of what’s to come.
And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ…And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed ~ Revelation 12:17 & 13:14,15
The warfare has only just begun. The enemy has declared war against mankind and there’s no escaping this war. All the earth will be involved in the earth’s final events. In these last days, we need men who will defend the truth against the deception; defend our freedom of conscience and religious liberty; defend God’s Law in His commandments; defend against oppression and coercion; defend against the evil beast power and finally defend our very lives. Men are our final defense: those who “keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Men imbued with the Holy Spirit’s Seal of God (Ephesians 1:13:14) will lead boldly and unabashedly (Acts 4:31) against all powers and principalities (Ephesians 6:12). Men imbued holy fearlessness (1 John 4:18) will not fear any sacrifice, for “they loved not their lives to the death” (Revelation 12:11). By their courageous lives and fierce protection, men’s masculinity will be restored in earth’s final test.
Men are not to wait for earth’s final events to unravel to be men: we need men now! We live in a world in need of fierce protectors, courageous shepherds and a final defense against evil. My appeal is simple. Let’s let men be men.
“So, God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him” (Genesis 1:27), and God said, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion” (Genesis 1:28). Earth’s dominion may have been lost by man’s absence, but the presence of a superior Man, Jesus Christ the Son of God has restored man to his rightful place (Romans 5:12-21).
“But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 5:21).
Jesus Christ is the restorer of masculinity, boldness, courage and leadership, and through this perfect Man, can men be restored today! What good news, yes, it is the gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
“And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen” (Revelation 1:5,6).
That’s how our story ends. Men will reign once more as kings and priests unto our God. Their dominion? Restored. Their honor? Restored. Their sins? Forgiven. Their masculinity? Perfected. Men, as God created them to be in their rightful place as fierce protectors, courageous shepherds and bold leaders.
And yes, we as women so happily oblige to this wonderful plan. Finally, we can get back to baking cookies and perhaps stay away from apple trees… In a perfect world once again, men and women, side by side, in God’s glorious redemptive love.
“I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand,
I shall not be moved.” ~ Psalm 16:8
Until next time, see you at the next rodeo!
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Liza Ngenye is a third generation Adventist living in Southern California. Her personal writing ministry primarily focuses on issues of racism and sexuality. You can contact her by email: lizangenye@gmail.com