The short answer is yes, Christians should be preppers! Unfortunately, there is much negativity about preparedness for those who don’t understand what preparedness is all about. This is true for mainstream and the Christian community. This article should help clear up some misconceptions.
Christian Preppers – Lack of Faith?
One of the biggest arguments I get when I talk about preparedness from a Christian point of view is that it shows a lack of faith in God’s provision. This couldn’t be farther from the truth!
From the very beginning, and I mean “the beginning,” man was responsible to prepare his crops for a future harvest. We see this in Genesis 2:15 NASB, “Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it.”
Can you imagine Adam’s conversation with God about having to “cultivate” and “keep” the Garden of Eden?
Adam: “Hey God, why do I have to work and cultivate the land? Why can’t I just have faith that you are going to cause the plants to grow and produce fruit and vegetables without me doing anything at all?”
Some Christians believe that they shouldn’t take any responsibility in the food they eat and their own provisions for emergency situations. But this view doesn’t hold water when they run to the grocery store every week to buy groceries for their pantry or put gas in their vehicles. Why don’t they just trust the Lord and have faith that food will appear in their pantries and gas will miraculously show up in their gas tanks?
Bible Examples of Preparedness
The one story in the Bible that speaks to preparedness the most is the story of Joseph and the years of plenty and famine in Egypt. You can find the story in Genesis 41. In this story, Pharoah has a dream and young Joseph interprets it for Pharoah. Joseph tells Pharoah…
Let Pharaoh take action to appoint overseers in charge of the land, and let him exact a fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven years of abundance. Then let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming, and store up the grain for food in the cities under Pharaoh’s authority, and let them guard it. Let the food become as a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which will occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land will not perish during the famine.” Genesis 41:34-36 NASB
Joseph’s interpretation of Pharaoh’s dream and advice saved a nation and ultimately his own family! Later, after Jacob (Joseph’s father) dies, Joseph tells his brothers who are fearful that he might pay them back for selling him to slave traders in Egypt…
…Do not be afraid, for am I in God’s place? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive. So therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” So he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. Genesis 50:19-21 NASB
Another example of preparedness found in the Bible is again, from the Book of Genesis. In the story of Noah’s Ark, God tells Noah to build an ark which will contain two of every unclean animal and seven pairs of every clean animal on the Earth (Genesis 7:2).
In order to prepare for his family and all of those animals, the Lord told Noah to prepare food. We read in Genesis 6:21 NASB, “As for you, take for yourself some of all food which is edible, and gather it to yourself; and it shall be for food for you and for them.”
More Bible Scriptures on Prepping
The Book of Genesis doesn’t hold all the Scriptural basis for preparedness or “putting some back.” Other Scriptures include the popular verses about the ant.
Go to the ant, O sluggard, Observe her ways and be wise,
Which, having no chief, Officer or ruler,
Prepares her food in the summer
And gathers her provision in the harvest. Proverbs 6:6-8 NASB
More wisdom from Proverbs would include Proverbs 14:15 NASB, “The naive believes everything, But the sensible man considers his steps.” And, Proverbs 22:3 NASB, “The prudent sees the evil and hides himself, But the naive go on, and are punished for it.”
Prepper Is Just a New Word for Common Sense
But in reality, being prepared isn’t a Christian or a non-Christian thing. It is just common sense. We are so used to going to 24 hour stores and getting anything we want. We eat fruits and vegetables that are imported from all over the world. We are so spoiled compared to our great great grandparents and those who came before them! They were really preppers!
Before our modern conveniences and transportation system, families had to think through and prepare for their families. They didn’t have a seed catalog to order from, they needed to save seed from their previous growing season. They didn’t have freezers, they had to smoke and salt their meat. They couldn’t run to the store if they forgot sugar. They had to plan out and be very purposeful about what they stored and ate.
We are just so far removed from that time that the idea of putting some food storage back or preparing for an emergency seems like weirdness or extreme living to most people. The truth is, preppers are just being responsible for themselves and their families.
1 Timothy 5:8 NASB says, “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
13 F.A.Q.s About Preppers You Need to Know
Christian Preppers vs The Last Days
Sometimes, when people think about preparedness, they are thinking about THE APOCALYPSE, like in the Book of Revelation. Scenes from the Left Behind series come back to mind. This might be the case for some, but most Christian Preppers aren’t preparing for “The Tribulation.”
Being prepared means that Christian Preppers are ready for natural disaster type emergencies that happen every season like hurricanes, blizzards, tornadoes, earthquakes, fires and floods. Being prepared means that someone has paid off debt and isn’t acquiring new debt. Preparedness means that you can make due for a few weeks due to a job loss because you have money in savings to pay bills and food in your pantry to eat from. Being prepared just makes sense, but it goes against our modern consumerism way of living.
Christian Preppers Have a Perfect Opporutnity to Be a Blessing to Others
When it comes down to it, Christian Preppers have a great opportunity during an emergency to be a blessing to others. Whether that is providing information and know-how or actual gear or food, preppers can shine the light of Jesus during stressful times. As James 2:15-17 NASB says, “If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.”
Christians should prep. It is Biblical and just common-sense. And as Believers, we should always be ready and paying attention to what is happening around us. As Jesus said in Matthew 16:2-3 NASB, “But He replied to them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ And in the morning, ‘There will be a storm today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times?”
I pray you use wisdom and discernment in your preparedness.
Peace,
Todd
Prepper Resources You Might Be Interested In:
Proverbs 21:20
Totally good essay. I could elaborate on some other teachings from Christ Himself to add to this essay, but instead I’m going to copy & paste a document I have assembled and edited over the years that truly needs reading regarding biblical self-defense.
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Firearms: Biblically Defended Self-Defense
Because many of today’s pulpits are filled with antinomian, pacifistic, anti-gun pastors, most of today’s Christians are unaware God ordered His disciples to arm themselves. Consequently, Christians have looked to the Second Amendment for their authority to keep and bear arms. Had they been following the Apostle Paul’s instructions in 2 Timothy 2:15 (“Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth”) instead of relying on such pastors, they would have found their authority in the Bible. The question regarding firearms is one of self-defense:
If the thief is caught while breaking in, and is struck so that he dies, there will be no bloodguiltiness on his account. But if the sun has risen on him, there will be bloodguiltiness on his account…. (Exodus 22:2-3, NASB)
The crime described in this passage is not theft, but burglary. Bouvier’s Law Dictionary defines burglary: The breaking and entering the house of another in the night-time, with intent to commit a felony therein, whether the felony be actually committed or not.
A person who defends his family, home, or possessions by killing a thief in the dark of the night is not to be held accountable for murder. However, if an unarmed thief who has no intent to cause bodily harm is killed during daylight hours, the killer is to be held responsible for the thief’s death.
Whereas theft is an Eighth Commandment (“Thou shalt not steal”) violation, burglary is a Sixth Commandment (“Thou shalt not kill”) violation and is, therefore, a capital crime. Stealing is a crime punishable by restitution except when a thief is caught breaking into someone’s home under the concealment of darkness. Although not stated, the obvious reason for this distinction is the impossibility of determining an intruder’s intentions in the dark of night. Under such conditions, you cannot quickly ascertain whether the intruder is an unarmed thief or someone with a more malicious intent. During a night raid, God gives the benefit of the doubt to the homeowner and allows him, regardless the intruder’s intentions, to slay the intruder with impunity, just as if he were a known murderer or rapist. In principle, the same would be true if an assailant’s intentions are dubious during daylight hours.
Because God’s law clearly provides for self-defense, our Savior was also a proponent of self-defense. Although self-defense is not the primary focus of the following two statements, Jesus would have never used them as examples if He did not endorse self-defense:
…if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. (Matthew 24:43, NASB)
When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own homestead, his possessions are undisturbed. (Luke 11:21, NASB)
The better armed we are, the less likely someone will steal from us or harm us and our families. Jesus commanded His disciples to purchase weapons:
Then said he unto them … he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one. (Luke 22:36)
Jesus never told His disciples to register their swords with the government. Fredrick Bastiat described self-defense as a natural right:
Each of us has a natural right – from God – to defend his person, his liberty, and his property. These are the three basic requirements of life, and the preservation of any one of them is completely dependent upon the preservation of the other two. For what are our faculties but the extension of our individuality? And what is property but an extension of our faculties?
What Bastiat depicted as a natural right, the Apostle Paul described as a God-required responsibility:
…if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel. (1 Timothy 5:8)
After providing for his family’s spiritual safety, a Christian man’s next priority should be providing for his family’s physical protection. Food, clothing, and shelter are of little benefit if you are unprepared or unwilling to defend your family against thieves, rapists, and murderers. It is not unchristian to practice self-defense – it is unchristian if you do not.
Defense of Others
Abraham and Moses provide Biblical precedents for taking the law into your own hands to thwart a crime in process. In Genesis 14, Abraham intervened to rescue his nephew Lot and in the process killed some of his kidnappers. In Exodus 2, Moses slew an Egyptian taskmaster who was assaulting a fellow Israelite. Vigilantism is Biblically required when defending or rescuing another person or to prevent or stop any other crime from occurring:
If the bystander has an obligation to render aid “with all lost things” of another man [Deuteronomy 22:1-3], he has an even more pressing obligation to help rescue the man.
Deut 22:1 “You shall not see your brother’s ox or his sheep go astray, and withhold your help from them; you shall take them back to your brother.
Deut 22:2 And if he is not near you, or if you do not know him, you shall bring it home to your house, and it shall be with you until your brother seeks it; then you shall restore it to him.
Deut 22:3 And so you shall do with his ass; so you shall do with his garment; so you shall do with any lost thing of your brother’s, which he loses and you find; you may not withhold your help. ”
Thus, this principle of responsibility appears in Deuteronomy 22:24. A woman assaulted in a city is presumed to have given consent if she does not raise a cry, the origin of the hue and cry common law. At her cry, every man within sound of her voice has a duty to render immediate aid….
An eyewitness to a crime has an obligation to the victim and to society to intervene and stop the perpetrator. How many crimes would be averted if thieves, rapists, and murderers knew every able Christian man would do whatever necessary to stop them? How much more so, if every law-abiding man also carried a firearm, as per Psalm 149 and Luke 22, for his own protection and the protection of his family and neighbors? Armed citizens are much more likely to intervene and arrest lawbreakers than are those who are unarmed.
Psa 149:6 Let the high praises of God be in their throats and two-edged swords in their hands,
Psa 149:7 to wreak vengeance on the nations and chastisement on the peoples,
Psa 149:8 to bind their kings with chains and their nobles with fetters of iron,
Psa 149:9 to execute on them the judgment written! This is glory for all his faithful ones. Praise the LORD!
Luke 22:35 And he said to them, “When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, “Nothing.”
Luke 22:36 He said to them, “But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one.”
In cities such as Kennesaw, Georgia, where every household is required by law to possess a firearm, the need for police protection is all but eliminated. Unless an officer happens to be at the right place at the right time, the police are ineffective at stopping or preventing crime. Their presence in a community is more for investigative than preventative purposes:
General Sessions Court Judge Bob Moon said … that crime in Chattanooga [Tennessee] “has become so rampant that it is no longer possible for the police department to protect our citizens.” He told a woman who had been pulled from her car and beaten in the head that she or her mother needed to “purchase a weapon, obtain a gun permit and learn to protect yourself.”
A gun in the hand is better than a cop on the phone. In Castle Rock v. Gonzales, 545 U.S. 748 (2005), the Supreme Court ruled that police have no obligation to protect citizens. And yet, the United States federal and state governments have practically stripped their citizens of their inherent God-given responsibility for self-protection and intervention, with the exception of those who jump through government hoops to secure a concealed weapons permit.
By employing the term “assault weapons,” the anti-gun lobby associates all gun owners with criminal intent. But the vast majority of gun owners are not criminals and have no intentions of assaulting anyone. They do not own assault weapons; instead, they are armed with defense weapons. Regardless of the attempts by the government, the media, and even certain preachers to vilify self-defense, every Christian man is commissioned by Jesus and by the law of God to defend his family, his possessions, his fellow man, and himself. Every Christian woman without a man to protect her should likewise arm herself.
Where Does Your Authority Come From?
Now there was no blacksmith to be found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, “Lest the Hebrews make themselves swords or spears.” But every one of the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his plowshare, his mattock, his axe, or his sickle… So on the day of battle, there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people with Saul and Jonathan…. (1 Samuel 13:19-22)
The effort to deprive us of our means of protection has been with us from nearly the beginning of time. It is imperative we understand the authority to arm ourselves comes from God.
Nearly all gun enthusiasts point to the Second Amendment as their authority for possessing firearms, which means their authority to keep and bear arms can be traced back to 1791. Where did the men living in America prior to 1791 get their authority to be armed? Do you suppose they might have gotten it from Exodus 22:2-3; Deuteronomy 22:23-24; Psalm 149:6-9; Luke 11:21, 12:39, 22:36; and 1 Timothy 5:8. Carrying a weapon was already lawful by God’s standards, so why in 1791, did we need the authorization of the Second Amendment?
Luke 11:21 When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his goods are safe;
Luke 12:39 “But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into.”
1 Timothy 5:8 But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
If your authority to keep and bear arms is derived from the Second Amendment – from the god WE THE PEOPLE – it is unlikely you will react any differently from the British and Australians who surrendered their weapons when required to do so by their respective governments. On the other hand, if your faith is in God’s sovereign authority, you will be far less likely to turn over your weapons to any civil government unauthorized by the omnipotent Supreme Ruler of the universe.
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For consideration: God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Do they turn the other cheek?
Rev 12:7-8 Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they were defeated and there was no longer any place for them in heaven.
For consideration: The 2 prophets in the last days.
Rev 11:5 And if any one would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes; if any one would harm them, thus he is doomed to be killed.
Excellent points! It is extremely hard to persuade anyone from the Pentecostal persuasion, especially Hispanics, as almost of them are anti-gun. Surprisingly – and conveniently- they are not against people of other faiths being policemen and soldiers. They are willing to expend other people’s money by incarcerating someone for life but not willing to take care of the safety of their own homes.
Just discovered your page on biblical prophesy, especially Amir Tsarfati.
Excellent video, very thought provoking. As a christian I’m concerned with the way our country and the world is going and I find myself consulting the book of revelations more and more.
Thanks for including it.
Glad you found the page Fred. Times are getting crazy and I think a lot of people are starting to think about what that means.
Peace,
Todd
Hi there. I’m knew to the website; but I’m far from a freshman when it comes to the concept of prepping. From the inception of 9/11 I’ve been cultivating the mentality of prepping. That said, while I did not go far in the BSA, my father helped me to build a foundation for it; that said, in hindsight, I’m grateful to him.
Firearms: Biblically Defended Self-Defense article is awesome. I am now enthusiastic about acquiring an AR-15 rifle to defend myself and my belongings.
However, I am 66 yo and live alone in a condo. I want to grow my own food, but don’t even own 1 house plant. Nor do I have room to grow food, other than my lanai.
I am looking for a prepping community to join. I live in Palm Harbor, FL 34685, but am open to relocating. Look forward to hearing from like-minded preppers. wildbill562@yahoo.com