For government is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, because it does not carry the sword for no reason. For government is God’s servant, an avenger that brings wrath on the one who does wrong.  Romans 13:4

Within my first two years of my 28 years in law enforcement, I had the misfortune of hearing “Officer down” come over the radio twice. Two of my co-workers were gunned down while making an arrest in two separate incidents.

I’ve also seen numerous officers fall to temptation and get involved in adulterous affairs, corruption, substance abuse, abusive behavior and pornography. We are seeing officers arrested for violating the very laws they swore to uphold. They fall because they can’t stand against the devil’s schemes. We see a lack of Jesus not only in our government, but in our society as well.

We are seeing law enforcement become a fallen profession. I didn’t see many that professed to be Christians and I didn’t do so well myself. To do the job you have to harden your heart to a certain extent. You can’t allow your emotions to effect your judgment. You also have to deal with difficult situations while maintaining your own safety and that of those around you. I’m happy to say though that I have seen more first responders turn to Christ. I am very grateful for groups like the Fellowship of Christian Peace Officers which support each other with godly love.

New York City has the largest police department in the United States, employing over 36,000 sworn police officers. According to an article in the New York Post by Phil Shriver on April 26, 2021, this department has seen a 75% increase in officers leaving the department. The department lost 5,346 officers in 2020 with 2,600 leaving the force and 2,746 filing for retirement. They resigned due to an environment of anti-police hostility. New York recently did away with qualified immunity for those in law enforcement. Qualified immunity refers to a legal doctrine that shields government officials from being sued for discretionary actions performed within their official capacity as long as their actions do not violate clearly established law or constitutional rights. As a result New York City is seeing a spike in gun-related violence. This is a city with the strictest gun control laws in the nation, imagine that. A decline in the police force brings an increase in crime, it’s not rocket science.

In Louisiana we just saw the passage of House Bill 609 through the House, making changes to qualified immunity for any officer who has arrest powers or power to enforce the laws in our state. We have also legalized gambling in our area and are now trying to legalize marijuana and prostitution in our state. We are living in a time when we see Isaiah 5:20 being fulfilled. It says, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil…” We tolerate and support criminal behavior and want to defund law enforcement.

Police work, like many professions, is a calling. Romans 13:4 supports this. No one goes into it for the pay, or the glory, or the recognition because these are all sorely lacking.

What can we do, right? We can begin by praying 2 Chronicles 7:14 which says, “And My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven and heal their land.” We should also be standing against what is wrong. We should be calling out to our legislators and those who are in government. We are told to obey governmental authority, but we should not tolerate evil behavior on their part. We must remember this when we vote.

There may come a day in the near future when you call 911 and are told that they have no one to send to you or it will be hours before they can get to you due to a shortage of police officers. This is already happening in our area today. As a nation, we must turn back to God. We are fighting a battle and we need to begin this fight on our knees. We need to pray for our nation and pray for our first responders. We need to stand in the armor God provides in Ephesians 6:10-18 against the dark forces of evil.

As Christians, we must not tolerate evil, we must stand against it. This is what our police forces do every day. We must support them and show them God’s love. 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 calls us to not stifle the Spirit. It tells us not to despise prophecies, but to test all things and hold on to what is good. Then it tells us to stay away from every kind of evil.

Pray for our officers. Pray for those who are unsaved that they may turn to Jesus, instead of temptation, to deal with the stress in their lives. If at all possible, don’t let these men and women fall on our watch.

Have a great day!