Since persecution is a blessing and God’s power is behind us, then bring it on! As Christians, belonging to Jesus Christ means more to us than anything in this world. We would give our backs to the whip, our houses to the flames, our faces to fists, our dignity to mockery, our bodies to torture, our kindred to killers, and our very lives to death for the sake of Christ.

“For the love of God, we are prepared to endure any kind of torture.”Forty Roman soldiers said these words to the local governor in 320AD. Known as the “Forty Martyrs of Sebaste,” those bold words sealed their fate. They were stripped naked and forced into a small lake on a bitterly cold night where after hours upon hours of standing in the cold water, they froze to death.

As western society becomes increasingly secular, the possibility of being persecuted for the sake of Christ seems to be more real. Being stripped and frozen to death may not be in the near future for North Americans, but opposition and even hostility certainly is on the horizon.

On March 27, Maryland’s Carroll County Commissioner Robin Bartlett Frazier opened a budget meeting with prayer that invoked “Jesus Christ,” “Our Lord, our God,” and “merciful Father,” disobeying the recent injunction granted by U.S. District Judge William D. Quarles Jr. Several Carroll County residents, along with the American Humanist Association, had filed a civil lawsuit against the county for its pre-meeting prayers, arguing that they are official “government speech” and therefore in violation of the Constitution’s Establishment Clause. Before beginning her prayer Frazier said, “I’m willing to go to jail over it.”

This is not an isolated incident. The Freedom From Religion Foundation has threatened legal action against Michigan’s Saginaw City Council in a January 31 letter sent to Saginaw City Manager Tim Morales. “Prayer at government meetings is unnecessary, inappropriate and divisive,” the letter read. Also in my home state of Michigan, a Jackson County resident in August sued that county’s board of commissioners in federal court, claiming their board-led prayers violate the U.S. Constitution. All of these cases will hinge on Town of Greece v Galloway, one case currently before the U.S. Supreme Court that could define religion’s role in public forums.

Even tweeting “Philippians 4:13” by a public official receives an outcry. Freedom From Religion is demanding that Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker remove his “disturbing” and “threatening” social media comment. Apparently, “To say, ‘I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me,’ seems more like a threat, or the utterance of a theocratic dictator, than a duly elected civil servant.”

Who knows whether Freedom From Religion and other such groups will succeed in having their way with civil society. Older generations fondly remember the glory days when government embraced religion as part of a sturdy society. “Under God” was added to the Pledge of Allegiance only 60 years ago this June. “In God We Trust” first appeared on U.S. paper currency on October 1, 1957, and one year later President Eisenhower laid the cornerstone for the “Protestant Vatican,” headquarters of the National Council of Churches of Christ USA in Manhattan. Today, the court cases and opposition like that mentioned above bring many Christians to grieve this secular trajectory of society.

Not me.

The Bible is jam-packed full of references on suffering for the name of Christ, and that it is even a blessing (Matthew 5:10). We shouldn’t be surprised when we are laughed at, insulted, mocked, or rejected because of Christ. On the contrary, we should expect it to happen (2 Timothy 3:12), and even rejoice when it does (1 Peter 4:12).

When the apostles were imprisoned and flogged for preaching Jesus in the temple courts, it surprisingly says that afterward, “The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name” (Acts 5:41). Rejoicing?! They were just flogged! Flogging means being whipped “forty lashes minus one” (cf. 2 Corinthians 11:24) with leather straps designed to flay human skin. It is not only extremely painful but dangerous and some died from their lashes. Who goes away “rejoicing” over something so terrible? What if that was you? If someone who thought you should be punished for believing in Jesus Christ whipped your back until it bled profusely and half your skin was stripped away by 39 strikes of a leather belt embedded with glass and sharp stones, what would you do? Wouldn’t you call the police and report the incident? Wouldn’t you feel angry and want the flogger put in jail? Would you claim it to be a hate crime and demand restitution? Honestly, what sort of person would walk away from that kind of abuse “rejoicing?”

I believe the answer is in the tremendous power of belonging to Jesus Christ. Those who know and belong to Christ have power at their back so that they are capable of withstanding tremendous suffering, and even respond with rejoicing.

One of the most life-changing books I have ever read was Jesus Freaks, a collection of stories about people from all different times and places who paid terrible prices for their faith in Jesus. When I first read Jesus Freaks I was enjoying a self-pity party over my own sufferings in dealing with depression for many years. But reading stories of people undergoing terrible torture and rejoicing or praying for the brutal guards who administered beatings ended my pity party.

Romanian Pastor Richard Wurmbrand was imprisoned for preaching that Jesus Christ was a higher authority than the communist government. He was taken by the secret police and thrown in solitary confinement. “With red-hot iron pokers, with rubber truncheons, with sticks, with all kinds of methods, Christians were tortured by the Communists,” he said. “And then the miracle happened. When it was at the worst, when we were tortured as never before, we began to love those who tortured us.”

This is nearly unbelievable. Who can withstand that sort of torture, and who can love someone who tortures you? It would be easy to think he was embellishing, except that Stephen’s last words were, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them,” as a raging mob stoned him to death (Acts 7:60).

From studying psychology in college, I’ve learned about the many weaknesses we have as humans. Our cognitive shortcuts and identification with groups make us easy prey for manipulation and coercion. It is amazing how both silly and awful we humans can be if you put us in the right situation. Yet the Bible says outright and gives many examples of God’s power radiating from human weakness. So we should not be surprised when we hear stories of unbelievable strength of faith.

Mary Khoury, a 17-year-old girl from Lebanon, was shot and paralyzed for refusing to become a Muslim. Though the rest of her family were killed, she says, “I will offer my life for Muslims, like the one who cut my father’s throat, cursed my mother and stabbed her, and then tried to kill me. My life will be a prayer for them.”

Rejoicing after being viciously whipped… Loving those who mercilessly torture you… Dedicating your life to those who brutally killed your family… None of this is human. This is beyond human. It is the power of God at work in those who believe. In fact, the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead is within believers (Ephesians 1:18-20).

While suffering torture and death might sound like too much to handle, that is only our human weakness talking. When/if the time comes, watch and be amazed. “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10).

Christians should not fear persecution of any kind. Our faith doesn’t depend on our strength or resolve. It is God who holds on to us, and it is his power that makes us stand firm no matter how terrible the persecution may be. As it is written, “He will keep you strong to the end” (1 Corinthians 1:8).

Opposition and hostility are in the future for us as Christians. This is not a surprise and is nothing to fear. But we should keep a few things in mind if we want to conduct ourselves appropriately. If we are going to suffer, it best be for the glory of God, not 15 minutes of fame.

Some Biblical guidelines ought to be on our minds as we face a world that is hostile to God:

1. Christians should be the best neighbors, employees and citizens.
If Jesus Christ laid down his life for us, bought us to be his own, and commanded us to love our neighbors as ourselves, then Christians should stand out for their goodness. Every employer should want to hire a Christian, because Christians will do their best at anything as if they were working for God himself (Colossians 3:23). Everybody should want to live next door to a Christian, because Christians look out for their neighbors as much as themselves. Every nation should be glad to have Christians as citizens, because they will show respect to even the lousy rulers and obey even the “unfair” laws that everyone else will ignore. They will be kind and generous even if you hate them because they love even their enemies (Luke 6:27-36). If Christians lived more like Christ, we would be such a blessing to everyone that only the most heartless would want to harm us. As it says, “Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good?” (1 Peter 3:13)

2. We’ll suffer for Christ’s sake, nothing else.
“If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler” (1 Peter 4:15). Christians do not look for trouble. Rather, “God has called us to live in peace” (1 Corinthians 7:15). Show proper respect to even the most hated of rulers (1 Peter 2:17). If Christian slaves are instructed to “submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh” (1 Peter 2:18), how much more should citizens of a democracy obey leaders who represent them. The only exceptions are when we are instructed to sin. Obey all laws and respect all leaders, even those that are “harsh,” so that our defiance will not be based on personal gain of any kind. Choose your battles carefully so that everyone will know that Christians suffer for their obedience to Christ, and not money, pride or anything else that rouses anger and defiance in the rest of the world. Jesus was not tortured and killed because he was looking for a fight. At his trials before the Sanhedrin and Pontius Pilate, they could not find anything wrong he had done. In the end, he was condemned for who he was – the Son of God, the King of the Jews – not for breaking any law. Christ’s followers should not be breaking laws or even causing trouble. They should be commending their behavior to everyone’s conscience (2 Corinthians 4:2). Set such an example that “those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us” (Titus 2:7-8).

3. Suffering for Christ is a blessing to be received, not a threat to fight.
In a society with growing hostility to anything Christian, we will be tempted to fight back. After all, this was once a nation “under God” and now secularists, gays, and atheists want to throw it all away. We will want to take up lawsuits claiming religious discrimination, or label them “homofascists,” in a seemingly righteous fight for our nation’s values. I just received an email “asking for your financial and prayer support to meet this crisis of lawlessness — and make no mistake, it is a crisis.” Yes, we live in a democracy and we have small roles to play by voting and writing letters. But the bottom line is that this nation is only provisional. We belong to another kingdom that is not of this world (John 18:36), and our war is spiritual (Ephesians 6:12), about hearts and minds, not control of this world. You don’t win hearts and minds with guns and legislation –quite the opposite. The Bible says, “Do not resist an evil person” (Matthew 5:39). If someone spits in your face, wipe it off and let them spit again. If someone wants to sue you for $1,000, give them $2,000 (Matthew 5:40). If the government wants to pass laws that punish people who live like Christ, then we will have opportunity to be blessed.

As someone who has 15 years of martial arts training, I have decided that if someone was going to injure me or even kill me because I am a Christian, I would not fight back. Christ could have called twelve legions of angels to his defense but didn’t, just to fulfill what the Scriptures said (Matthew 26:53-54). He was mocked, tortured and killed simply for who he was. I follow that man and that’s the truth. I will be happy to suffer and die for what is true. However, if someone is in a drunken rage or looking to prey on someone weaker or simply wants to pad a big ego by hurting someone else, then I will unleash everything I have learned and practiced. I will not suffer for someone’s anger or ego, and I will not stand by when the weak are being preyed upon. I also will not suffer for the $50 in my wallet. They can have it. But I will not defend myself if someone attacks me for being a Christian. I will rejoice in being considered worthy of suffering for the name of Christ and receive it as a blessing, because “if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed” (1 Peter 3:14).

Again, being persecuted for Christ is a blessing. It may not be desirable and we have some role to prevent such laws, but never forget that suffering for Christ is to be blessed. Pastor Saeed Abedini of Iran is serving 8 years in prison for being a Christian, and his wife is the opposite of discouraged: “The Lord has counted our family worthy enough to send Saeed to a dark place that he would be able to share with people who are in complete despair,”she said.

Since persecution is a blessing and God’s power is behind us, then bring it on! As Christians, belonging to Jesus Christ means more to us than anything in this world. We would give our backs to the whip, our houses to the flames, our faces to fists, our dignity to mockery, our bodies to torture, our kindred to killers, and our very lives to death for the sake of Christ. With the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste, we are prepared to endure anything for the sake of our Savior who endured hell itself to love us. We would rather die with him than live without him.

Rev. Aaron Vriesman is Pastor at North Blendon Christian Reformed Church(CRC) in Hudsonville, Mich. This article first appeared on blog of the Christian Reformed The Young Adult Leadership Taskforce (YALT) and is used with permission.