So you have just "hooked a crook" for some offense, and so far so good! You have placed the arrestee securely in the backseat of your patrol vehicle with little effort (or maybe some great effort) and you are safely secured from your subject behind a metal cage. You tune the radio to a great worship station and start driving towards the jail. But are you really safe?
Only moments after you have called out to dispatch and let them know you are enroute to the jail comes something that as an officer you don't always expect but seems to happen to all of us at one time or another. From the backseat comes a foul four lettered language that is immediatly recognizable by all officers, and it doesn't have to be from the English language either. In fact, it is often in French or Spanish words as well (we are all multi linguist interrupters here) It is often closely followed by spiting or even kicking at the backseat and windows, and it may sound something like this; "F-ing cops, if you weren't wearing that badge and gun I would kick your a--." You look up into the rear view mirror, smile sheepishly and reply, "yeah buddy, I bet you would do just that! Now, just settle down partner". You turn up the radio a little louder trying to drown out the demon in your backseat, but you are about to find out that he (or she) isn't finished with this conversation as yet. "Partner this pig! Stop this car right now and I will show you who I am..... punk cop!" If any of this sounds familiar to you then you have just found yourself being"challenged from behind the cage".
Sometimes we are challenged out on the streets or in homes in much the same way but rarely are we provoked more than in that close 12" inches of personal space located behind the cage, and while enroute to the booking station. Why is that, and more importantly how does this impact you as a christian peace officer?
The short answer is that it does hurt us both professionally and personally. Why should it? Because we are human. It is not an excuse but rather it is a fact. Yes, we want to stop that patrol vehicle rip open the door and pull that arrestee out through the window and give him a true come to Jesus meeting! And unfortunately, some of us have done that and it can costs us both professionally, as well as spiritually.
So, in our search for answers to these questions let us go to the Bible for our answers. But why the Bible you ask? The Bible is actually our manual for living as Christians. Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church makes the following analogy in his book, "The Purpose Driven Life". He stated "if I handed you an invention that you had never seen and didn't know how to use, then you would need some instructions or direction from it's inventor (creator)." I like that analogy because quite simply you didn't create yourself, so without some direction from your creator, via the Bible that is God's word (your guidebook) you wouldn't know how to operate yourself. So, with that being said, I prayerfully hope that you make the Bible from this day forth your instruction manual for daily living.
The first, and most obvious response found in the Bible whenever you find yourself challenged from behind the cage, can be found in Luke 6:27-31 (NIV); "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you."
But the above Bible verse sounds to soft, too......manby-panby! Okay, but I am a policeman and what about Romans 13:1-7 ? Afterall, doesn't that verse tell us...."For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer"
But hold on now, before you say; "YES! I knew it! just what I wanted to hear! bring wrath on the wrongdoer! "That's what I'm talking about!" We need to understand that is NOT what I'm talking about. You need to remember that Satan temps us, but God tests us. The Bible states in James 1:13-14, "When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed"
Did you realize that testing by God is necessary for our spiritual growth and maturity as Christians? The Bible in James 1:2-4 tells us the following; "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything"
In other words, you can say that if you have never been tested or tried you can never share with others the joy of how God has delivered you out of the times of sin, hopelessness, or despaire thus by doing so leading others to a life with Christ. In fact, had two christian peace officers not shared their personal testimony with me about this issue I would not have been to write this article for many more, prehaps even thousands of peace officers to read.
If you haven't notice satan loves to beat up, beat down, harass, embarass, and generally supress us as Christians in any way possible and especially those of us who fullfill our role as peace officers. Why you may ask? Because we have direct Biblical authority as stated in Romans 13:1-5 we are a prime target of satan and we often get into satan's way in his quest for a lawess society.
So, whenever you are challenged from behind the cage. Just remember that satan is trying to pick us cops off one at a time and he will use anyone at anytime to do it. But to give you hope, remember that God may be testing us in order to build us spiritually stronger and more character for His glory and honor. Hebrews 13:5 tells us that God will never leave us or forsake (abandon) you. Which means God is with us at all times, even when we are challenged from behind the cage.
Some Questions To Ponder
- Have you ever found yourself being challenged from behind the cage, or on the streets?
- If Yes, what was your response to that challenge?
- Did you realize at the time that you may have been being tempted (or tested)?
- Do you think your experience in being challenged was a learning experience or just a bad experience?
