The Bulletproof Man

Why Those Who Have Nothing to Lose Fear Nothing at All

We live in a fearful age. It’s not that people are necessarily walking the streets trembling; it’s subtler than that. We fear financial instability. We fear being overlooked. We fear losing influence, relationships, security, and the esteem of others. And beneath all these fears lies a deeper one: the dread of losing what we believe we cannot live without.

Scripture tells us that fear and discontentment often spring from the same root (Heb. 13:5-6). So, when the heart is tethered to earthly comforts, the soul becomes brittle. Concerning discontentment, the man or woman who must have “just a little more” will always be terrified of losing the little they already have. The writer of Hebrews, being keenly aware of this reality, cuts the nerve of fear by confronting the heart’s restless grasping. He writes, “Be content with what you have, for He has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” Put differently: God-centered contentment produces God-wrought courage.

There is a boldness that belongs only to the contented. The source of this emboldened contentment rests in the fact that their source of joy lies beyond the reach of circumstance.

The Cowardice Born from Covetousness

We often think of covetousness as an issue of greed, and I’m not denying that, but Scripture presents it as an issue of worship. Coveting reveals what we believe will finally make us whole. And because the covetous heart clings tightly to created things, it lives in constant fear of losing them.

Many Christians remain timid in the public square because their hopes are bound up in being accepted. Others turn a blind eye to workplace corruption because they cannot bear the thought of losing a paycheck. Still others remain silent about Christ because their reputation feels too precious to risk.

We fear losing what we secretly worship.

The discontented heart becomes defensive, clingy, suspicious, and anxious. It cannot stand firm, because it is always negotiating for safety. The discontented heart cannot be emboldened because its source of joy is within reach of the enemy. How could I dare to stand boldly when the most precious part of me lies in the hands of the world? If we find our source of contentment rooted in the gifts of God, which we have made into gods themselves, we will crumble when the world threatens to strip us of those gifts. Knowing this tactic, the world will squeeze your idol until you break and bow in submission to their will.

But Scripture gives us another vision. The Bible suggests that there is a boldness that can flow from the soul that rests in the presence and promise of God.

The Freedom of Those Who Know God Is with Them

When Hebrews 13:5-6 promises the ever-abiding presence of God, it cites an Old Testament promise found in passages like Gen. 28:15, Deuteronomy 31:6, and Joshua 1:5. In each of these cases, whether God is speaking to Jacob or Joshua, God soothes their fears in the face of uncertainty, not by promising ease, but by promising His presence.

The response that the writer of Hebrews provides is taken from Psalm 118:6, which says, “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” The writer of Hebrews adopts this confession as the believer’s response to God’s promise. In other words, the Christian who knows that God Himself is near—that God Himself is their portion—can stand steadfastly even when earthly securities shake loose. The promise of God to Jacob and Joshua in the face of uncertainty is therefore extended to these troubled Hebrews and to us today.

This is why the early Christians baffled the Roman world. Threats could not manipulate them. Loss could not silence them. They had found their treasure in Heaven, and no earthly thief could touch it. They were not reckless, but they were free.

A moving example of this comes from the fourth century. A Christian woman named Julitta was being wronged by a powerful man who had been stealing her property. Deciding to make her case known in court, the man, fearing he would lose, stood up and claimed that her case couldn’t be heard because she was a Christian who had not offered incense to Caesar. Upon hearing this, the Judge immediately called for her to offer incense so her case might be considered. When she refused to renounce Christ in exchange for a fair hearing, the judge condemned her to death. Her response is recorded for us: “Away with life! Away with possessions! I would rather lose my life than speak a single word against God, my Maker.”

Witnesses later testified that she ran toward the fire “as if running to some sweet pleasure,” her face serene with spiritual joy. Her contentment made her bold. She possessed nothing that could be taken from her—not because she owned little, but because Christ owned her.

The Pattern of Christ Himself

This bold contentment is nothing less than the mind of Christ. When the Devil offered Him “all the kingdoms of the world and their glory,” He turned it down. He refused the world because He was satisfied in the Father. And that deep, holy contentment became the soil in which His courage flourished—courage to suffer, courage to obey, courage to die, courage to rise. We fear because our hearts are divided. Christ did not fear because His joy was whole.

If we are honest, where Christ refused the world for the glory of the Father, we often refuse Christ for less than pennies. Much of our modern fear comes from misplaced treasure. We fear losing approval because we crave being admired. We fear losing income because we lean on financial security. We fear losing influence because our reputation has become a quiet idol.

With that in mind, we should know that the call to “Be content with what you have” is not a call to mediocrity, but a summons to spiritual bravery. When you no longer need what the world offers, you can stand firm when the world demands your compromise.

Contentment Makes the Soul Unshakeable

A contented Christian is a bold Christian. When Christ is your peace, no job can give it, and no employer can take it. When Christ is your joy, rejection cannot sour it. When Christ is your security, threats lose their teeth.

This is why the writer of Hebrews anchors contentment in the presence of God. The promise—“I will never leave you nor forsake you”—is not some empty sentimental comfort. It is a battle cry. If you must lose your popularity for walking with Christ, then rejoice in knowing that you plus Heaven makes a majority. If you must lose your job for speaking out against corruption, then rejoice knowing that your Father owns the cattle on a thousand hills.

Beloved, when your greatest treasure is seated at the right hand of God, your courage becomes untouchable. You can lose status, wealth, opportunity—even life itself—and still stand tall, because your portion is the Lord. The believer who walks through life with this mentality is, in some sense, bulletproof as they lay up for themselves treasures that moth nor rust can corrupt.

The most dangerous man to the world is a content Christian. It’s men like those who turn the world upside down. So lift your heads. Be content in Christ. And walk boldly among a trembling world.

Cover Photo: A statue of St. Paul the Apostle in the Papal Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome, Italy. Photo by Nick Castelli Photography (nickcastelliphotocatholic.com).