Does a sincere Christian law enforcement officer have an advantage to do their job more effectively over other law enforcement officers who do not follow Christ?

I’ve had the privilege to personally know and work with several Christian cops who made it a point to pray for their jobs while driving to their station and during their shift.  As a result of their prayers, I saw these officers come upon various crimes in-progress or during a simple traffic stop find illegal weapons or drugs.  On the other hand, one officer told me when he’d forget to pray, his day would not be as effective as on the days when he prayed for God’s blessing and direction.

If you’re a Christian cop, you already know you’re not immune from witnessing some of the most atrocious sights imaginable to man—heinous homicides, despicable child abuse or neglect, deplorable living conditions, the dregs of society, horrendous car wrecks, or people filled with pride and lust and every other evil known to man.

So, how can a Christian cop be effective?  I received an email from a Christian officer (now retired) who said when he was on many death investigations, family members would often ask if he thought their loved one was in heaven which provided him an opportunity to share his faith with them.

But how effective do you think a Christian cop would be if they had to use deadly force?  Do you think they’d be impervious from suffering any emotional, long-term trauma?  Well, check out what this same Christian officer wrote to me about his second officer-involved shooting:

My second O.I.S. was horrific to my mind and soul which has affected my ability to recall many events of my police service.  (By the way, since I retired, the stress in my neck and back is almost gone.)

I was outside the home of a man with a history of mental illness armed with a knife who tried to kill me.  As he came toward me, I gave him numerous commands to drop the knife while at the same time backing away.  I remember saying to myself, "I am not going to die today"; and, with my finger on the trigger of my 9MM, I said to myself, "Don't shoot—keep backing away."  I really thought this 22 year old man would drop the knife if I kept ordering him to do so as I backed away.  Suddenly, from a distance of three feet, he raised the knife toward my chest.  It was then that I heard an audible voice inside my mind say, "Now", at which time I fired two rounds to stop him.  The calm voice I heard say, "Now", was not my voice.  It was the angel the LORD assigned to protect me.  This all happened in about five seconds but it seemed like five minutes.

Just before I fired, I looked into the suspect’s eyes and knew he was demon-possessed.  Just after my second shot finally stopped him, I watched his face, filled with torture, change to fear.  I knew he was dying and prayed that the LORD would speak to him so that he could receive Christ before his soul left his body.  He died at a local hospital a short time later.

I know the LORD has a plan for everything and I believe that second OIS was part of His plan because I know my actions prevented the suspect from stabbing my partner or four nearby citizens.

Most importantly, those shootings caused me to spend a lot more time helping those with mental illness, both on and off-duty.  As a matter of fact, after this incident, I was able to negotiate a deranged man with a knife and despondent man with a gun into surrendering without incident.  I realized that by following the Lord’s plans (and not mine), He allowed me to do a lot of good by helping those mentally ill.

A lot of cops (Christian and non-Christian) can relate to what this officer has experienced.  But the advantage this officer has can be found in this following promise God made to Joshua many years ago and applicable to us today:  “Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous...^"1

And so, may every law enforcement officer (especially those with PTSD symptoms) know, “The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.”²