A few years ago, our special weapons team responded to a neighboring county to assist with a domestic violence call. A guy assaulted his wife, then barricaded himself inside when the police showed up. Since he was possibly armed, we used an armored vehicle to approach the residence. After several minutes of addressing the suspect over the PA system, it was clear he wasn’t coming out.

The suspect didn’t yet realize that surrender was his only option. We weren’t leaving. And, if he wouldn’t come out, we would go in and get him. The ten-foot ram on the front of the armored truck allowed us to enter his inner sanctum without leaving the vehicle. We pushed open the front door with the ram, which gave us a clear view into the house. It also tested his resolve to resist.

This was a nice house. I don’t think the guy initially understood the stakes. However, once the door came off its hinges, and he saw his front porch collapsing, he lost his resolve. He quickly came out and gave up. Then he offered a lame excuse of being asleep and oblivious to the police pounding on his door. It turned out his resistance was weak. But that’s not always the case.

On a similar call at another location, a wanted suspect shot the armored vehicle as it breached his front door. Unlike the first suspect, this guy was “all in.” He decided he wasn’t going to surrender, even as the ram dismantled the front of his house. Instead, he took his own life, deciding he would rather die than submit. Two different suspects, two different levels of resistance. One lived to see another day, the other did not.

The irony is, neither of these calls had to escalate. A simple surrender was all that was required. We went to great lengths to persuade these men to do what they should have done in the first place. Yet, as foolish as they were, it’s difficult for me to judge them. I tend to act the same way toward the Almighty. I wonder to what lengths God has gone to gain my compliance? How much trouble have I brought on myself by resisting what I should have done in the first place?

For years, I barricaded myself in a rebellious lifestyle. Protected by thick walls of self-will, God showed up and told me to come out. I refused. I wanted to live my way. God wanted surrender. When He tested my resolve, however, I realized my weakness and respectfully relented. I chose surrender. Best decision I ever made.

“O Lord, I am your servant; yes, I am your servant, born into your household; you have freed me from my chains.” (Psalm 116:16)