Do not fear those who kill the body

The church has gone through multiple scenes of persecution in which many have cost their lives not to deny their faith, and the Bible encourages us on this subject, that we should not fear those who persecute us because of the gospel, well, if God is with us, who is against us? And this is a fact, Christ told us that we would go through persecutions and we should be prepared for it and never retreat.

Before Christ being crucified and departing to the kingdom of heaven, He left a series of recommendations for His disciples, and specifically in the book of Matthew chapter ten. He gave recommendations to His disciples and at the same time He predicted what would happen to them because of their faith in Him. Jesus told them that they would pass various trials, that they would be persecuted and hated by all, that they would be brought before governors for the sake of Christ, in short, to bear the name of Christ would have a high cost.

But in the midst of such tribulations we have a living hope, and is that that we serve the living God. Christ said to His disciples:

27 What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.

28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Matthew 10:27-28

We have been called to proclaim a message, and that message entrusted to us is the message of the Gospel, that Christ lived among us as a man, suffered death on the cross, rose on the third day and comes for His church. And we must preach this out there, where they do not know Christ, regardless of the dangers we might run, this is the price of the gospel, suffering for Him as He suffered for us.

Verse 28 is a verse that should cause us great encouragement today, since Christ tells us that those who persecute us can only kill the body, but they can not touch our soul, which is what has most value in reality. And later He commands us to fear the only one who can destroy the soul and body in hell. Our fear of God is not negotiable, we must always maintain that loyalty and that fear of our great Creator.

Let us continue running this race and have faith because our reward is great in the kingdom of heaven, and no one can take it from us.

Throughout Christian history, the blood of the martyrs has been called “the seed of the Church,” because every time persecution has risen, God has raised up a stronger, purer, and more committed people. The early believers understood that following Christ was not a path of comfort but a path of surrender and sacrifice, and they embraced it with courage that can only come from the Holy Spirit. Many of them faced imprisonment, exile, torture, and death, yet they remained firm because their eyes were not fixed on this present world but on the eternal kingdom promised by Christ. Their example strengthens us today, for the same God who sustained them continues to sustain His people. Persecution does not diminish the Church; it purifies it, strengthens it, and reveals the genuine faith of those who truly belong to Christ.

In moments of opposition, the believer is reminded that our identity is not rooted in worldly acceptance but in our union with Jesus. When we suffer for His name, we are participating in the same sufferings that He endured, and Scripture says we are blessed when this happens. It is a privilege—not a tragedy—to be counted worthy of bearing reproach for Christ. The world may reject us, accuse us, or threaten us, but none of these things can remove us from the hand of God. Christ warned us beforehand so we would not be surprised when trials come. Instead, we are to stand firm, remembering that persecution is temporary, but the glory that awaits us is eternal. Every hardship endured for Christ will be rewarded, and every tear shed for His name will be remembered.

Therefore, as we continue proclaiming the gospel with boldness, we do so not in our own strength but in the assurance that Christ Himself walks with us. He is our defender, our refuge, and our eternal reward. The fear of man loses its power when the fear of God governs our hearts. The threats of this world fade when we consider the promises of eternity. Let us resolve, then, to stand firm even when the cost is high, to preach the message entrusted to us with unwavering conviction, and to endure hardships with the confidence that our labor in the Lord is never in vain. The King who calls us to suffer for Him is the same King who will crown us with everlasting life.