“The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force” (Matt. 11:12). In his book Heaven Taken by Storm, Thomas Watson discusses how it is necessary for Christians to be violent in their pursuit of Christ-likeness. Heaven is not inherited by meekness or laziness but by violence. Watson contends that Christians need to be violent for truth and holiness. It is his hope that his readers will be encouraged to take righteousness seriously.
Watson uses the image of a storm to convey this violence. With Hurricane Harvey destroying thousands of homes and Irma looming on the horizon, we know all too well how violent storms can be. Watson says we need to be this violent, or more violent, as we seek to follow Christ. Only once this is done will we inherit the kingdom of heaven. Indifference or halfheartedness, says Watson, does not gain heaven.
Violent to Whom?
Watson first argues that Christians must be violent against themselves. We need to work to kill sin and awaken ourselves from spiritual slumber. This is done through several means. Primarily, we offer violence to ourselves through the spiritual disciplines related to God’s Word. These include reading, hearing, and meditating on the Word. Watson does an excellent jobs of adhering to a high view of Scripture. God still speaks to us through his Word.
Then, Watson says we should offer violence through prayer by boldly approaching the throne of grace as we examine ourselves. In doing so, we are to ponder the wonders and beauties of God while gaining an understanding of our own sinfulness. Watson ends this section with a chapter on keeping the Sabbath holy and a chapter on holy conversations.
After offering violence to himself, Watson claims the Christian must offer violence to Satan, the world, and then to heaven. We offer violence to Satan through faith and prayer. As Watson says, we overcome Satan “upon our knees.” We can take comfort in the fact that Satan has already been defeated. Next, violence to the world is necessary because it is deceitful, defiling, and perishing. Watson says that if we do not offer violence to the world, we will become like it.
Further, we offer violence to heaven because we must take pains for it. Heaven is a matter of utmost importance; it should occupy our highest priority. Watson argues that if worldly things require labor to obtain, won’t heavenly treasure require more? Thus, he says we must offer great violence to obtain heaven.
Are We Saved by “Violence”?
On first impression, it may seem as though Watson is promoting salvation by works. If we can only be saved if we perform these disciplines violently, then is Watson contending that we are saved by works, not faith? Far from it. Watson understands that we are saved by grace alone through faith alone. He knows that we do not have the power in ourselves to do any of this.
Yet, Watson argues, we must offer violence because God wills it. We may not have the power to save ourselves, but we need to pursue our salvation “because God has made a promise of grace, as well as to grace.” Moreover, there is joy in following Christ. Indeed, Paul says that his delight is in the law of God. Not only is there happiness in heaven but also in the way to heaven. Nothing on this earth is worth fighting for. But heaven is. We must avoid laziness and actively fight for holiness in order to inherit the kingdom of heaven. Christ will be with us.
Why Speak of Violence?
Throughout the book, Watson bases his arguments off of the language of Scripture. In the Bible, inheriting heaven is not a simple endeavor. The lazy or meek do not win heaven. We must fight for it. Luke 13:24 says to “strive to enter the narrow gate.” As Ephesians 6:12 says, we are also to wrestle with our sin. This is a violent exercise. Watson says that dealing with sin and striving for heaven are not easy things to do; we must be violent in them.
Watson further uses the language in 1 Timothy 6:12 to show how this violence is necessary. Paul says that we need to “fight the good fight of faith.” We must be warriors. And according to Acts 26:18, we must take the kingdom of heaven. This is not a passive exertion but a very active and difficult one. We must be violent.
Conclusion
Watson’s devotion to the Holy Scriptures is very refreshing. While I rejoice that there has been a great resurgence towards the inerrancy of Scripture and taking God at his Word, it is still very prevalent in our culture to hear false teaching. It is always good for my soul to read the Puritans. Though it is profitable to read books that expound upon the Scriptures, we can learn from the Puritans that this is no substitute for the Word of God itself.
Heaven Taken by Storm is a very practical book about Christian living. It demonstrates the passion Christians should have to strive to take heaven. Thomas Watson vividly displays how we as Christians need to view our earthly lives: as a battleground. It is a timely book for the watered-down version of Christianity that pervades our culture. We must be steadfast and passionate in following Christ. I encourage you, get a copy, and read it. More importantly, read, study, and meditate on the Word of God and take heaven by storm.