The 10 Tenets of Christian Masculinity

A guide to virtuous manhood.

A man must live by a code. In our age of subjectivity and relativism, even Christian men have lost sight of the principles that should guide us. Here are ten tenets of Christian masculinity for the modern man.

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10. Thou Shalt Live to Serve God and Others

A Christian man must recognize that his purpose in life is to serve. He understands that his life should be a living offering (Romans 12:1), meaning every action, every decision, every hour is consecrated to God's purposes rather than his own comfort or ambition. Thus he is willing to sacrifice his own desires for the sake of those he loves and in order to fulfill the mission God has entrusted to him. He serves God by using his gifts and talents in a way that glorifies Him, and he serves others by ensuring his life is productive and his example and endeavors help others move towards the good.

“Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
— Matthew 20:28

9. Thou Shalt Live Intentionally

In this epidemic of inertia, where most men just drift through life letting circumstances determine their fate, never actively choosing a direction, a man of faith must be mindful and aware of the decisions he makes. He must pray on them, discern carefully, invite God into his decision-making process, and commit to a course of action voluntarily. He doesn’t let inertia or outside influences lead him, and he lives intentionally every day, knowing why he does what he does.

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.
— Ephesians 5:15-16

8. Thou Shalt Not Use Thy Faith As An Excuse for Weakness

It’s a shame how so many Christian men use their faith to justify their effeminacy, their acedia, or their overall lack of fortitude. They quote 'blessed are the meek' to avoid confrontation, cite 'turn the other cheek' to excuse cowardice, or appeal to 'God's mercy' to rationalize refusing to fight their sins. But this is a perversion of the Gospel.

Our faith is the faith of martyrs, warriors, kings, prophets and saints. None of them have ever been weak. We all sin, we all struggle, but sanctity will never be accomplished by those too weak to fight. Christian men must strive to become mentally, spiritually, and physically stronger, understanding that the life of man on earth is warfare (Job 7:1), and we need to be prepared for that reality.

Therefore take the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the equipment of the gospel of peace; above all taking the shield of faith, with which you can quench all the flaming darts of the evil one.

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
— Ephesians 6:13-17

7. Thou Shalt Live Chastely

Men do hard things. And in a society that constantly pushes sexual sin as “freedom”, fighting to remain chaste is one of the hardest battles we could undertake.

Sexual immorality wrecks you. It clouds your intellect, confuses your understanding, makes you prideful and disobedient. It’s a terrible sin.

Christian masculinity means being radical in rejecting sin, and that includes sins of the flesh. We must give God our entire selves, not just pick and choose what’s most convenient for us. A real Christian man strives to live a life of chastity, understanding not only how it damages his own soul, but recognizing that when men pursue disordered gratification they become incapable of genuine sacrificial love, faithful marriage, and selfless fatherhood. Sexual immorality destroys individuals, and slowly erode the foundations of a healthy culture, gravely harming society as a whole.

For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like heathen who do not know God.
— 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5

6. Thou Shalt Accept the Burden of Leadership

Our God-given leadership —over our families and communities— is in many ways a heavy burden. Being a leader implies being responsible for those who follow you. That means that if you make a bad decision, it’s not just you who suffers, but all of those who love you and trust your leadership. This is a heavy weight to carry. A Christian man, however, carries it willingly. He doesn’t seek to burden others with a responsibility that is his, he doesn’t make his woman carry it, and he does his best to imitate Christ in his leadership.

Christian masculinity demands that we step into the role God has created us for, attempting to act according to His will at every step of the way.

Tend the flock of God that is your charge, not by constraint but willingly, not for shameful gain but eagerly, not as domineering over those in your charge but being examples to the flock.
— 1 Peter 5:2-3