How do you weigh out verses in the Bible on the Lord's protection vs the verse on martyrdom? Do we have a choice whether to be a martyr or to be protected? Most Christians tend to believe that there is no choice when it comes to being a martyr, that God is the one making the choice for us. But is that what the Bible tells us? Jesus made a choice to lay His life down. It was not taken from Him. We can't let the enemy talk us into laying down lives before our purpose is complete.