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This topic is very controversial in the church today. Jesus told us that wars and rumors of wars would precede His return, and it is a reminder that they would not go away until He does. So what do you think about war? Do you think that a Christian should fight in a war to defend his country? Should a Christian kill another person in battle? We are going to go through some of the Scriptures in the Bible and find out some answers.

 

First off, wars have been going on basically since God created man. The heart of sinful man is wicked and history tells us that he will stop at nothing to serve himself. Pride, lust, power, wickedness have all fueled man’s thirst to conquer. Over and over in the Old Testament, we see the people of Israel fighting in wars. They won, they lost, even the Lord fought for them in battles. Even today, there are wars all over the world right now. Our country is involved in major wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as other places around the globe. If you just stop and take a snap shot of what is happening at this time in history, there are wars on almost every continent in some form or another. So what is the Christian’s stance supposed to be according to the Word of God?

 

This is a very hard question. Many people’s emotions will get tied up very quickly in this. They can argue for and against war based on what they have experienced themselves or of someone close to them. They can argue based on images they have seen from the internet or the news. The thing is that this is all subjective. With the way someone may feel about it, there is always someone on the other side of it feeling the opposite way. In other words, someone fighting on one side may feel he is justified in doing what he is doing while the one on the other side may feel equally justified. There is always the other side of the story. Christians have fought in battles throughout the centuries since the church began, but should they have been?

 

As Christians, we have to find out what the Word says about it and let it dictate what we believe. As we shall see, the Bible gives us the Lord’s point of view.

 

First, let’s address Israel and its wars. The Old Testament was God’s covenant with the physical people of Israel. They were a physical people with a physical covenant. There are many instances in the Old Testament that the people of Israel fought in battles. Many times, the Lord specifically told them to fight. Look at the entrance into the Promised Land after coming out of Egypt. The books of Moses and the book of Joshua are full of these. Their obedience would result in a win in the battle and their disobedience would result in many casualties and losses. God would tell them to destroy the cities and leave nothing behind. The Old Testament is filled with many blood soaked battles. So that must mean it is ok, right?

 

Well, let’s briefly look at why they were in these battles. Remember, this is a physical people to a physical Promised Land through a physical covenant.  Everything is happening in the natural, physical world. You see it, touch it, taste it, smell, it, feel it. As Israel fought in its battles, they were either conquering the land or defending it. This was their inheritance from the Lord, and as God’s chosen people in the Old Covenant, they were cleansing the land. In other words, to receive what God had given them, they had to fight in the natural for it. They also were used by the Lord to execute judgment to the sin in the land from the other nations. We must also remember that everything that happened to them was a type in the natural that pointed us to something spiritually.   Did anything change between then and now? 

 

The New Testament, of which we are a part of, is a spiritual covenant for a spiritual people. There has been a change and for the better. Hebrews 8: 6 ..inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. The true Gospel of Jesus Christ helps us to better understand what we need to know. You see, when we repent and believe what the Bible says, we are acknowledging that we die. We die so that Jesus lives in us. The death we have is a death to self. It is a death to the old man and the sinful flesh. The battle that a Christian deals with daily is a battle between the flesh and the spirit. This is more important and should be taken more seriously than any war that man can create. This war is set for eternal consequences.  

 

Our war rages on between our born again, renewed eternal man and our unregenerate, sinful old man. The sooner we understand that the sinful man is at war with the new man, the more we will be able to fight against it. Galatians 5: 16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. In others words, our sinful nature wars against the born again spirit inside of us. Have you ever felt that war? The battle field is in your soul which is your mind, will, and your emotions. These are what can be influenced by what is being fed into it. We are told to renew our mind (Romans 12:1-2) and to renew the inward man day by day. Through this, the inward man is being saved. 2 Corinthians 4: 16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. We renew it by feeding it the Word of God, being a doer of the Word, and letting the spirit man win those battles. James 1: 21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. Notice it is by removing the sin and receiving the Word that saves our souls. Many people do not know that salvation works from the inside out. The process begins with our spirit becoming born again. Then our soul is renewed daily as we learn to live in Christ and to die to ourselves. Finally, our bodies will complete the redemption process when our Lord Jesus comes to give us our glorified, resurrected bodies (1 Corinthians 15.) This process begins the moment we repent and believe here on earth. Do not let anyone ever tell you that we have to wait until we get to Heaven to do this.

This war rages on. The lusts of our flesh feed the sinful man. The more it feeds, the more it grows and the more powerful it becomes. Many people fall into the trap of thinking if they only do just this one thing that they will be ok and never understand that they are giving life to the old man. That is why it is hard to stop once it starts. The lusts of the flesh are never satisfied, and once we are under sin, it becomes our master. Romans 6: 16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?

 

The good news is that Jesus delivered us from the power of sin and death. We must receive this by faith and believe it to truly walk this out. This is a dividing line in the Body of Christ today. Many believe that we cannot keep from sinning and are just fine living the way they want. Scripture tells us that is not so. Romans 6: 17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. 18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. Romans 6: 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. Do not let sin reign in your bodies. That means do not let it have the power or control. Does that mean we never sin? No. However, the sign of a maturing believer is the growing absence of sin in their life. We are to go on to perfection as the Bible teaches. Hebrews 6: 1 Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection… Jesus said to be perfect just as our Father in Heaven is perfect (Matthew 5:48). What does that mean? Our definition of perfect may be a little different than the Lord’s. Our perfection comes as we allow Christ’s perfect life to show through us. We cannot be perfect apart from Him. He is the only one who was sinless, and only through Him, will we go on to perfection.

 

 

Very specifically, the Bible says not to war according to the flesh or carnally. What does that mean? It means we do not fight with physical weapons to get physical results. We have to learn to think spiritually first. There is a battle alright, but look at where this battle is fought. It is a spiritual battle. Our weapons are spiritual weapons. In our covenant, the spiritual battle is fought before the physical manifests itself. Look at, according to this Scripture, the battle is being fought. It is in your mind. We are taught to take every thought, every thought, into captivity that is not in line with the Word of God. It is so important to renew our minds to the Word so that we can be transformed into the image of God. In other words, it brings Christ in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27). 

 

If there ever was Scripture on a Christian’s weapons, this is it. The symbolism is obvious. Paul goes to great lengths comparing a Christian’s battle armor to a Roman soldier. This would be like comparing it to an American soldier today. Look at what is said here. Again, we see that we do not war like everyone else. Our fight is not against flesh and blood which means against other humans. Our fight is in the spiritual realm. We fight against the evil that controls lost mankind. We are to stand in faith and trust in the Lord’s power. Notice what we use as our weapons. They have nothing to do with how many bullets I have, or how many tanks, or aircraft carriers. It has everything to do with my faith and living according to God’s Word. Look at these for a moment. Put on truth and righteousness. The Bible says that righteousness delivers from death (Proverbs 10:2, 11:4.) We are told to walk in peace, protect our mind with salvation, and to take up a shield of faith. These weapons protect us as we do battle. All of these weapons (breastplate, shield, feet covered, waist covered) are all to protect and for defense. Now notice, we do have an offensive weapon. This is stronger than any weapon man can design. It is stronger than any nuclear, chemical, or biological weapon. It is the Word of God. It is our sword, and it is the only weapon that penetrates into the spiritual realm. Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. It divides, pierces, and conquers. 

Remember, the weapons of our warfare are not in the natural. What we use, we are empowered by the Lord Himself to fight with. We are to use the power of the Word of God, the power of faith, and the power of righteousness. We are not permitted to repay evil for evil. I understand that no one wants to hear that. We are programmed to defend ourselves and to get revenge on those who wrong us. You want to know how to kill the old man? Try doing this a few times. This goes against everything our old man wants to do. Reprogram your mind to live by faith and trust that God will defend you. Look at the next verses.

 

This is hard to read. Do not resist an evil person? Turn the other check? Maybe God was mistaken when He said this J No, this is exactly what He said, and He meant it. We are to not resist the evil person. Why? What does this have to do with using our weapons? This evil person may be doing evil things, but he is a sinner just like you were before the knowledge of the Lord came to you. Jesus died for them just like He died for you. Many people have come to the Lord by the responses of a Christians. Keep reading.

Love our enemies? Pray for those who use and persecute us? This is getting even better. What could God possibly be thinking? Remember this is all in the context of finding out if war or physically fighting is something a Christian should be involved in. Clearly, the Lord does not permit us to “hate our enemies.” That is something those in the world will do. Notice that it shows us to be true sons (and daughters) of the Father. How? This is how He does His business. He brings the sun and the rain on both the wicked and the righteous. He does this to those who do not believe He exists, to those who hate Him, and to those who will not believe, and yet, He does it anyway. Ephesians 5: 1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 

  

Now you see the context of being perfect. We cannot do this by our own accord. All these things we are reading are contrary to what we would naturally want to do. It is only by humbling ourselves to His Word and moving in the power of His Spirit that will allow us to do this. Don’t believe me? I will give you an example. Remember September 11^th? Right after that, how many people did you hear wanting to kill and take revenge? Now, how many were saying to pray for those people and to not repay evil for evil? Remember, I am talking about the Christians. Which leads to the next topic…

 

Should a Christian serve in the armed forces of their countries? So far, as we have learned, that a Christian’s battle is not with flesh and blood, to not repay evil for evil, to pray for our enemies, to put on the armor of God, and to use the Word of God as our weapon. What do you think the conclusion is? Have you ever heard of a soldier praying his enemy just before he shoots him dead in battle? Do you think that a soldier would share the Gospel with someone on the other side before a missile blows up everything in its path? Do you see the contradictions? This really opens it up too. Think about it. When a Christian dies, he goes on to be with the Lord, right? If a Christian kills an enemy in battle, he sends an unbeliever straight to hell. John 3: 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. Jesus came to save, and His true followers will do the same. Here is another thought. What if two Christians are battling on opposite sides of the conflict? You have brother against brother. So who is right and justified when he kills the other? Many people, maybe some reading this, will say there have been many good Christian men and women who have protected their country, done what was right even if it meant killing the enemy in the name of freedom, and sacrificed their own lives for their country, and are you telling me that they should not have done it? This study is simply finding the Scriptures that give us the right to do it. If we find Scriptures in that support us to fight against flesh and blood, then yes. If we do not, then we have a choice to make. Personally, I have not found in anything Jesus did nor what the disciples did that suggests us to war and to fight. On the contrary, I have found what has been already mentioned above in Scripture. So the obvious question becomes, “who is going to fight for us?” That is a great question to which I answer there are plenty of others who will fight. The carnal man who does not submit to God, Christian or otherwise, they will fight. Remember, this is about us, the disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our faith and our decisions, and when we are faced with those decisions, what will we do? 

 

For anyone who is considering serving in the military, I would ask you the question, “why are you there?” 

 

Now, before moving on, we must also consider that not all members of armed forces go to battle. A medic, for example, I believe, would be a perfect place for a Christian. Why? They are there to help save lives not destroy them. 

Now this is a good time to look at Ecclesiastes. According to Scripture, there is a time to kill and a time for war. How does this fit in? We can look at this by itself and use it as a means to justify a fight in the flesh, but does it line up with the rest of the New Testament doctrine? Remember, everything that was written was a type for the New Covenant people. 1 Corinthians 10: 11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Our war, as we have discovered, is not with flesh and blood. We fight according to the Spirit and do battle through the Spirit of God. A New Testament Christian’s time to kill may not be what most will think. It is the old man that is killed as we take on the new man in Christ Jesus. Remember, flesh and blood cannot enter the kingdom of God so it must be put to death. The Gospel of Jesus Christ teaches us that we are to die daily and Romans 13: 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. The old sinful nature must be crucified so it does not rule over us. There is a time to kill alright, but it is a killing of ourselves. We war and fight the good fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12). We war against the demonic realm. Our battle as we have learned is not against flesh and blood. So our time to kill and time of war takes a whole new meaning when we look at it from a New Testament and spiritual understanding. 

Isn’t interesting that when we read the New Testament that our nationality has no place anymore unlike Israel of the Old Testament? We lose our physical nationality when we become part of the body of Christ. We become part of a worldwide nation called New Testament, spiritual Israel. Too much patriotism in one’s country can give you spiritual blindness. Listen to this.

 

We are a holy people, set apart by God, who must keep the things of God in our minds at all times. Notice the words that describe us, chosen, royal, holy, special, sojourners, and pilgrims. God has separated you from the rest of this world and the rest of the nations. He has called you out to be His people. 2 Corinthians 6: 17 Therefore "Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you." 18 "I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty." Our loyalty, our nation, is the body of Christ; it is spiritual Israel, the true Church. It is not the four walls that surround us. It is the living, breathing body of Christ made up of believers everywhere with Jesus as the head. A pilgrim or sojourner by definition is one that is not in his own land. That should make you think. 

 

Do you see that our nationality is nothing this world can give us? We have passed from death to life, and from a earthly kingdom to a heavenly one. These is referring to all of those mentioned in Hebrews 11 as having died in faith looking forward to that nation that was theirs. They cannot inherit it apart from us. 39 And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, 40 God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us. This is our nation. It is made up of those of faith.

Let’s look at what Jesus said. He was standing in front of Pilate before being crucified and was asked if He was a king and about His kingdom. 

Notice Jesus point blank says His kingdom is not of this world or His servants would fight. If His kingdom is not of this world, our kingdom is not of this world. If you remember, someone did try to fight for Jesus. The Gospel of John says it was Peter. The one who said he would give his life for Jesus. He tried to fight for Jesus on the night He was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane. He was proving he was willing to lay down his life for Jesus.

Jesus told him to put away his weapon because those who use it will die with it. Jesus could have stopped what was happening and said so. So why didn’t He? Why did He choose to trust in the Father and trust what the Word said? If there was ever an opportunity to fight, this was it. Yet, it was Jesus said to put away the weapon. To make things even more challenging, He bent down, picked up that severed ear, and healed the man. This was one who was coming to arrest Him. This also taught Peter a very valuable lesson of faith toward God. At the end of Peter’s life, he also was taken away much like Jesus. John 21: 18 Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish." 19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. Notice what Jesus told Peter. There is a warning against taking up the sword to fight in the flesh. If we use it, it will be returned to us. This warning is also given again in Revelation.

There is coming a kingdom ruled by the spirit of antichrist. The spirit of antichrist is already in the world and will rule through a beast kingdom for three and a half years very soon. We are given a warning in Revelation about fighting against this kingdom. God gives the beast authority to make war with the saints, but the saints are not permitted to fight back in the flesh. Look at verse 10. That is hard to grasp if we are thinking carnally. If we are being persecuted against, we want to fight back. That is how the sinful man thinks. If we are following the mind of the flesh, that is exactly what we will do. Do we have ears to hear? The faith and patience of the saints comes through obedience to God’s Word no matter the cost. He who kills with the sword must be killed by the sword. This is a clear warning against the desire to fight back and trusting in our own protection. Do we trust in our own ability to defend ourselves or do we trust God who raises the dead? 

 

We pray this study has challenged you and got you thinking about what the Word truly says regarding this subject. 

May the grace of our God and Father be with you all.