Last Updated on January 2, 2020 by OCF Communications
The topic was discussed on the OCF Crosspoint podcast. Listen below:
As it must to every Christian soldier, this question presented itself to me. It was something that could not be ignored, but had to be solved. As I studied the history of war and military operations I was struck with the horror of war.
I think everybody who gives the matter any thought must realize the terrible nature of destructive action of armies. There is no need to describe these things; we all know them. When we think of the conditions prevailing in the world today we cannot pass them off with indifference. I had to solve this question for myself.
As a Christian, I knew that the Lord had told us in the Bible that we should love our enemies and pray for them, that we should return good for evil, that the peacemakers are blessed, that vengeance is His, not ours, that they that take the sword shall perish by the sword, that as far as in us lies we should keep peace with our neighbors.
We find also that as Christians serving as living epistles of the Lord, our weapons in the warfare of the soul are not carnal, but rather spiritual. in fact, the only weapon for the Christian in his war against the enemies of the soul is the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. As individuals there is no place for hatred in us. I cannot see myself willingly killing anyone. I don’t even hunt, because I don’t like to see animals suffer.
On the other hand, I know that I am and have been for years a Christian. I realize that I have no righteousness of my own, that in the judgment of a holy and just God, I had no hope for eternity. I trusted my life to the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave His life on the cross, an offering of His own soul for sin, my sin. On the cross, God laid on Him the iniquity of us all, making Him, who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might be the righteousness of God in Him.
He came to this world that He might die for us; all other reasons are secondary. When I trusted in Him, God forgave me my sins, justified me legally in the person of my substitute, Christ, gave me eternal life, and made me a child of God and a member of the body of Christ through the new birth and baptism by the Holy Spirit. There are many other things that God in His infinite love and grace has done for me in and through the Lord Jesus Christ. I know them because His Spirit bears witness with my spirit in this assurance. If there is one thing that I do know it is Him whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have confided to Him.
As I started to consider the matter of being a soldier and a Christian at the same time, I recalled immediately those men of the past who were soldiers and yet were men of God: Abraham, who fought the four kings; Joshua, who served the Lord; David, who killed Goliath and then led his armies in war and who then received from God one of the greatest promises ever given to man; and those who in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews are described as having through faith in God subdued kingdoms, waxed valiant in fight, and turned to flight the armies of the aliens. In our own national history all know that George Washington and Robert E. Lee were simple Christians, and yet among the great soldiers of history.
Another thing that I realized was that David, soldier that he was, yet would not kill his worst enemy, Saul, when he had him at a disadvantage and helpless. It is quoted of Lee that he said that never did he pass a day without praying for the Union soldiers.
In the New Testament we find four soldiers, centurions or captains in the Roman army. the Lord said of one of these that he had greater faith than Christ had found in Israel. Another, at the cross, believed in Jesus as the Son of God. To the third God sent Peter to introduce the gospel to the Gentiles. When this man heard the gospel he believed and the Holy Spirit was given to him immediately. There is no indication that any of these discontinued his military service, nor is there any command in the New Testament that a Christian should not be a soldier. On the other hand, there is a mandate given by the Lord through Paul that we should remain in the calling in which we are called (I Corinthians 7:20).
I investigated further. I found that the Lord gave Joshua instructions for the capture of Jericho, that He promised the Children of Israel victory over their enemies if they would serve Him, defeat if they did not. These are there to read if anyone desires. In Hebrews, it says that it was by faith that the walls of Jericho fell. As a soldier I know they would never have fallen that way except by faith. The fact that there were cases in which war was commanded by God to the Israelites and therefore justified is undoubted. In view of God’s command, to say that war is invariably sinful is to say that God told Israel to sin, and is therefore an attack on the character of God (James 1:13). On the other hand, what are the conditions under which such war might be legitimate?
Experience shows that to appease an aggressor whether he be a school-yard bully or an Adolf Hitler, merely encourages him to further and greater aggression.
Murder and Judicial Death
The fundamental characteristic of war is the taking of human life. We know that the Ten Commandments, in the King James Version says “thou shalt not kill.” The Hebrew word, RATSACH, is more correctly translated murder. Thus the commandment should read, “thou shalt not murder,” which is the translation of the New American Standard Bible. The same Lord said in the following chapter of Exodus that death should be the punishment for certain crimes.
Murder is everywhere in the Scripture recognized as sinful and to be condemned. Judicial death for the purpose of maintaining justice or righteousness is equally well established. This is found initially in the judgment of death on Adam and Eve and the entire race; in the commandment given to Noah that those who shed man’s blood should by man be slain; in the flood, where God took the lives of the entire race except Noah and the family; in the judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah, and in many other places.
We see the same thing in present civilizations. The death penalty is a necessary part of the penal system although many deny this. Few question the right of police to employ their weapons in enforcing the law, when such employment is necessary. The fact that some policemen may use excessive force or are dishonest, and controlled by dishonest politicians and lawyers, does not mean that the police should have their arms taken from them. Police have had to be armed and trained in the use of their arms, because criminals use such weapons without compunction.
The maintenance and operation of the police power is recognized in the New Testament as well as in the Old. It seems to me rather obvious that, in a community where individual freedom of will exists, order and security can be maintained only by force in the final analysis. Persuasion can go only so far. If a criminal insists on pursuing his criminal way, force is the only known method of protecting the law-abiding citizen.
The military forces of the nation are only an extension of the police system. Its legitimate purpose is to insure the peace and security of the nation from outside aggression and in case of domestic insurrections. Just as policemen must be especially armed and trained, so must soldiers. Navies and armies cannot be improvised overnight.
Whether or not the military forces are used purely for the protection of the nation is a question of policy in the government. The fact that the police may be under a dishonest politician or may be connected with graft does not reduce the necessity for police. The Army and Navy are also the servants of the nation and are used for the purposes of national defense policy.
In connection with purely defensive purposes may be found offensive action. Our nationals, missionaries, and commercial people may be legitimately in some more distant part of the world. Normally the laws of the nations where they are protect them adequately. However, sometimes it becomes necessary to protect them by force. The war has to be fought where the protection is to be afforded. Not only that, but a war once entered into may often be terminated only by the definite defeat of the enemy. The strategic situation may be such that offensive action is necessary. The defensive alone rarely gains the end sought.
Certain New Testament passages are quoted by pacifists in support of their position. We are to love our enemies (Matthew 5:44). This is a definite command, to be obeyed. But what shall we do when we have to choose between two loves? For example, should one defend his mother who is about to be attacked by a criminal, or should he allow the latter to commit his vicious attack? And is permissiveness to a criminal act really an act of love toward the criminal? It is evident that exaggerated permissiveness to children is very likely to encourage them to juvenile crime and worse later. “Blessed are the peacemakers . . . (Matthew 5:9).”
This also is true, but when our efforts to be at peace fail, must we then submit to the aggressor? The Apostle Paul tells us that we should be at peace with others to the extent that it lies within us (Romans 12:18). Obviously the aggressor himself removes the possibility of peace unless we surrender. If struck on one cheek we are to turn the other (Matthew 5:39), thus giving the aggressor an opportunity to desist, avoiding a fight. But, if he does not desist and renews the attack, nothing is said about again turning the other cheek.
Actually, experience shows that to appease an aggressor whether he be a school-yard bully or an Adolf Hitler, merely encourages him to further and greater aggression. The Lord told Peter that they who take the sword shall perish by the sword (Matthew 26:52). This certainly is historically true as regards nations, but most soldiers, from private to general, die of natural causes. Among nations, in the absence of an effective world government, it is a case of dog eat dog; so also with criminal gangs. Ordinary citizens are or should be protected by the government.
Christ did not allow Peter to defend Him by force because He had come in the world to die for the sins of men in order that they might be forgiven and reconciled to God. It will be otherwise when He comes again in mighty power and glory (Matt. 24:30; II Thess. 1:7-9; Rev. 1:7; 19:11-21).
During the Lord’s earthly ministry, He provided for and protected the disciples, but as He prepared to depart, He told them that if they had no sword, to sell their clothing in order to buy one (Luke 22:35-38). Why was this appropriate? Romans 1:18-32 tells us that in order to reveal His wrath against men’s rebellion against Him, God has given them up to all of those personal moral evils which cause the troubles in society, among which is war. In Old Testament times, the nation Israel lived in just such a world, and today, so does the Christian.
I therefore believe that the military profession is a legitimate one. I feel no twinge of conscience in the matter, although my conscience frequently bothers me excessively in other matters where I discover I am wrong. On the other hand, I feel that if the Lord had wanted me to leave the Army, He would have let me know and, as a Christian, I trust that I would have been prepared to leave at once. It might also be necessary sometimes for an officer to resign his commission even under persecution if it becomes clear that to remain in the military would be contrary to what he believes right. Such was the situation which faced Lee and other officers at the beginning of the Civil War.
Meeting Objections of Those Who Believe Defensive Warfare is Wrong
There are several points which interest me, things which I have read or heard asserted by those who oppose national defense.
First, there are those who say that wars never settle anything. If by that they mean that war does not end wars and produce a permanently static civilization, I agree with them. The human race is constantly changing, generations dying, new ones being born. Civilization is fluid. But I think that war has settled some things, many of them of great importance. It was by war that Lot was saved from the Babylonians. War gave the land of Canaan to the Jews, war took it away from them.
War established the Roman Empire, in which there was a century or more of as nearly complete peace as has ever existed in civilized lands. War prevented the Saracens from completely dominating Europe. War gained the American Independence and definitely put an end to slavery. War put an end to Napoleon.
I don’t intimate that these results could not have been obtained in a much better way. I don’t know of a war which could not have been settled peaceably if men had been peaceably inclined.
The Emptiness of War’s Pomp and Glory
Another thing I frequently hear about is the ambition of soldiers for the pomp and glory of war and for such promotion as may be found. There may be some pomp and circumstances in parades and other things done in the training of troops. But I don’t know of any pomp and glory in war. It is mostly mud, rain, heat, cold, hunger and thirst, not to speak of the constant danger and death. I don’t know any soldier who wants a war.
As to promotion, there is very little of that. A few men get reputations, most of us merely work hard. Few people except soldiers can appreciate the moral responsibility which a commander accepts. On his decisions the lives of thousands of men may be lost. Is his decision correct? Is it necessary? The mental strain on commanders is beyond the comprehension of most people. At the end of the war the temporary rank is often lost. Many of the generals go back to a lower rank. They get nothing out of it except in a few isolated cases.
Another point is the belief that military forces bring on war. That is not true in our country. In the United States, the military are the servants of the nation. The nation goes to war. We fight it and finish it. The Armed Forces no more start a war than does a policeman. The policeman begins to function when normal rules of conduct cease to function.
There is a lot of talk also about the fact that preparedness starts war. This is another one of those half-truths. The truth is that the lack of preparedness invites plunder and aggression. Preparedness may avoid war. It is practically certain that if the United States had been reasonably prepared in 1916-1917, Germany would never have dared to draw us into the war. They grossly underestimated our capacity.
Of course, there is always the fact that military preparedness leads to international suspicion and ultimately to war. This is because nations do not trust one another, and certainly there is little reason to do so. As a result, the burden of armaments is almost unbearable. When one thinks of what good things could be done with all the money which goes into armaments, it makes one despair of anything good coming out of civilization.
One of the saddest effects of war is the hurt done to women, children and other non-combatants. This was one of the arguments raised against the use of bombing in order to win the war in Vietnam. Obviously, every possible effort should be made to avoid harm to civilians. Nevertheless, many of them are engaged in active support of the war in various ways. Such persons are a fair target. Wherever there is a military force there are nearly always civilians who cannot or will not leave the combat locality in spite of efforts to warn them.
Wherever there is a war support activity, there must be labor, and such persons normally have their families nearby. Among them are the stores and other activities of a community. It is physically impossible to isolate the combat forces and installations from the civil population. This has been the case throughout history. Ordinarily, the best that can be done to save civilians is to get them out of the area to be struck. Further, no ruler can start a war without the obedience of the population. It is that ruler, in fact the nation, which exposes its own civil population to the dangers and suffering of war.
It is obvious that to neglect a military target in order to avoid harm to civilians would permit the enemy to gain far greater military security by placing legitimate targets in the middle of a civilian community. As senseless and sinful as war may be, it is an historical and present reality because it is caused by the unregenerate nature of man. God has given men up to such things (Romans 1:18-32). War must be understood and conducted in a realistic manner if, unfortunately, the government’s efforts to maintain peace fail.
Because of widespread discontent with the Vietnamese war, many persons insist that the individual citizen has the moral obligation to dissent publicly and even by violent or non-violent resistance to a particular war. Of course, one should follow the dictates of his conscience, whatever it might cost him. But before using such methods, there are certain things that he should consider.
To avoid chaos, society must be organized, that is governed. The government must make the governing decisions. In order to reap the benefits of organized society, the individual must surrender certain freedoms to the government, that is, he should obey the law. Christians are so enjoined (Matt. 22:22; Rom. 13:1-7; I Peter 2:13-16). Acknowledging the authority of the government, the Christian is to pray for rulers (I Tim. 2:1,2).
To be lawless or to seek to redress wrong by force, leads eventually to anarchy and dictatorship. Under our constitution, the President conducts foreign policy. He has sources of information and advice not available to the ordinary citizen, and often even not to those in high positions. He alone can and must make the basic decisions.
This is and must be the system even though he, like the football quarterback, may decide mistakenly. Individual citizens who in time of war undertake to undercut the war effort should understand that in so doing they inevitably encourage the enemy to hope and work harder for victory, thereby prolonging the war, causing greater losses to our own fighting men, and possibly even gaining a decisive victory.
There are cases when obedience to God requires disobedience to the authority of men (Acts 4:19,20; 5:29). For a Christian to obey a command contrary to the command of God, such as to deny Christ, to murder, to steal, to make a false report, etc., is surely wrong and not to be excused. Eichman, the murderer of Jews in World War II, claimed that he was not culpable because he was carrying out the orders of the chief of state, Hitler. No Christian should be deceived by any such worthless defense. This writer cannot remember any occasion when he received an order which in conscience he should not obey. There were many whose wisdom he doubted and against which he argued, but the decision was not his to make.
Can Men Do Away With War?
What can be done to stop war? There have been many suggestions. War is a crime, just as murder and highway robbery are crimes. Even though murder is done by one gangster on the person of another it is still murder. Education and reason do not stop crime. Instead, education and reason applied to the conduct of crime give it greater strength and success. The preaching of the gospel has not stopped crime in the community or war among nations. The civilized nations of the world are those fomenting the wars of the present.
The point is that the will to abide by civilized processes must be present. No one makes a nation go to war to gain something. The so-called “have not” nations do not have to take other people’s land. They want to take it. The Epistle of James expresses it very well (4:1,2). We can call all of the conferences we want, we can make concessions, too, but does anyone think that the aggressor nations will really be satisfied? Man has been seeking peace since history began, but in his lust has glorified war as a means of plunder and rapine.
I am convinced that before men can do away with wars they must undergo a change of heart. Words mean nothing; the change must be real. Some say war is inevitable. In an academic sense this is not true because we all realize that if nations would be reasonable and obey the Golden Rule there would be no war. But in a practical sense we seem to be no nearer the solution now than nations ever were. People will not be reasonable. The word if is the difficulty.
The Real Cause of War
From a Biblical standpoint the answer is simple. The world is dead in sin. Lust, plunder, and war are the natural characteristics of the human race, dead and lost in sin (Romans 1:18-32). Many good Christians seek to eliminate war by dressing up the outside of the cup, seeking to cure the apparent causes of war. The real cause of war is in the sinful heart of man.
The Lord said that except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God. Being born again is a miracle. It comes only when one believes in the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal Savior and as the Son of God. People believe when they hear the gospel. Never has the preaching of the gospel succeeded in converting more than a portion of hearers at any one time.
Even at Pentecost in the great city of Jerusalem only 3,000 believed at the most wonderful exhibition of gospel power in church history. The rapid growth of Christianity in the Roman Empire resulted first in the persecution of Christians, and then ultimately in the decay of spiritual Christian life into the dark ages of medieval centuries. The Protestant Reformation did not produce more than a partial awakening. Today there is an apostasy from the simple, pure Word of God and faith in Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God and the only Savior.
We are not called to preach the gospel to save the world from war and crime. We can preach the gospel all we want to, but only a few believe. Christ said that broad is the way that leads to destruction and many are they that find it, and narrow is the way that leads to life and few are they that find it.
The preaching of the gospel is to them who are saved a savor unto life, unto them who are lost a savor unto death. The Scriptures say that God is now taking out a people for His name. I can find no place in the Scripture where it intimates that the preaching of the gospel of grace will succeed in converting the world.
On the other hand, it does say that the gospel should be preached to all the world as a witness. I think that the present state of civilization is ample testimony to this completely lost and incurable state of civilization. Never has the world been in a more unstable condition. If the lessons of the past are ignored, war of terrible proportions is ahead of our much-vaunted and self-satisfied civilization.
This picture I have drawn seems pessimistic. Many would hold me up as an enemy of peace because I don’t agree with their method of gaining it. However, there is a way of gaining peace.
The Bible clearly describes an earthly condition when the desert shall blossom as a rose, when the lion and other animals shall not kill, when the lion shall eat grass like the ox, when venomous serpents will not kill, when there shall be no war, and when men shall learn war no more. It tells us of a time when there shall be no harm done in all the earth because it will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord.
It says also that a King shall reign in righteousness and that He shall judge in equity for the meek of the earth and take care of the poor, and that the law shall go forth from Jerusalem. Many teachers have sought to avoid the plain, obvious meaning of these passages, but if I made a business of construing my orders that way, I would long since have ceased my connection with the Army.
I think it should be perfectly obvious that man is utterly unable to save himself. His civilization is only an expression of himself. He cannot save it. But God has promised that the Lord Jesus Christ Himself will come again, that He will establish a Kingdom on earth by His own power, unaided by insignificant man.
We should preach the gospel of individual salvation in order that such as believe may be translated into His Kingdom, and we should constantly watch for His coming.
Lieutenant General William K. Harrison, Jr., retired in 1956 after forty four years in the Army. He was assistant division commander of the 30th Infantry Division, rated by General S.L.A. Marshall as the best division in the European Theater during World War II. He was chief U.N. negotiator at Panmunjom, Korea, and subsequently served as commander in chief of the Caribbean Command. General Harrison served as president of OCF from 1954-1972 and as president emeritus from 1972 until his death in 1987.
Great article. As a pastor, missionary and vet I wrote a similar article but from a slightly different perspective. Thanks for the post.
I thank the good good Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the immaculate Holy Spirit for guiding me to this page. I have been encouraged by this as recently I have made the decision to join the AirForce however the conflicting feelings I was having on whether a Christian should join the military or not. I believe the core values of the military do reflect the values of what Jesus would have wanted reflected in his walkn especially service before self, integrity=honor, excellence=love. When I think about the military I think about the scripture ” No greater love than this: that one lay’s down their life for their friends” John 15:13-15. Thank you for this very thoughtful and heartful article.
Christians are followers of Jesus – and Jesus very clearly said multiple times that we are to follow his commandments and not the commandments of men.
His commandments were loud and clear – thou shalt not kill (said 4 times in the Gospels) and that we are to love our enemies and seek the kingdom of heaven on earth.
“This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”
And that is all this article does – ignore Jesus’s commandments and follow the commandments of men and interpret the bible into justifying their behavior – totally ignoring Jesus’s very clear and simple commandments.
“Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, DO NOT KILL, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.
Mark 12:29-12:31: The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: 30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. 31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.”
If ye love me, keep my commandments
9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. 10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. 11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. 12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends
Just because Jesus didn’t make a specific commandment NOT to join the army does not mean you can join the army. if you join the army don’t you break the thou shalt not kill and thou shalt love each other like Jesus did.
‘”Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
So if you punch or kill someone you are punching or killing Jesus.
Christians are followers of Christ – not Abraham, Not Joshua, Not David. They weren’t God. You are supposed to say “well David killed people – so its OK if I do.” That is making up your own commandment and ignoring Jesus’s which is a sin.
He said the meek shall inherit the earth. .Be as wise as a serpent and as harmless as a dove.
Is the military meek?
How much time and effort does any person the military actually put into following his commandments? When was the last time you heard anyone not judging, loving. forgiving, seeking Heaven on Earth, not seeking material possessions to keep them happy. to find the light etc? Because if every Christian focused on that would we have war?
As a wife of a veteran but first a Christian, I instant thought how we all are so quick at times to speak out against those we feel are not following or go as far as to say “interpreting” it that aligns with “our/your” interpretation. As we are all quoting scripture to follow a thought, it also says “Thou shall not judge”. If I feel very strongly about someone else’s actions, I try to take it to God. My husband did not serve to Kill, he served to protect. We have discussed this topic a few times throughout the years. So I will reference what verse we have brought into these discussion.
Obey the government, for God is the one who has put it there. There is no government anywhere that God has not placed in power. So those who refuse to obey the laws of the land are refusing to obey God, and punishment will follow Romans 13:1-2
God does not always allow those in “power” for 100% virtuous reasons. If that were the case, Revelations would have never needed to be written.
Jesus said that if you don’t follow HIS commandments you aren’t a Christian. He specifically said “Thou shalt not kill.” there was no ifs, ands or buts.
He gave rules to follow. If someone attacks you – “Turn the other cheek.”
So a Christian doesn’t defend with violence, a Christian responds with love. “Do good to those who hate you”
So when Osama Bin Laden attacked America – a true Christians should have forgiven and not responded with violence.
When it came to “Thou shalt not kill” Jesus really emphasized this one above all the other commandments as being the one that if you broke it – OR told other people that it was OK – you would be sent to hell.
e.g. if you sit around and tell your friends what your husband killing people is OK or go onto blog posts – totally ignoring Jesus’s commandments and make up your own rules – You too will go to hell.
That is not a judgement – that is just reminding you what Jesus said.
That’s not true. A Lot of individuals are taking scripture out of context here majority being anti military. We have to remember everybody’s has their calling and God places individuals everywhere at all times in all places to reach other people and blot be a light on every area of life and organization and the US military is no exception. Keep that in mind. Stop judging your brothers and sisters in Christ you don’t know what God is doing and how God is using them.
I see some very strong views on here from both sides. I respect people who have a pacifist pov. I also saw this quoted recently ‘Where believers on different sides of very heated debates appeal to the same Bible, how can that encounter at the point of the text be healing, rather than divisive? How can we model epistemological humility (an acknowledgment of our own limitations in our capacity to know) without shedding conviction altogether?’
Great article! I understand that service in the military can be a noble and Godly thing to do, but one thing still trips me up. I know that there are times when killing is not a sin (preservation of life), but what are your thoughts about putting ourselves as Christians in situations where other men and women are telling us to take life for reasons that may be unclear. How do we know those giving orders are doing what is right?
Evan, good question. In short you are asking can we trust in the U.S government and can we trust in the military leaders over us.
The military has the best accountability there is and history shows that. However, men still do things that are wrong until they get caught, which means you have to listen to the holy spirit and when you see something wrong you must stand up. It has often been Christian military members speaking up when folks do wrong.
As for our government, there are many checks and balances there too. However, we see that sometimes we go about military actions not in perfect ways because there is not a clean solution in a world that is subject to frustration and suffering, yearning for a savior. Clearly there is evil happening in Afghanistan, but just killing the bad guys does not and did not solve the problem, yet we should have acted. Praise God for Christian influence in leadership.
What is required of us….to walk humbly and to act justly, and to walk in the light as he is in the light.
I just learned that the man who flew the bomber that dropped the atom bomb on the center of Nagasaki was Catholic, and that at the center of Nagasaki was the largest growing Catholic church in Japan. Growing despite the government’s persecution of Christians. That day a Christian killed about 10,000 Christians, including 3 nun establishments. And just before, the mission was blessed by a Catholic priest. Today Japan is one of the least Christian countries in the world.
[…] Click here! […]
Well written, however it is much simpler. Jesus commands (doesn’t suggest) that we love our enemies, bless them, and comfort them. Therefore, no, a true Christian would never serve in the military. The mission of the military is to kill enemies…this is not loving them. Forget all the Old Testament war stuff. The Old Testament has been fulfilled, and we are under the law of Jesus now.
JB- Spot on! Jesus commands Christians to love their enemies, and furthermore to not resist an evil person. Christians can not argue against the plain commands of their king. Christians are not pacifists…hardly! We fight with different weapons. There is no way a professing Christian can rationalize a “just war” or the harming of the phantom “crazed psychopath home invader” without referring to the obsolete Old Testament, or pulling out some gray-area scripture from Romans, etc. The ancient Christians would NEVER resort to violence. We should take note of their Christianity.
The Gospel says #4 Jesus said 4 times “Thou shalt not kill” and The meek shall inherit the earth. When you walk amongst the wolves be as wise as a serpent and as harmless as a dove.”
And to follow his commandments – not the commandments of men.
He also said what you do to another you do to him – so if you punch another person or kill them – you are doing the same to Jesus.
With God ALL things are possible.
J.B., that is simply untrue. The mission of the military is NOT to kill enemies—it is to ensure the security of a state. That means the military must be WILLING to use violence, but everyone is much happier with a bloodless victory than a bloody one. Your approach would dictate that I allow the home intruder to rape and murder my wife and kids, because putting a stop to that could potentially harm the intruder. Is that love, for anyone? No, it’s just misguided nonsense. Love would dictate first that I protect those with whose care I have been entrusted, second that I avoid unnecessarily harming even the aggressor as far as I am able, and third, that I try to prevent him, by any means available (including prayer and personal intervention whether violent or non-violent in nature) from committing a horrible sin that would almost certainly drive a permanent wedge between him and God. If that required violence, then all being well I should also do my very best to render immediate medical aid and preserve the intruder’s life if it should be necessary and if I am able.
The military, generally speaking, applies a very similar standard and as the General wrote in his article, is held surprisingly accountable by even the godless public. Of course, there are murderers in the military, and signing on to do violence is not a decision to be taken lightly, but your flippant, black-and-white assessment ignores not only mitigating circumstances, but OBLIGATIONS of Christians. It is also telling that you ignore the several soldiers praised in the New Testament, as well as Jesus’ instruction that his disciples should arm themselves. I believe he was talking about something deeper than just the physical in Lk 22, but nevertheless, it’s there! Why do you pick and choose the commandments that you like? I think there’s a word for that, used a number of times by Jesus in Mt 23…
Jeremy, Well said. Been a christian for 52 years and now a retired veteran of 30 years of active duty and now in full time christian service to the military. I could not agree more.
Thank you for your service and dedication to your faith for our military.
God Bless
Michelle
Jesus said Christians should follow his commandments – not your own made up ones.
“This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”
He repeatedly said thou shalt not kill and to turn the other cheek and not to have fear and to seek ye first the Kingdom of Heaven aka seek enlightenment and have no fear of death.
So if you seek first the kingdom of heaven and enlightened then you will be a true Christian . The word Christian means Mini-Christ. So the goal of any Christian is to be like a clone of Jesus – you see heaven on earth and are completely peaceful and loving because you see your connectedness to God – which is divine love – and have no fear of death for you or anyone else.
Fear means you don’t have faith. Jesus said several times to not be fearful. Fear means your mind isn’t in the present moment and you don’t really believe God or Heaven exists.
How much of your time do you spend trying to see Heaven on Earth like Jesus did so you don’t have a fear of death for you or another?
So in any case may a christian go to war and in what cause or reason is allowed.
Its not serving in the military on its own, its the motives behind it. If God has called you for it you must obey, if the state commands you to secure oil and resources that is not right. If someone’s lies and says God commands it this is also not right. You choose to join the military, if you are called up and there is no way out there are still things you can do other than kill people in their own countries. If nobody joined up, of everyone protested, it wouldn’t exist.
Military support to policing?
I would !like to share two verses in response to this article.
No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer.
For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.
The context of that verse is as a soldier of Christ. Christ is the commanding officer.
2 Timothy 2:3-4 Join with me in suffering like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer.
The bible calls us to serve where we are called, and also to perform well. Pleasing your master is mentioned a few times. There is nothing wrong with seeking to do good work, which would please your CO, boss, foreman etc. AS LONG AS pleasing Christ remains our number one priority.
Colossians 3:22-23 Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.
This article has greatly shaped my perspective about a Christian and the military service. I thought being a soldier is reserved for the unbelievers, but while I read through I saw the contrary. I thought:
1) That every profession (not just the army) in life has in it areas or times that a worker is faced with temptation to compromise good standards. If one is a doctor, he is sometimes pushed to assist an illegitimate abortion, or as in unorganized hospitals, collect more money from a patient than required. Therefore, saying that a Christian should not be a soldier just because they may be pushed to do evil is saying that a Christian should not do a other circular work. I see from the above write-up that the biblical view is for called Christian soldiers to represent God by defending the citizens and subjecting to the state, while being attentive to the prompting of the Holy Spirit.
2. If believers get more and more involved in the military service, more victories will be recorded. If we have more Christian leaders in the military, more godly principles will be implemented including the cessation of unlawful murder. In fact, when war seems to be the only option, they will record victory just like Abraham, Joshua, David and others did, because the hand of the LORD will accompany them, as the case may be.
Thanks for sharing this article, many of my doubts have been clarified.
Yea uh no. A doctor in his line of duty may have to do it procedures that he doesn’t agree with such as abortion. But unless you work for planned Parenthood and is an OBGYN it’s not his job to perform abortions and can probably opt out of it given religious exemption. However if you join the military your job is to kill people. You might not be directly killing them by shooting the bullets but even if you’re only a cook you’re feeding people should they have the energy and nutrients to go kill people. There is no way you can be in the military and not be part of mass murder
Medics?
Christians are followers of Jesus – and Jesus very clearly said multiple times that we are to follow his commandments and not the commandments of men.
His commandments were loud and clear – thou shalt not kill (said 4 times in the Gospels) and that we are to love our enemies and seek the kingdom of heaven on earth.
“This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”
And that is all this article does – ignore Jesus’s commandments and follow the commandments of men and interpret the bible into justifying their behavior – totally ignoring Jesus’s very clear and simple commandments.
“Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, DO NOT KILL, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.
Mark 12:29-12:31: The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: 30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. 31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.”
If ye love me, keep my commandments
9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. 10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. 11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. 12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends
Just because Jesus didn’t make a specific commandment NOT to join the army does not mean you can join the army. if you join the army don’t you break the thou shalt not kill and thou shalt love each other like Jesus did.
‘”Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
So if you punch or kill someone you are punching or killing Jesus.
Christians are followers of Christ – not Abraham, Not Joshua, Not David. They weren’t God. You are supposed to say “well David killed people – so its OK if I do.” That is making up your own commandment and ignoring Jesus’s which is a sin.
He said the meek shall inherit the earth. .Be as wise as a serpent and as harmless as a dove.
Is the military meek?
How much time and effort does any person the military actually put into following his commandments? When was the last time you heard anyone not judging, loving. forgiving, seeking Heaven on Earth, not seeking material possessions to keep them happy. to find the light etc? Because if every Christian focused on that would we have war?
Thank you for your input everyone. 🙂
2 Timothy 4:3-4 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.
Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
Matthew 11:12
From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence, and violent people have been raiding it.
Matthew 5:39
But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.
Matthew 5:38-39
“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.
Matthew 26:52
Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?”
John 18:36
Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”
Romans 12:17-21
Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” On the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Matthew 5:7
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
I was convinced until I read this last message. Can we serve the state and God at the same time. You just have to look at the news to see that the state, the governments, the ones in command, displease god with their actions. Even now they are trying to enforce laws that go against the will of god, for example, changing the sabbath day to Sunday. Pagan laws. So to enrol into an organisation that is governed by such people, wouldn’t that mean we would be supporting there motives.
Also if Christians joined for example, as a chef or an as an engineer, would that be considered as acceptable as the role would not involve the opportunity to take a life? Would it then just be the same as working an civilian job. I suppose this is where the contract and the oath you take comes into play.
I respect you all, whether you have served or not but it’s not my place to judge and I give all glory to God above and none to man. Would welcome and appreciate your replies, I don’t mean to offend anyone so I do apologise if I have.
Then the question continues should Christians be involved in voting?
The hardest question to answer for me is allowing others to be murdered when it is possible to do something about it. What is your take on it?
Paying taxes?
Jesus said we are to follow his commandments and NOT the commandments of men. The #1 commandment is to love God with all our heart #2 love everyone as much as Jesus loved.
It was said #4 times in the gospels “Thou Shalt Not Kill”
How much time do Americans spend focused on fighting for the right to be violent v how much time do they focus on actually practicing Jesus’s commandments.
How many American Christians embody Jesus’s commandments of being totally loving, non-judgmental, forgiving, non-materialistic, meek and have found the Kingdom of Heaven in their heart on earth?
im conflicted on that as well. because as a good soldier u follow orders and dont ask questions but u could be doing something wrong and u hae to do it or u are disshonorably discharged.
so idk what to say
To imagine yourself a killer without feeling the enormity of the act is a sure sign of corruption. How can I be a killer and a Christian?
As a young person who was intent on serving in the military, this question weighs heavily
Very few soldiers who have killed people regard it in movie fashion or boast about it.
The question here is “What would Christ do”? Would Christ grab a rifle and go to another land, a pagan nation for instance, to defend it from anither pagan nation? What about Christians killing each other because their respective governments are at war with each other as they did in WW2? Christians are to be as one, but with all the different denominations within it, it’s obvious they are not..even to the point of killing one another. Does the true Christianity even exist anymore? I know that it does, but hard to find.
Were it not for Christians who were will to fight, kill, or die to protect our country, we would always be under the rule of any tyrant powerful enough to usurp the existing government. If Christ could bless a Roman Centurion, he can bless an Army grunt carrying out his military duties. God wants us to not kill unnecessarily–not be timid cowards.
Christians are supposed to follow Jesus’s commandments and Jesus’s commandments were
19 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.
Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
Mark 12:29-12:31: The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: 30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. 31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
15 If ye love me, keep my commandments
8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
And to your last comment – Jesus said 16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
The meek shall inherit the earth,
He wanted his followers to be loving, forgiving, enlightened ,meek, non-violent and non-materalistic. He said this over and over and that any man who
“This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”
So you can’t make up your own commandments to suit your own agenda. Jesus’s commandments were very specific.
Who is the Christian leader today holding up a Christian moral compass reminding people to be loving, not to judge, to forgive, not to seek your treasures on earth but to try and find heaven?
Because if we had more of them then we might actually have peace on earth.
Hello. I know for a fact that most humans are evil, and the reason some have weapons is mostly for power. They use it in order to have it their own way, and not primarily for defense… I think Jesus taught that a Christian should not take up to arms if attacked, and the reason for this is that violence begets violence. Brandishing a weapon before me only increases tension and aggression… This is surely not something Jesus would like… Do good to those that hate you applies here.. or as a minimum do no harm to those that hate you… I know for a fact that a lot of people do not apply this to their lives and this is why we have quarrels, wars, theft etc. They live by the rules: hurt me and I will hurt you even more. Obey me because I have weapons and I am more powerful than you.
Imagine if our country did not have a military? We would have been overrun by evil a long, long time ago. Thank God we have men and women willing to defend against the evil that would attack us. Thank God we have Christian men and women who are doing the hard things that some want to try to simplify…..and most-likely would not have the right to even be on this forum speaking out and sharing their opinions. God is still the God of Adam and Even, the God of Abraham, the God of Joshua. God’s principles and truth does not change. The old testament did not go away…..Jesus fulfilled the prophecies in the old testament. The world described by some is one that may exist in Heaven. We live in a fallen world. God’s kingdom will have perfect harmony. That does not exist on Earth at the present. Evil is everywhere. Thank God for those who serve and defend the freedoms we enjoy in this country – even for those who might condemn the very calling that God has called these men and women. Thank God for all the humanitarian work that is completed through the hands and feet of our military men and women. Thank God for those who have been called to serve Him in this manner. As someone mentioned earlier – imagine someone shooting or robbing or raping your family and yet you do not seek justice or even try to defend against the intruder, or the rapist or the abuser. That is a wholly immature interpretation. The entire Bible is truth and you must be mature to look at the whole and not cherry pick verses to suit your mood or your current issue.
There is a vast difference between ancient Israel, her patriarchs, & war, and Christians in Gentile nations and war [This of course, following the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ]. Ancient Israel was a nation with physical boundaries. The church/body of Christ is without boundaries, it is worldwide and comprised of people groups from every nation. Israel was a theocracy ruled by God through His true prophets, who in turn advised the king who advised Israel’s military leaders. Woe to them when they did not obey but instead followed false prophets or their own hearts! This is not so for the body of Christ. It is dispersed worldwide among the nations – no national boundaries. Its governments are not under the God of Israel’s theocracy, but under the prince of the powers of this dark age. The governments that contain the body of Christ are communist, socialist, or democratic – self-rule, i.e., of the people, by the people, and for the people. The sad truth of the matter is during times of war, professing Christians of two opposing nations have killed, are killing, and will kill one another, and both will think they are doing God a favor. There is much more I could say but will end it here. Think upon these things as you study the Scriptures of the living God.
‘Where believers on different sides of very heated debates appeal to the same Bible, how can that encounter at the point of the text be healing, rather than divisive? How can we model epistemological humility (an acknowledgment of our own limitations in our capacity to know) without shedding conviction altogether?’
[…] Old Testament is full of examples of God's people serving in the military. David was a skilled warrior who led […]
Interesting debate.
For all those painting the defence and security forces (military, police etc) black, you should know its a profession just like others where you take God, ethics, conscience and hierarchy into consideration for any decision. You could still be a medical doctor and cause more harm than a soldier with an m4.
Part of the reason we’re able to have this interaction is cause there men who’ve put their lives on the line for our safety and security. We’re able to laugh cause there are men who make the hard decisions for us, so we can lay back and judge them. If you disagree with this, here’s a Lil scenario for you;
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The 2nd scenario looks more doable cause “God” was mentioned, tho I didn’t say there was no God in the 1st scenario.
The point am trying to bring up here is that God works in ways we will never understand no matter how hard we try to. Armies and wars have always existed. I don’t need to remind the story of the convenant box or David’s. You may argue “it’s the old testament” but you know that times change not God. Even if you lived in David’s era, you’d still, without being wrong, call him a murderer. Question is, would you be accurate?
Some say “if every one boycotted the army, there would be no war(some sort of peace)”. I strongly disagree with that. It would be total chaos and chaos. Doesn’t even make sense. In the begining, freshly chased out of the gardern, the earth at some point only had a family of 4. There were no nations, no police, no army, not even a foreigner, yet, brother killed brother. With today’s ethnic, cultural, political, social and racial disparities, it doesn’t get any better.
The world once knew peace when God made it with a single man on it. Once it turned 2, things took a different turn. Such a bad turn that he had to wash it up, leaving only a man and his family. We will only again know true peace when Jesus Christ brings it. Revelation doesn’t say he’s coming with apples and honey to preach peace and love. Oh no… he’s coming for WAR.
All we can do is make the right decisions when we can and let go of what we can’t control, trusting him for that. Don’t mistake, people don’t join the army to attack, they join to defend and protect what is dear to mankind- “freedom” (even the almighty created us free. That’s partly why we have wars)