Question 1

What does God think of war?

Accepted Answer

Genesis 1:27So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.Genesis 9:1-6Then God blessed Noah and his sons and told them, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth. All the animals of the earth, all the birds of the sky, all the small animals that scurry along the ground, and all the fish in the sea will look on you with fear and terror. I have placed them in your power. I have given them to you for food, just as I have given you grain and vegetables. But you must never eat any meat that still has the lifeblood in it. And I will require the blood of anyone who takes another person’s life. If a wild animal kills a person, it must die. And anyone who murders a fellow human must die. If anyone takes a human life, that person’s life will also be taken by human hands. For God made human beings in his own image.”Psalm 116:15The Lord cares deeply when his loved ones die.God created every person and God loves every person. Therefore, anything that takes human life grieves God. Even if we conclude there are times when war is permissible or necessary, it should always be the last resort. And it is wise to be careful about glorifying war and reveling in death—even the death of our enemies.Numbers 1:2-3“From the whole community of Israel, record the names of all the warriors by their clans and families. List all the men twenty years old or older who are able to go to war. You and Aaron must register the troops.”At the beginning of Numbers, God prepares Israel for battle against the Canaanites. Not only is a military census taken, but the camp is readied as an army for war. God does not condone all war, but he does judge sin, and here he is using Israel as a tool of his anger against the sinful Canaanites. He had been patient with the Canaanites for centuries, but they had not turned from their sinful and destructive ways (read Genesis 15:13-16). In a sense, that war was a preview of God’s final judgment on earth against sin, which is yet to come. God’s holiness demands that crimes against other people as well as rebellion against him must be punished.Matthew 24:4-14Jesus told them, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come. Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers. And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come.Jesus made it clear that war would be with us until the very end. We can be certain that there will be more or the end will come. Jesus’ instructions begin with a call not to panic. Events may appear to be out of human control, because they are. But they are never out of God’s control.

Question 2

Will God ever do anything about war?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 46:8-9Come, see the glorious works of the Lord: See how he brings destruction upon the world. He causes wars to end throughout the earth. He breaks the bow and snaps the spear; he burns the shields with fire.Micah 4:3The Lord will mediate between peoples and will settle disputes between strong nations far away. They will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer fight against nation, nor train for war anymore.When Jesus returns, war will be abolished forever. This is a cause for comfort and joy.

Question 3

Is spiritual warfare a reality?

Accepted Answer

Genesis 3:1The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”2 Kings 6:15-17When the servant of the man of God got up early the next morning and went outside, there were troops, horses, and chariots everywhere. “Oh, sir, what will we do now?” the young man cried to Elisha. “Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “For there are more on our side than on theirs!” Then Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!” The Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire.Matthew 4:1Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil.Ephesians 6:10-12A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.2 Timothy 2:3-7Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them. And athletes cannot win the prize unless they follow the rules. And hardworking farmers should be the first to enjoy the fruit of their labor. Think about what I am saying. The Lord will help you understand all these things.1 Peter 5:8-9Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.From the beginning of time and exemplified in Jesus’ own ministry, the Bible clearly teaches that human beings are involved in spiritual warfare. Far from excluding us from spiritual battles, faith puts us right in the middle of them. If we underestimate this reality, we put ourselves in jeopardy.Numbers 33:52“You must drive out all the people living there. You must destroy all their carved and molten images and demolish all their pagan shrines.”Sin is like war—it always destroys, sometimes dramatically, sometimes slowly. Sin invades, with the goal of taking over and claiming the territory of our hearts. When sin is allowed free reign in our hearts, when temptation is allowed to lurk around the edges of our lives, it is like an invading enemy army that seeks to enslave us. The more relentlessly we battle sin and remove it piece by piece from our lives, the more we will experience the victorious Christian life and all the blessings that come along with it.

War