American Wars and Jesus

…and now a quick detour down a war-torn side road to address the issue of war and what Jesus said or didn’t say about it.

Many arguments in defense of war are easily set aside. Such as Jesus not condemning it or not commanding soldiers to abandon their profession. One could just as easily use these same arguments to support slavery. Jesus did not condemn slavery, nor did He require believing masters to release them. The arguments for war (and against slavery) are much more complex. Too complex to break down completely in a single 5 minute blog post. I will do my best to surmise though.

Most arguments against war are easily set aside as well. Such as the violation of the commandment, “Thou shall not kill.” This leads to obvious conflicts, especially during the time God gave the commandment! God instructed Joshua, Moses’ second in command, to wage war against Canaan (all of the Hittite country) and to annihilate them (Joshua 1). It is true, as Christian pacifists maintain, Jesus came to give principles of conduct that were peaceable and peace loving, but to contend further that this leaves no place for war is naïve. The inevitable position for the pacifist is evil people may dominate, but good people may not resist the domination of evil.

War is the employment of force for the attainment of an object or for the prevention of an injury. If the object is wrong, the use of force is wrong. God is constantly resisting people to protect others, which is a form of force (war). The fact that God manages physical force by His will does not alter the fact that He does wrong if it is intrinsically wrong to use force. Thus, using forceful methods to achieve righteous objectives cannot be wrong, therefore, a just war or just use of force. The same goes for the use of force to levy or equalize justice in a paramilitary or policing action.

Romans 13:3-4 ~ For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.

A war waged for selfish ends is not justifiable, but one for selfless ends is. Jesus’ words, “Resist not evil,” do not mean allow evil to happen...

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.

There is no reason for a person to surrender to the will of another for the wrong reasons. This also applies with double emphasis to rulers and to nations; for these in reality have no personal rights but are a collective whole. That’s not what Jesus was saying when He said to turn the other cheek. He is saying that when you have the ability to absorb the wrong, retaliation as vengeance is in fact the Lords but when evil will prevail in you inaction, you need to act. Nations and leaders are by their positions guardians and are morally bound to act in the face of foreign hostility or even internal ones. They are even to the use of force, if need be, for the rightful interest of their wards, just as a parent would do for their child or a pastor for his flock.

It is true that Jesus said, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. ~Matt. 26:52; He also said, “My kingdom is not of this world; if My kingdom were of this world, then would My servants fight” ~John 18:36. These passages need to be understood in context. Jesus was submitting to death for the good of the human race and salvation of the elect which was a one-time act in history. The application for us is not necessary salvation, but if our death will secure great ends then we must be willing to die. Jesus also told His disciples that the time would come to take up the sword in Luke 22:36.

The Church does not have the power to go to war, but governments and nations do. In fact, they are obligated to do so to exalt justice and prevent evil. Paul explained this right of civil government in Romans 13. If the Christian or Church do not support the cause of a just war as in the case of the Nazis then those like the Nazis win. This is not a Scriptural outcome. In the cases of pure demonic evil waging war, God not only condoned the reaction of war, He often commanded His people to annihilate those who waged spiritual war against Him or unjust war against His people down to the last person. Passivity in the face of obvious evil force isn’t being Christ like as much as it is being a limp-wristed doormat.

Are all American wars a just war? Sadly, no. The participation in World War I and II was justifiable against evils like Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. The Revolutionary War to secure American Independence and Civil War to create and maintain the American Union was marginally justifiable as revolution against a ruling authority is never condoned Scripturally and the rebellion of the Confederacy was dubious at best. The rest of the American wars are predominately sketchy. There is the question of the motive for the Middle Eastern wars that stem from oil interests. There are questions to be asked about geopolitical wars like Vietnam and involvement in the Ukraine. Sadly, the wars against the Native Americans were essentially genocide. 

In the end just wars are justifiable (killing) and unjust wars are not (murder). Killing and murder. They're different things. It helps to realize and differentiate them when discussing war. The Bible forbids murder in (Exodus 20) not killing. If it did Joshua, David nor Saul would've been commanded to annihilate entire peoples.

The prudent thing to do as a Christian is to prepare for war in vigilance, but pray for peace in grace. We must understand that above all reigns God in Sovereignty through the times of peace and in times of conflict.