What does the Bible say about war?

War is a terrible facet of life in this fallen world. It should be particularly odious to Christians since we serve the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). We look forward very much to the time of Christ’s kingdom on this earth, when swords will be made into plowing implements because nations will no longer war against each other (Isaiah 2:1-4). Until that time, we will have to live with the possibility of war—and the possibility that we might be called upon to take up arms. And so we must ask: can fighting in a war ever be morally permissible? Could war even be morally right in some situations?

For the sake of clarity and brevity, I’m going to assume that most people reading this post already believe that war can be morally permissible in some situations (which is the view I hold). With that assumption, I will only briefly address the biblical indications that war can be permissible. I will devote more space to examining the texts often cited by pacifists to argue that war is never permissible.

Biblical Indications that War Can Be Permissible

1. Abraham was blessed by a priest of God for going to war to save non-combatants unjustly captured by an aggressor (Genesis 14).

It is stated in this account that God delivered Abraham’s enemies into his hands, thus showing approval of Abraham’s actions.

2. God commanded the Israelites to attack the Canaanites.

At times, God miraculously aided the Israelites in these battles to ensure their success (Joshua 10:11-14).

3. God moved the biblical authors to portray Him with military imagery.

God is comfortable being called a warrior (Exodus 15:3, Psalm 24:8). He is frequently called “Lord of Hosts,” which portrays Him as a general over a vast army. Also, the return of Christ is described as a glorious military victory (Revelation 19:11-21). By contrast, God is never portrayed as an adulterer, a liar, a thief or any other person who is clearly immoral. It is unthinkable that God would allow Himself to be portrayed as a warrior if warfare can never be morally right.

4. God has given governments the right to use force against those who do evil (Romans 13:1-5).

This right would surely include the right to punish evil between its citizens (criminal justice) and against its citizens (defensive warfare).

5. Some soldiers are praised in the New Testament with no suggestion that their occupation was inherently wrong.

When a certain centurion asked Jesus to heal his servant, Jesus praised the man for his faith without giving any rebuke of the man’s occupation (Luke 7:1-10). The centurion Cornelius was called “a devout man who feared God” and he became born-again without Peter or anyone else rebuking him for his occupation (Acts 10).

“But doesn’t this verse say…?”

When we think of the possibility of going to war, there are likely a number of Bible verses that come to mind that can’t seem to be reconciled with engaging in combat. How should we understand these verses? Here’s a sampling of them with explanation for each:

“Thou shalt not kill.”—Exodus 20:13 (KJV)

The old King James Version of the Bible translated the Hebrew word ratsakh as “kill” in its translation of the 6^th Commandment. It should more accurately be translated “murder,” as the New King James Version and all other modern English translations render it. The prohibition here was not against every instance of taking a life, but only those that would constitute murder. The very same legal code (the Law of Moses) called for the death penalty for certain crimes. Also, as noted above, God commanded the Israelites to go to war against the Canaanites. If killing in war is an instance of ratsakh, then God would have issued contradictory commands. Thus, the 6^th Commandment does not rule out killing in war.

“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. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.”—Matthew 5:38-41

Several comments are in order for this important passage. First, the standard “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” was given to judges by the Law of Moses as a guideline for penalties in court cases. It was never meant as a standard for personal relationships, which is the Lord’s focus in this passage. If a person seeks to inflict such “justice” himself, he is in the wrong. But according to the Law of Moses, it was acceptable for a legal authority to use such force in the administration of justice. This observation aligns with Paul’s teaching in Romans 13:1-5 about the right of government to use force. Thus, personal retaliation is wrong, but justice meted out by a governing authority is not.

Second, notice that Jesus specifically mentioned the right cheek in this statement. Why specify the right cheek versus the left? Because it indicates what type of blow Jesus was talking about. Right-handedness has always been more common than left-handedness; thus, it’s safe to assume that Jesus was describing a right-handed person striking you on the right cheek. That blow would be a back-handed slap—an insult rather than a more forceful attack. Thus, what Jesus had in mind in this verse is responding to a personal insult. He wasn’t addressing the subject of personal self-defense, let alone the legitimacy of engaging in warfare.

Third, when Jesus says, “Do not resist the one who is evil,” we have to define resistance from the context. We shouldn’t consider resistance in the abstract and consider what it might mean—the context tells us what Jesus had in mind. From the context, we could define “do not resist” in the following ways: 1) refuse to take justice into your own hands (an eye for an eye…); 2) endure insults patiently without responding in kind (if anyone slaps…); 3) don’t insist on your rights in every situation (if anyone would sue…); and 4) be kind even to those who use you (…go with him two miles).

This passage should not be interpreted as a blanket condemnation of all uses of force. We must not even be too quick to take it out of the context of personal relationships. This passage really says nothing about a government and its responsibilities. To use it to say that a government has no right to wage war is simply a misapplication of the passage. It is far better to draw conclusions about a government and warfare from a passage that explicitly addresses that subject, such as Romans 13:1-5.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.”—Matthew 5:43-45

This misunderstanding of the command to love one’s neighbor was circulating among the Jewish people at that time, so Jesus addressed it here. It is fair to ask how one could possibly love an enemy (as in an enemy combatant) and yet use lethal force against him. A few observations need to be made.

First, this passage follows directly on the heels of the previous passage that we considered. Thus, it is still dealing with the question of personal relationships. The word “enemy” should not be interpreted as an enemy combatant but as an enemy in one’s personal life.

Second, notice that the purpose behind loving our enemies is that we would imitate the behavior of God—we’re supposed to show the family resemblance, you might say. Along these lines, we should remember that God, in His capacity as judge of all the Earth, certainly did use lethal force against His enemies at times. Examples from the Old Testament could be multiplied; I will simply remind you of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19. Thus, even this passage does not rule out the use of lethal force by someone who is appropriately appointed to execute justice. God has that prerogative, and He has also entrusted it to human governments. A soldier acting on behalf of the government would thus carry that prerogative as well.

“The second [greatest commandment] is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”—Mark 12:31

I certainly want other people to treat me with kindness and respect, so shouldn’t I treat others the same way? On that basis, how could I justify using force against another person?

This objection, like the others above, fails to take important contexts into account. Jesus was not discussing the rights and responsibilities of a government in this passage—he was talking about personal relationships. Certainly in my personal life—as a private citizen—I am to be kind, gentle, not combative or violent. But God has given governments the right to use force, and governments are made up of people. Thus, people serving as agents of the government have a right to use force.

Should I engage in any and every war that my government launches?

The history of warfare shows that not every war is alike. Wars are fought for a variety of reasons; the combatants involved may have stronger or weaker justification for their fighting. In some wars, two nations are clearly co-belligerents; in others, one nation is clearly the aggressor. Should I as a Christian feel a duty to take up arms in any and every war that my government launches?

Norman Geisler helpfully distinguishes between two responses that we might have to this question.¹ The first is activism. This response says that I have a duty to fight for my country any time it calls upon me because of the benefits that I enjoy as a citizen. I do not need to ask whether the war is just or unjust. The second response is selectivism. This response says that I must weigh the causes and goals of the war before I answer the call to arms. It may be immoral for me to fight if the cause or goal is immoral.

Given Scripture’s teaching that we must obey the moral laws of God over the civil laws of man, selectivism seems to be the proper response. In our fallen world, the government may abuse its right to use force, and if it does, we should conscientiously object to fighting in that instance. From this perspective, for example, German citizens should have refused to fight for the Nazi Party’s goals during World War II. Some of them did, and they were right to do so. It is a blessing as Americans that our laws protect conscientious objectors and that even our military recognizes a soldier’s right to refuse orders that are immoral.

Conclusion

In the end, we can say confidently from biblical principles that fighting in war can be morally permissible. It may even be the morally right thing to do if one is battling a great evil, such as in World War II. But Christians have a responsibility to weigh the causes and goals of a war before taking up arms. If my government goes to war with an immoral aim, I must object to fighting in that instance.

Notes

Norman Geisler, “War,” in Christian Ethics, second ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2010): 220-243.