War

They were glad to hear the report and praised God. And they talked no more about going to war (Joshua 22:33).

Whether you think it is justified or not, war is part of the human experience. Our oldest written documents include references to armed conflict between different groups of people. War was commonplace; in the Old Testament we read that spring was the season when kings went off to war. As soon as the crops were planted and the weather was favorable, men took up arms and marched off to shed blood.

There are several reasons for declaring war. The two most common are greed and safety. One country will invade another to get more land for growing food, acquire valuable resources needed for economic growth, or to increase the population for tax purposes. Countries will also launch a preemptive strike if they fear a military build up on the other side.

War has also been used for internal reasons. A government might prepare for war to get factories reopened and unemployed citizens back to work. If a nation is troubled by social unrest, the ruler can unify his people by declaring war on an enemy that everyone fears and hates.

Countries often get dragged into war because of international treaties—if one nation is attacked, its friends are obligated to assist. And sometimes wars are fought over matters of principle—to bring freedom to a suffering people, or to enlighten them with a different culture and religion.

But when is a war justified in the eyes of God? He doesn’t tell us when we should send in troops and when we should mind our own business. Still, the teachings of Holy Scripture can guide us. Greed a sin; war is evil if its purpose is to make one nation richer at the expense of another. Jesus invites people to believe in Him, but He never uses force; war is wrong if it is used to make others believe as we do. But God did establish government to protect people from harm and allow them to live in peace; war is an option when national safety is at risk. Still, human lives should never be taken casually—the Lord made us all, and He wants everyone to experience His love through Christ.