What Does God Say About War? 

Romans 12:18 

CBC, Bishop 3/30/03

In a nutshell: The Bible has answers to these questions: What is the real cause of war?; Is it ever right to fight?; Will the world ever have permanent peace?; Could this be the final war?; How should we respond during war? (I'm indebted to Rick Warren for his encouragement and help in crafting this message.)

I. Introduction

A. Joke

I don't know if you've heard the latest news today, but Canada has not said it would help the war effort in Iraq. They have promised to commit 2 of their largest battleships, 6000 armed troops and 600 fighter jets. However, after the exchange rate, that comes down to a canoe, 2 Mounties and a flying squirrel.

B. Something different

I'm going to take a break from the book of Philippians this morning, and focus on something very different, that I think may be in the back of most of our minds, this morning. I want to talk about war. Specifically I want to show you from the Bible, what God has to say about war. And in the process, we're going to five important questions: -What is the real cause of war? -Is it ever right to fight? -Will the world ever have permanent peace? -Could this be the final war? -How should we respond during times of war?

C. Turn to Romans 12

With that in mind, I'd like you to turn in your Bibles to the New Testament book of Romans. And I want to focus our thoughts, first of all on Chapter 12, verse 18…

Romans 12:18 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

Now, a good phrase for you to underline in that verse is the phrase, "if it is possible". The Bible is being very practical here. It is basically saying, "as much as it depends on you... as far as you're concerned, Christian…, live at peace with everybody." However, this verse is also implying that sometimes it is impossible to live at peace with someone.

Illustration: Have you ever met somebody that, no matter what you did, you just couldn't get along with them? No matter what you did, they could not be appeased. The Bible says, "If it is possible." For instance, if somebody abused my daughter or abused my wife, I wouldn't have peace with them at all. I may forgive, but peace is another thing, altogether. There are times when it is not possible to live at peace. So, understanding that, I want to look at those five questions I just posed to you.

II. Answers to the 5 Questions

A. What is the Real Cause of War?

First of all, what is the real cause of war? The Bible says that most wars are caused by two things: Look at these verses from…

James 4:1-2 1 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God.

He's talking about selfishness and pride. I think we've got a clear example of this in Iraq. During the first war with Iraq, Saddam wanted something that wasn't his. He wanted the oil fields in Kuwait. So he just took them. They weren't his but he took them anyway. In this second war, Saddam didn't want to disarm, as he agreed he would do. He was too prideful. He wanted weapons, even after he agreed not to have them. This is (was) a very prideful and selfish man.

Whenever there is a battle between two nations, a battle between two businesses, a battle between an employer and an employee, a battle between labor and management, husband and wife, parent and child…, whenever there's conflict, somebody (maybe it's both) is exhibiting selfishness or pride. When I want my way, and you want your way, we're going to have conflict.

Illustration: I read a story about President Lincoln this week. It seems that he was walking down the street one day with his two boys. And both boys were crying and acting frustrated. A passerby said, "What's wrong with your little boys?" Lincoln replied, "Nothing, more than what's wrong with the entire world. I have three walnuts and each wants two."

Illustration: When I was studied world history in college, I remember reading about two cities in Italy who fought for 22 years over an unreturned bucket. They carried on a 22 year war over a bucket!

The Bible says in… Proverbs 13:10 10 Pride only breeds quarrels,

Pride only causes fighting. When you think of the word sin, what's the middle letter? It's "I"! -When I'm in charge, -when I want my way, -when I demand that I be at the center of things, -when I want what I want, no matter what, …sin's going to happen. Pride causes a lot of problems.

How many times in the last months has the U.S., Great Britain, Spain, Australia, Poland and the U.N. told Saddam, "Disarm, as you promised." And Saddam has basically said in pride, "I'd rather fight. I dare you to make me keep my promise. I'd rather go to war than admit I violated a treaty and a UN resolution."

That same verse in Proverbs 13:10 is translated in the New English Bible this way…"A brainless fool causes strife by his presumption."

B. Is it ever right to fight?

A second question that needs answering is, Is it ever right to fight? And the answer is , "Yes." There are times when it is the lesser of two evils. There are times when it is appropriate, and there are times when it is inappropriate.

Ecclesiastes 3:8 8 (there is) a time for war and a time for peace.

Friends, the Bible is very realistic. Sometimes war is the right thing. Sometimes war is the wrong thing. "There is a time for war and there is a time for peace."

There are a whole bunch of times in the Bible where God commanded His people to go to war. When you look at the great heroes of the faith listed in Hebrews 11-guys like: Joshua, David, Gideon, Samson-they were all warriors. When you look at the Bible you find that sometimes war was the right thing to do. Even Jesus said in

Matthew 24:6 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.

A lot of people want to make Jesus a pacifist. But He wasn't! Twice in the New Testament, we are told that He cleansed the temple by force. It says He made a whip and He went in and He chased the ungodly people out. He didn't politely ask them, "Would you guys please get out of here?" No, He forced them out. They were in the wrong, they were carrying out activities that were wrong for that place. So He used force. On another time, speaking to His disciples, He said…

Luke 22:36 36 "But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.

So, if the Bible says there is a time for war and a time for peace, then the question becomes, "When's the right time?" How do you know a good war from a bad war?

1. To preserve freedom.

Well, two or three times the Bible says we ought to fight…in order to preserve freedom. Once God told Joshua to wipe out the Midianites, because they were very evil and they wanted to capture the Israelites and make them their slaves These folks had all kinds of evil practices like throwing babies into the fire, and peeling the skin off of their POW's and staking down in the sand to let them bake in the desert sun. It was a terrible, atrocious culture. And God didn't want that evil influence taking over Israel. So, He told Joshua to go to war.

2. To defend innocent people

Another reason the Bible gives for going to war is…to defend innocent people.

Proverbs 21:15 15 When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers.

God isn't just interested in peace. He wants peace, with justice. Peace at any price is not peace. Peace at any price is appeasement. God says that He is not only a God of peace but He is also a God of justice. Things should be done right.

That's why the Civil War was fought. Blacks were being treated unjustly, and the people of the South weren't willing to give up their culture of slavery. So a force had to come against them, to force them to treat black people justly. It has been said that all that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing. Justice is a reason for going to war..

John Stewart Mills, a British general during World War 2 once said, "A man who has nothing which he is willing to fight for, nothing which he cares about more than his personal safety, is a miserable creature who has no chance of being free."

3. To stop the spread of evil.

A third reason the Bible gives for going to war is to stop the spread of evil. God is very clear that He has authorized the existence of governments to enforce the law and punish people who brake the law.

Romans 13:4 4 For (government) is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.

There are three facts of life we must pay attention to when it comes to war… -We live in a fallen world. -Every person in this world has sinned. -And wherever there is sin, people hurt each other.

So there must be laws enacted to prevent people from hurting each other. God has authorized law and government to do this. In a fallen world where people are not perfect, there has to be laws. And government has been commissioned by God to enforce those laws. Because if there's no enforcement, the laws are worthless.

Most of the world would agree that Saddam decided, "I want weapons of my choosing, and I don't care what anyone says, Iraq is going to have them and we will not hesitate to use them." By doing that, he broke an international law and treaty agreement that said he had to disarm, and could not have certain kinds of weapons in his arsenal. The UN weapons inspectors found some of these banned weapons. Saddam broke a law. Saddam has proven that he will not hesitate to take innocent lives in the most inhumane ways to suit his purposes. So the Bible says governments are agents to bring about punishments for wrongdoers, and to stop the spread of evil.

But you might be thinking, but how can we do that? Doesn't the sixth commandment say, Thou shalt not kill? Frankly, no it doesn't. It says "Thou shalt not murder." That word is used 47 times in the Bible and it always means murder. Is there a difference between killing and murder? Absolutely. C.S. Lewis said, "All killing is no more murder than all sexual intercourse is adultery." There is a difference. Many times in the Old Testament, God commanded capital punishment for certain kinds of crimes.

So, when is war it right? -When it preserves freedom; -When it defends innocent people; and -When it stops the spread of evil.

C. Will the World Ever Have Peace?

The third question for the morning is, "Will the World Ever Have Peace?" The answer is, "Yes, someday, but not until Jesus Christ returns." Jesus says in…

John 14:2-3 2 In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

-Did He go? Yes he did. -Is He coming back? Absolutely. And the Bible says that when He comes back, He will set up a reign of peace on the earth. Isaiah and many other Biblical writers describe it. Look at this description…

Isaiah 2:4 4 He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.

Wow! Did you know that a part of this verse is over the entrance to the United Nations? "They'll hammer their swords into plows and their spears into pruning knives." But they left off the most important part!!!! "He will settle the disputes." He…, meaning Jesus! Not the United Nations! We'll never have ultimate peace until the Prince of Peace establishes His reign on the earth. So there is going to be a day of permanent peace, but not until Jesus comes back.

D. Could this be the Final War?

The fourth question for this morning is probably the question that more pastors are asked, than any other question, "Could this be the final war before Jesus comes again?" The answer is, "I don't know. It could be. But I don't know-in fact, nobody knows!"

Now the reason Christians ask this question is because the Bible makes it very clear that history is moving toward a climax. And one day it will culminate in a huge battle that will involve fighting in the Middle East, and it will involve Israel. The Bible refers to this as the Battle of Armageddon. So, anytime fighting occurs in the Middle East, people start asking, "Is this it? Is this the final war?" And the answer is, "Nobody knows!"

You need to understand that the Arab-Israeli conflict goes back thousands and thousands of years. And it's all Abraham's fault! God told Abraham that he was going to have a son one day, that would eventually be a great nation, and we know that nation to be Israel. God told Abraham that he was going to have that son by Sarah. At 80 years of age, Sarah still hadn't had a kid. At 89 she still wasn't pregnant. So Abraham said, "Maybe I'd better take matters into my own hands." So, he made a baby with Sarah's servant, Hagar. Her baby was called, Ishmael. God said, "He's not the one I wanted, but I'm going to bless him anyway. He will be a great nation, too." And Ishmael became the father of all the Arab nations. Then later Isaac was born, and he became the father of the Jewish nation. So Ishmael and Isaac were half-brothers. And what we've got going on in the Middle East, ever since, is a family feud.

But beyond that Arab/Israeli conflict, the Bible says that one day there will be a climatic battle in the Middle East. So, is this it? I don't know! I'm no expert on the Second Coming, but I do know somebody who is. His name is Jesus. He knows a little bit more than anybody else in this room. Look at what He has to say about the end of times.

Luke 21:8-9 8 He replied: "Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am he,' and, 'The time is near.' Do not follow them. 9 When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away."

First He says, "Watch out that you are not deceived." Make a note of that! It's saying, "Don't believe everything you hear or read." In the twentieth century, for every single war that's been fought somebody's written a book on it and said, "This is the end!" There were people who said World War I was the final war, and the Kaiser was the antichrist. Then they said World War II was the final war, and Hitler was the antichrist. The list goes on and on.

But Jesus also said in…

Matthew 24:36 36 "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

Isn't that interesting! Only the Father knows! Any time you read a book on the Second Coming that says "This is when it's going to happen. This is the day," I can guarantee you one thing. They're wrong. Anytime someone picks a date and says, "This is it", you know that it won't be on that date. In fact, that's a good day to plan a trip to Disneyland. Why? Because no one knows! Jesus said, "I don't even know. The angels don't know, only the Father knows."

I've often been asked since I became a Senior Pastor, why don't you preach more on the end times? That's easy! Why waste my effort and your time? Because nobody knows! I could get up here and make some good guesses, but they'd all be speculation. Jesus said, "Nobody knows when it's going to happen."

So, is this the final war before Jesus comes again? I don't know! But I do know that one of the signs Jesus gave of his Second Coming was the Good News is going to be shared with all nations. In other words, every people, and every tribe will have a chance to hear the gospel before He comes back.

So, why hasn't Christ come back yet? Because He's waiting until everybody He wants to have heard the gospel…has heard it. Once everybody He wants to have heard it has heard it, He's coming back. So if you want the Lord to come back soon, you can help! Get out and start sharing your faith. Intentionally become a link in the chain of events that leads people you know to faith in Jesus Christ.

E. How should we respond?

The final question for the morning is…"how should a Christian respond to war?" Let me give you four specific things in answer to that…

1. Pray.

First of all, pray.

1 Timothy 2:1-2 1 I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone- 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.

When you pray, the first thing to pray for are our leaders. They make the decisions. Pray for the president, pray for the generals, pray for the congress, pray for leaders. Notice the benefit of praying for your leaders: You'll get to live quiet and peaceful lives. So, pray for our leaders.

-We also ought to pray for our soldiers, the men and women who are in harms way. (if you have email, you can go to our church website, and sign up this afternoon, for my Monday morning "Pastor's Heart" devotional. This Monday, I'll give you 31 ways to pray for our troops-one for each day of the month. -And also, Jesus says that we're to pray for our enemies…

Matthew 5:44 44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

We ought to pray that they will have a change of heart. So the first thing to do is pray.

2. Trust God.

The second thing a Christian should do is trust God in all situations.

Psalms 27:1-2 The LORD is my light and my salvation--whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life--of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall.

While we pray for our soldiers, we also accept the fact that when war happens, there are going to be casualties. There will be people who lose their lives. So we're to trust God realizing that God can be counted on, that God is in control, that God knows what He's doing, and that God will carry us through whatever situation we may face.

3. Seek peace.

The third thing a Christian is to do is to seek peace.

Psalms 34:14 14 Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

Seeking peace means to do whatever you can to bring about peace. And it's not just talking about peace between nations. It means peace everywhere. -You need to seek peace in your family. -You need to seek peace with your husband/your wife. -You need to seek peace with your children. -You need to seek peace with people you are estranged from you at work. That's the mark of a Christian.

Jesus said in…

Matthew 5:9 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

William Temple, the late Archbishop of Canterbury, said (front of your worship folders) "We Christians in war are called to the hardest task of all-to fight without hatred, to resist without bitterness and in the end if God so grants it, triumph without vindictiveness." That's seeking peace.

4. We need to support each other.

The fourth thing the Bible says we should do is to support each other.

Galatians 6:2 2 Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

In a time of crisis, like we're in, I think this is when the church really shows itself as a family. We are to be an extended family that is a network of support for those lives that are influenced and affected by this war. We need to support the soldiers. We need to support their families…not only through prayer, but to do our part when we hear of groups seeking donations of time and things, to help our military families.

One such opportunity is happening tomorrow at City Hall, through the Families of Military Service Personnel organization. The information on how you can help is on the back of your sermon note sheet this morning. That's just one way to support each other.

III. Conclusion

Right now, our eyes are focused on a war in Iraq. But that's not the only war that's going on. I'm talking about another war that's been raging a long time. There is another freedom operation going on. In fact, it's far more important than the one that's going on in the Gulf.

The Bible says that there is a war going on for the souls of men, between God and Satan. The most used analogy for a Christian in the New Testament is a soldier-it says things like: fight the good fight-put on the whole armor of God-fight-strive-conquer-overcome-victory. Those are war terms that the Bible uses to represent the Christian life. The devil is trying to pull people away from God. It is our job as agents of God to go out and reach them with His love.

Now, if you've never entered into a relationship with Jesus Christ, the Bible says you're in a war with God. What you need to do is make peace with God. If you don't have peace with God, you're not going to have peace with other people. The Bible says that Jesus came to earth… Hebrews 2:14-15 14 …so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death-that is, the devil- 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.

Jesus wants to set you free from the power of death. He wants to give you real freedom. Galatians 1:4 4 Jesus gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,

And Jesus Himself, said… John 8:36 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Free to a new purpose in life, Free to a new meaning in life. Free to significance, Free to break bad habits and Free to begin new ones. God wants to rescue you. You need to take sides-today, if you haven't.

Friends, if you've never said "Yes" to Jesus, the Bible says that you're at war with God. But you can make your peace with Him today. You do that by asking Jesus Christ to come into your life and forgive you, and make you a new person. Would you say in your heart this morning, if you haven't, (on screen) "Jesus, I want peace with You. I don't want to be at war with God. I want to follow You. Come into my life and save me from my sins. Rescue me from wasting my life."

Most of you have already made that decision. You're Christians. If that's the case, then you need say, (don't put on screen) "God, I need to be a soldier for You. I realize that there are people all around me that are dying because they've never heard the Good News. Help me to share it with them-to not hoard-but to share it with others."

Bow to pray. After a time of silent prayer, pray… Lord, we do pray for peace in the Gulf. We pray that the war would be over quickly. We pray for strength and wisdom for our leaders. Help them to lead with compassion, integrity, sincerity, and wisdom. We pray for our enemies, that they would change their minds and that peace may come quickly. We pray for the families in our church and all over the Bishop area who are being affected because they have loved ones who are in the war right now. We ask for Your protection and grace and blessing on them. Help us as a church family to reach out to this community, and to all who need encouragement and support during this time. In Jesus' name. Amen.