Wage the Good Warfare
by Brother Elliot Nesch
Previous Section: The Good Warfare | Nonresistance | Christian LivingVII. WAGE THE GOOD WARFARE
Some people justify Christian involvement in war because of all the people saved in Christ through its sorrows. I think this is a poor and foolish argument. That's like saying continue sinning because where sin abounds, God's grace abounds much more (Romans 6: 1). That's foolish. Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good (Romans 12: 9). This unbiblical argument is similar saying you can kill your enemy in love.
Psalm 119: 113 says, "I hate the double-minded, But I love Your law." I know this sounds absurd but I have heard professing Christians say, "I can kill my enemy in love." You can not love your enemy and kill them. That is the epitome of double-mindedness and Orwellian double-speak. The only way somebody could say this is if they haven't seen a person's life taken at the hands of another; if they hadn't seen somebody perish without the knowledge of their Lord and Savior because of human violence. These types of arguments are hypocrisy calling evil good and good evil. Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter (Isaiah 5: 20). He who says to the wicked, "You are righteous," him the people will curse; nations will abhor him (Proverbs 24: 24).
The Bible does not teach that you can kill your enemy in love. How do professing Christians hold to this claim? The Bible teaches: "If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; for so you will heap coals of fire on his head, and the Lord will reward you" (Proverbs 25: 21, 22). Following this command as a soldier in war will get you in trouble. So, again we see the conflicting duties between the role of the soldier for Jesus and the soldier for a nation. We ought to obey God rather than men (Acts 5: 29).
Perfect love is so simple. Unfortunately, there is a failure to see this simplicity today. The only counterarguments come from the foolishness and hypocrisy of the flesh, not the sound doctrine of the Scriptures.
We must hold our leaders accountable especially in America where the President and those serving in armed forces swear allegiance to uphold the Constitution of the United States, not a dictator or ruler. The governing authority and law of the land of the United States is the Constitution, which makes this country very unique, different from those kingdoms in Paul's time. George Bush claims to be a born again Christian, yet disobeys the Constitution and international law and it is our duty to rebuke our brother George Bush and call him to repentance (Luke 17: 3).
I have never served in armed forces but if I am drafted I will have no other choice but to obey the authorities put in place by God. Even then, my Christian pacifism would place me in a duty or service where killing is not part of it. I refuse to kill or take up arms because my Lord Jesus Christ is NOT glorified in those actions. Because I abide in Christ Jesus, I will walk as he walked (1 John 2: 6) giving life and not destroying life (Luke 9: 51 - 56).
I respect and support this country's soldiers. Do you support them, if so, how? I pray for them that may come home safely. I pray that they would come to the knowledge of the truth in Jesus Christ first and foremost; that they would be born again while serving and see this war for what it is: unjust and a destroyer of innocent life. I pray that they do not obey unlawful orders of their superiors but uphold the Constitution as they swore to do rather than killing innocent Iraqis. Thousands of innocent men, women, and children have perished in this war at the hands of American soldiers. The death toll in Iraq is now over 40,000 dead, not counting the lives lost in the Persian Gulf War and those innocent men, women and children lost through sanctions and depleted uranium!
The people of Iraq are oppressed. They need Christ, not war! Our calling is not to support war, serve in war, or stand by George Bush as he wages unjust war. Our calling is to loose the bonds of wickedness, undo the heavy burdens, let the oppressed go free, share food with the hungry, shelter the homeless, clothe the naked and satisfy the afflicted soul (Isaiah 58).
I end where I began, if you do not hold a position of support or condemnation on this War in Iraq, then you are a silent supporter and innocent blood is on your hands. This charge I commit to you, brothers and sisters in Christ, wage the good warfare, having faith and good conscience (1 Timothy 1: 18 - 19). Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law (Romans 13: 8). He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him (1 John 2: 4). Vengeance is not the Christian's calling but the Lord's for we know Him who said, "Vengeance is mine, and I will repay" (Hebrews 10: 30 and Deuteronomy 32: 35). And again, "The Lord will judge His people" (Hebrews 10: 30 and Deuteronomy 32: 36).
Pray for George Bush. Pray for our soldiers and the people of Iraq. Pray for revival in Iraq and the United States. God's judgment is coming! Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Matthew 4: 17). The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light (Romans 13: 12). Put on Christ!
Again, this is your reasonable service in Christ's army, to lay down your life as a living sacrifice to God. It can't be made any more clear. Any beliefs contrary to these such as killing your enemy in love are from the devil. "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service" (Romans 12: 1). Examine yourself Christian. Do you follow the will and Word of God or that of your flesh, that of the devil. Fear not Christian and lay down your life in perfect love for your brothers, sisters, and even your enemies. Perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4: 18). Be not conformed to this world but be transformed (Romans 12: 2) and conformed to the Word of God, to the Psalmist who writes by the breath of God, "Let the enemy pursue me and overtake me; Yes, let him trample my life to the earth, And lay my honor in the dust" (Psalm 7: 5).
Our war is not on earth, but in heaven (Revelation 12: 7). Therefore, set your eyes on the unseen, supernatural battle. Only by the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ, do we overcome this world and the ruler of this world, the devil (Revelation 12: 11). Only by the blood of the Lamb! Christ led a perfect life and died for you while you were a wicked sinner. He conquered sin and death. He is the visible image of the invisible God (Colossians 1: 15) This world exists in order to prepare a holy bride, the church, for Christ, the Son of God. God is love and He gave His only Son to die as a sacrifice for your sins that you might repent and accept God's gift of eternal life. This is the real war, the war for your eternal soul You can accept God's gift of salvation through the blood of His Son Jesus Christ or reject it. You can serve the creature by your own terms or serve the Creator God's way. Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. Nobody comes to the Father except through Him (John 14: 6). His yoke is easy and his burden is light (Matthew 11: 30). You have been warned sinner and I bear witness to this truth that God commands all men everywhere to repent because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man, Christ Jesus, whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising him from the dead (Acts 17: 31).
IIX. A TIME FOR WAR
This is a matter I have thoroughly researched and prayed about. Myself, if I was drafted into a war, I would have no choice but to follow the Scriptures in submitting to my authorities and go as Romans 13 commands. But more importantly, while serving, I must obey God rather than men. I would refuse to take any oaths. I swear no faith and allegiance except to God and only to God, not to any commander, military or document. I'd also refuse to pick up any weapon. I'd follow in the footsteps of my Lord. To conclude, I say the Christian has no business in this world's wars except doing the works of Christ, the works of laying down your life as a sacrifice in God's perfect love. Conform to God's infallible Word which says there is a time to love and a time to hate, a time of war and a time of peace (Ecclesiastes 3: 8).
The non-Christian and professing Christian might challenge me, then, when is the time for war? If this book you claim to be God's infallible Word calls for a time for war, when is that time? They might say, "Where is the discrepancy if you claim there is no time for a Christian in war according to the very same Word of God which declares a time of war?" And I answer. There is a time for war according to the fullness of the Gospel. Not in this life, not in this world but the next. We set our eyes on the unseen. We follow the footsteps of Christ in this world but there is coming a day when Christ will judge the world in righteousness. That is the day, that is the time for war. That is the day for a truly just war in every sense of the term. This war will be waged by the Prince of Peace and His army to establish true peace and no innocents will be slain.
In that day, Christ judges in righteousness and makes war (Revelation 19: 11). He will be clothed with a robe dipped in blood and the armies of heaven will follow Him clothed in clean white robes and riding white horses (Revelation 19: 13, 14). He will strike the nations and rule them with an iron rod (Revelation 19: 15). This is the time for war when the kings of the earth and their armies gather together to make war against Christ and His army (Revelation 19: 19). In that day, Christ will judge with fierce and righteous wrath of Almighty God.
Might I remind you that the battle has already been won. In the words of our Savior who hung on the cross at Calvary after He received the vinegar and before He bowed His head and gave up the ghost, "It is finished" (John 19: 30). It is finished. You are a soldier of one of two armies: Christ or antichrist. He that denies Jesus is the Christ is antichrist because he denies the Father God and His Son (1 John 2: 22). It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God (Hebrews 10: 31).
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: "For your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
- Romans 8: 35 - 37