“Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war” – Revelation 19:11
I grew up during the Vietnam War. I came very close to being personally involved in that war. I had friends who were. I saw firsthand how war affects people and leaves scars, both physical and mental. I remember eating dinner with my family and watching on television the nightly casualty and death count broadcast. I remember the antiwar movement, its demonstrations, and culture of “peace.” Some of it was sincere. Some of it was also rooted in Communist propaganda no doubt.
In 1970, there was a popular song written by Motown writers Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong entitled “War.” It hit the top of the charts, and its main lyric was known by just about everyone, “War, What is it good for? Absolutely nothing! Say it again!” As the war dragged on the song accurately expressed the sentiment of the day. But is that true, is war never useful or called for? Is war ever “good”? Is it ever called for, ever necessary, even God’s will?
Our nation is presently involved in a war with Iran based on the orthodox Islamic leadership of that nation refusing to agree to not pursue nuclear weaponry. Iran is second only to China in state sponsored terror and attacks on western nations. To them Israel is the “little Satan” and America the “Big” or “Great Satan.” Despite efforts to resolve this conflict diplomatically, and in the face of Iranian claims to have already obtained nuclear weapons, President Trump on Saturday February 28th, 2026, felt it necessary to act preemptively against Iran along with help from Israel.
There are those in our country who oppose anything Republican President Trump says or does. It has been said, with tongue firmly placed in cheek, that such people would find something bad to say about President Trump even if he discovered a cure for cancer. A Trump Derangement Syndrome has been used to describe such people for voicing their opposition in government and in the streets of our nation for anything attached in some way to their perceived political opponents. Such a closed mindset has created a perplexing as well as confused global panorama where Iranians hoping for freedom from Islamic tyranny are dancing in the streets and singing the accolades of America and President Trump, while in America President Trump is being vilified as a “fascist,” “Nazi,” “dictator,” and being accused of abusing his presidential powers. What makes such accusations all the more spurious is when levelheaded people point out that previous democratic presidents in recent history acted militarily in much the same way and were unopposed (e.g., Libya).
Our nation in the last few years has chosen to side with the Ukrainians against an invasion by Russia. We have sent BILLIONs of dollars to support the Ukrainian defense of their nation. Since the Russian invasion that began February 24th, 2022, estimates of deaths and casualties have been hard to pin down accurately. Both sides shade their estimates to favor their cause. It’s difficult to gauge losses in the confusion of any conflict. But the loss of life for both sides appears to be significantly over a million, perhaps even close to two million. That’s a lot of pain and suffering.
These two international conflicts involving our nation raise the question, “Is war ever just?” That is what this study will consider.
The first mention of “war” in the Bible is found in Genesis. The word “war” in Hebrew is milhama and means war, battle, conflict, engaging in battle. The term “war” first appears in Genesis fourteen where two confederacies of nations go to war against each other, and Lot, the nephew of Abraham, gets caught up in the chaos. Abraham then musters an army to rescue Lot. It is in the aftermath of the rescue of Lot that Abraham encounters Melchizedek. Melchizedek is a type of Christ (Hebrews 5). God often shows up in times conflict and upheaval.
God is sovereign over all nations. The Bible states God, “removes kings and raises up kings” (Daniel 2:21). The book of Daniel is filled with examples of God’s sovereign authority over the kings and nations of the world. God gives a prophetic picture of the succession of empires, Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Greek, and Roman (Daniel 2). God even goes so far as to humble the mighty Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon until he grovels in submission in the dirt (Daniel 4). God writes a stern judgment to king Belshazzar by writing on the wall of his palace during a wild drunken party (Daniel 5). Belshazzar’s knees knock in fright in response. Little did he know that that very night he would be invaded and defeated by Medo-Persians, just as God said. Yes, God is in control no matter what we see on the global surface of world events. And when His people oppose their enemies, God shows up in the furnaces of life. In those furnaces where we sometimes face insurmountable odds, we are joined by Jesus who helps us live out taking a stand against tyrannical powers (e.g., Daniel 3).
Later in the New Testament God expresses His sovereign authority and purpose for nations saying:
Romans 13:1-4 (NKJV) – Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. 4 For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.
God says of nations and governments that they do, “not bear the sword in vain.” Throughout the Bible nations and their militaries are used by God to fulfill His judgments and purposes. God uses unrighteous nations like the Assyrians, Babylonians, and Philistines to discipline His people and others. God uses righteous nations like Israel to fulfill His plans and will. God is in control. We should never forget that. But just because God uses a nation for His purposes, it doesn’t necessarily mean that nation-instrument is righteous, it simply means they are being used by God. If we want to be a righteous nation used for God’s righteous causes, we have to prayerfully look deeper.
In the New Testament the first mention of “war” is found in Luke 14:31 when Jesus uses it as an illustration about counting the cost to follow Him. “War” in the New Testament is translated from the Greek term polemos which means warfare, battle, fight, war. It can also refer to a dispute, strife, or a quarrel. Wars can occur between individuals and family members. They can occur between larger groups and between nations on an international level.
When considering this topic, it is important to distinguish between what the Bible says to individuals versus nations. Though nations should act humanely and righteously, they are authorized by God to use force to militarily enforce God’s will. Therefore, it would not be completely accurate to apply the teaching of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, (meant for individual disciples), to a nation. When Genghis Kahn or Axis Power type invaders ruthlessly murder and subjugate people and nations, it is not time to weakly stay out of the fray as a nation because you “love your enemies.” The righteous thing to do in such a situation is for a righteous nation to prayerfully and prudently consider whether it is their place and call to oppose such tyranny with military force.
When Adolf Hitler, (an actual Nationalist Socialist and fascist) rose to power in Europe, initially our nation took a strong isolationist stance. Charles Lindbergh famously stepped up as an outspoken supporter for staying out of the war. But as Hitler began to invade more and more of Europe, and as Japan attacked Peral Harbor, it became crystal clear that pacifism and isolationism was a perilous not prudent way to respond to such aggression. The United States entered World War Two and was used by God to defeat and stop Axis powers who actually were responsible for killing more of humanity (e.g., Holocaust; The Rape Nanjing, etc.) than the nation who stopped the War with an atomic bomb. In such situations the “loving” thing for a nation to do is to prayerfully intervene on behalf of the weaker victims being murdered or suffering genocide by the aggressor.
History is often twisted for political gain. There are “Holocaust Deniers.” But as the Philosopher Santayana once said, “Those who forget history are doomed to relive it.” Beware those who would change and manipulate history for their own political purposes. Today the abortion industry is steaming close to the 70 million mark in our nation. There is a war on babies. Opposing that genocide is a righteous cause of God.
Global peace is a viable objective. But putting the welfare and security of one’s own nation is also the responsibility of nations and their leadership. A nation’s priority is to protect and guard the welfare of its citizens. This has always been the case throughout history. It has only been questioned by those with a globalist agenda in what I believe are the latter days. A globalist system will only ensure loss of individual rights. If you believe the prophetic picture of scripture, and I do, a globalist government over the world will serve as the system of government control that will be headed by Antichrist. Such a scenario will result in the greatest and most severe tribulation this world has ever experienced (cf., Matthew 24:21; Revelation 13).
The only reason this world has not already degenerated into such tribulation is because of the restraining influence of the Holy Spirit over evil (2 Thessalonians 2:6-7). The Church is the Spirit’s prime tool to restrain evil, but no doubt He also works through nations to restrain evil in this world as well.
There is a spiritual dimension in war. When Daniel was praying on behalf of his nation Isarel, the angel Gabriel was sent by God with a message to him. Upon arrival, Gabriel comments that while God’s answer was instant, delivery of it was delayed because he was opposed by the Prince of Persia. There is a spiritual dimension in the affairs of nations (Daniel 9-10). Because of this it’s important to recognize that:
2 Corinthians 10:3-6 (NKJV) – For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.
Because our struggle is not merely against people, or even nations, but against spiritual entities, we need to put our spiritual armor on. We need to pray and take control of our thoughts and plans. We need to rely first and foremost on the power of God. He has given us weapons to fight with. Our armor is held in place with a belt of truth. A breastplate of righteousness guards our heart. Wherever we go we take the gospel looking for opportunities to communicate it in word or dead. The “gospel of peace” is our message. The “shield of faith” wards of the spiritual enemy attacks. The “helmet of salvation” keeps our think right. And the sword of the Spirit directs us in God’s truth. It is “the sword of the Spirit” who uses God’s word to direct us in what to do and how to do it (Ephesians 6:10-18).
If you talk to Ukrainians or their sympathizers, they will tell you they are simply defending their motherland. If you talk to Russians and their sympathizers, they will tell you they invaded Ukraine because a promise was broken that Ukraine would not be allowed to join NATO. They would compare their situation to the Cuban Missile Crisis of the 60s and the United States justification in desuading Russia from placing missiles on our doorstep. Both sides have justifying reasons for the war. Who is right? Who is wrong? The world is divided over those questions. That’s what wars do, they divide on the highest scale. There’s so much turmoil caused by war. We might ask, “Is war ever just?”
If you talk to Iranian Muslim mullahs, they will say they have only been following their Islamic teachings to usher in another caliphate and the coming of their messiah-Mahdi. They justify their state sponsored terror and evil influences based on their religious beliefs. Theirs is a religion of force, subjugation, and rigidity imposed. They veil the truth of their intentions under a propaganda cloak of being a “Religion of Peace.” Nonsense. Their target is all non-Muslims, especially in the West. The evil unjust intent of such pursuits should be clear to any rational, biblically oriented person. Unfortunately, those with communist worldviews have infiltrated western society to twist through more propaganda and false claims the mindsets of a substantial portion of society. The result? We are in a time spoken of by God through the prophet Isaiah, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20). The result is demonstrations in the streets cheering on genocide, opposing righteous military actions, supporting treachery, and blindly criticizing those whose “guilt” to them is simply because they belong to an opposing political party.
The Ukrainian/Russian war is as complex as it is tragic. The tragedy of it is, Vladimir Zalinsky of Ukraine and Vladimir Putin of Russia are not stepping into a ring to fight it out. No, millions of soldiers and innocent civilian victims are paying the price. The carnage is heart wrenching and stomach turning. We could say similar things about the war in Iran, though the United States and Israel are doing their best to avoid innocent victims. It should also be said that, somewhere behind the scenes a military industrial complex and a lot of politicians are making an awful lot of money off of the conflict. War is indeed obscene on many levels.
The Ukraine/Russian, USA/Israel versus Iranian wars are not the only conflicts going on. There has been the Hamas terror attack of October 7th, 2022, in Israel and the ongoing war response of Israel. China has been saber-rattling and threatening Taiwan for years. The take down of Maduro in Venezuela has stifled China’s ambitions a bit by cutting off their source of oil needed to fuel such a war. South Africa is perpetrating genocide. In Mexico, the government is embroiled in an effort to stop drug cartels ruthless wreckage of drug trade and human trafficking. War internationally, and government law enforcement nationally that uses force, should always be a last resort, but sometimes circumstances demand it.
While we must distinguish between scripture truths applied to individuals and nations, there are some commonalities. On an individual scale, if we see a child, or elderly person, or some other defenseless person being bullied or attacked by a much bigger assailant, for us to stand by and do nothing would be a sin of omission (James 4:17). Intervention on behalf of one being victimized, at the risk of our own personal injury, is one of the clearest acts of loving your neighbor. In fact, Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:13). If that is true for laying down your life for a friend, how much more is it true when lovingly sacrificing for a stranger? It’s downright Good-Samaritan-esk! (Luke 10:25-37). A Pacifistic lack of response when someone is being victimized would seem criminal and heartless in such circumstances.
In recent history we have seen the need more and more to intervene on behalf of victims of violence. On September 13, 2024, an elderly woman in New York City, peacefully walking her dog on the street was bashed to the cold hard cement sidewalk from behind by an assailant for no apparent reason. On December 22, 2024, a few days before Christmas, a woman was burned to death on a New York City subway while passersby, including police, did nothing except take videos and post the horror on social media. On an individual scale we can make a compelling argument to intervene on behalf of the weak when they are being attacked (Psalm 82:3; Proverbs 31:8-9).
But is war on a national and international scale ever justified? I would argue the Bible does support the concept of a just war. World War II is an example of a belligerent dictator with an eye on world domination and subjugation that refused to negotiate in good faith until war was the only just and required response. The Axis powers of Germany, Japan, and Italy waged war on the world and could only be stopped by an alliance of nations that opposed them. Without the allied nations of the earth answering the call and need of a just war, the Final Solution to annihilate Jewry in the world might have succeeded. Otherwise, freedom and a host of other God given rights would have been infringed upon and in many cases lost. What does the Bible say about a just war?
12 Biblical Rules of Engagement in The Just War
There is such a thing as a just war. Sin in the world and the unwillingness of evil people to live peaceably with those around them oftentimes oppressing and victimizing vulnerable people makes a just war to stop them a necessity. War is a horrible thing (see Psalm 79:3; Jeremiah 7:33; 15:3; 16:4; 34:20). But if peace and justice cannot be established by peaceful means, a just war is the alternative. The Bible does give guidelines for a just war, and they are as follows.
- Pray for guidance in a just war. Prayer is a declaration of dependence upon God and in the tension between attempting to avoid war as much as possible and also not appeasing foolishly an aggressor to try and maintain peace, God’s wisdom and direction are indispensable. God’s wisdom is obtained through prayer (2 Samuel 5:17-19).
- Those fighting a just war should depend on God’s resources, not just their own earthly resources. The resources of God are far more important than any earthly resources. For instance, God’s angels are far mightier than any human soldier and He will send them to help when we fight in a just war (2 Chronicles 32:8; Psalm 3; 4:8; 35:1-7; Isaiah 37:36).
- Always keep in mind that earthly wars have spiritual elements. Paul was inspired to write that our primary battle is not against flesh and blood people but against Satan and his minions and we should fight it as such (Daniel 9-10; Ephesians 6:10-18).
- As much as is possible, overcome evil with good. Even though military force is sometimes needed, mercy and goodness are to be shown to enemies as much as possible (2 Samuel 9:1-8; Psalm 35:11-16; Proverbs 25:21-22; Matthew 5:43-48; Luke 6:27-36; Romans 14:14,20).
- Don’t war vengefully but leave revenge in the hands of God. A heart of revenge can lead to atrocities in war. Those fighting a just war must release any thought of revenge to the Lord. Who better to dish out justice rightly than the Just One of the universe? (Romans 12:19-20; 1 Thessalonians 1:6-7).
- Don’t take pleasure in the demise or pain of your enemy. Even though the elimination of a ruthless enemy is sought, we should never take pleasure in the pain of another no matter how evil. Taking pleasure in the pain experienced by an enemy displeases God (Proverbs 24:17-18).
- Understand there are those who will refuse peaceful means of reconciliation or problem resolution. Some refuse diplomacy (Palm 120:6-7).
- Understand there are ruthless and evil entities in the world. These need to be dealt with for they destroy the peace and victimize the helpless at every turn (Psalm 41:5; 54:3; Ezekiel 36:5-7).
- Those who persist in evil and refuse to live at peace are to be firmly dealt with in the Lord. We are not to sit back and do nothing or continually appease those who do evil (Psalm 109). We are not to be naive or pacifistic.
- Allow the enemy to undermine and defeat himself if possible. Dictators and tyrants are often destroyed from within. Wait for this and facilitate it if you can (Psalm 57:6).
- Forgive enemies once they are defeated. Jesus said, “Forgive them Father for they know not what they do.” Stephen said, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” We should treat enemies as God has treated us for, we were enemies of God before coming to Christ and He forgave us (Luke 23:34; Acts 7:60; Colossians 1:21-23).
- Fear God more than the enemy. This will motivate those fighting a just war to fight it according to God’s rules and not their own (Matthew 10:28).
A war will be just in proportion to adhering to scriptural just war criteria such as those listed here.
In the Old Testament Joshua is confronted by the Commander of the Lord’s armies (Joshua 5). God’s angels don’t play. One angel killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in one night (2 Kings 19:35; Isaiah 37:36). There is a time when force is the solution to evil. And God’s army is supreme!
There are some who identify Jesus as the Commander of the Lord’s army faced by Joshua. Jesus first came meek and lowly and riding on a donkey. His Second Coming will be much different. Jesus first came as a Lamb, the next time He comes He will come as the Lion of Judah. One day Jesus is going to lead an army of believers from heaven to establish His Kingdom on earth. The Bible describes the scene as follows:
Revelation 19:11-16 (NKJV) – 11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. 15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
Jesus at His Second Coming, is coming to make war. He is returning with “the armies of heaven.” He has a “sharp sword” in His mouth, “that with it He should strike the nations.” And “He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron.” “He himself treads the wine press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.” This “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” is coming to end a war by way of warring. Yes, sometimes war is just, and necessary. He is coming as the King of Kings and Lord of lords. He will have a sword, and He is not going to lose. His kingdom will reign for a thousand years (Revelation 19-20).
Jesus taught us to pray, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). It would seem God is not opposed to including war in His plans. His Kingdom is going to be ushered in by the supreme just war at the end of the Tribulation.
We have seen the just use of ar by God. “War, what is it good for?” Well, we have seen its not “nothing.” God ordains war at times. War should always be a last resort. But if war becomes necessary, we should stick as close as possible to the Biblical Rules of Engagement. That is true on both an individual and national scale. Let’s pray we never have to go to war on any level, but if we do, let’s pray for God’s strength to defeat evil His way and by His rules. In Jesus’ name. Amen.