Grace Church
257 Kendall Street
Burlington, WI 53105

(262) 763-3021

Is War ever the will of God? (Mike Cote Preaching) Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 Sermon #5 War – an epidemic of humanity, Right now in Georgia, Russia is moving in, claiming there was a breach of a cease fire. GORI, Georgia - The foreign minister of Russia said Thursday that Georgia could “forget about” getting back its two breakaway provinces, and the former Soviet republic remained on edge as Russia sent tank columns to search out and destroy Georgian military equipment. Uncertainty about Russia’s intentions and back-and-forth charges clouded the conflict two days after Russia and Georgia signaled acceptance of a French-brokered cease-fire, and a week after Georgia’s crackdown on the two provinces drew a Russian military response. A group of academics and historians has compiled this startling information: Since 3600 B.C., the world has known only 292 years of peace! During this period there have been 14,351 wars large and small, in which 3.64 billion people have been killed. The value of the property destroyed is equal to a golden belt around the world 97.2 miles wide and 33 feet thick. Since 650 B.C., there have also been 1,656 arms races, only 16 of which have not ended in war. The remainder ended in the economic collapse of the countries involved. War hits us so close to home especially those of us who currently have friends or loved ones who served or are serving in Iraq.  War is a tough, and touchy subject, some may be supporters of the cause, and others picketers from effects. Either side of the fence you may be on, a question still remains, whether we ask ourselves, others, leaders of the nation, Pastors, or veterans… Is war ever the will of God? Before we can arrive at a conclusion to this question we need to know some facts first. War and bloodshed traces back even further than the statistics said earlier.  War has been with us since the garden, where sin entered mankind, which is also known as the fall. (Genesis 3) The result of the fall entangles mankind into warfare. War is the result of sin As we read in Romans 3:10-18    10 As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one;  11there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.  12All have turned away, they have together become worthless;      there is no one who does good, not even one."[a]  13"Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit."[b]      “The poison of vipers is on their lips."[c]  14"Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness."[d]  15"Their feet are swift to shed blood;16ruin and misery mark their ways,  17and the way of peace they do not know."[e]  18"There is no fear of God before their eyes."[f] We see that because of sin, atonement needs to be made, bloodshed. From the moment sin enters, an epic battle begins. Now when we think of epic battles, we have very eclectic and vivid imagination, this is mainly from all the different media exposure, novels we have read, and films we have watched and even video games we may have played. Some may think of epic battles and think of The Lord of the Rings, some may think of Braveheart, or Gladiator.  Some picture tanks, and planes dropping bombs, The smell of napalm in the morning, some it’s Saving Private Ryan, or Black Hawk down. But this epic battle is different then any other we have ever seen. God declares war against us, on account of our sin. In Genesis 3:14 – 19, 14 So the LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this,        "Cursed are you above all the livestock        and all the wild animals!        You will crawl on your belly        and you will eat dust        all the days of your life.  15 And I will put enmity        between you and the woman,        and between your offspring [a] and hers;        he will crush [b] your head,        and you will strike his heel."  16 To the woman he said,        "I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing;        with pain you will give birth to children.        Your desire will be for your husband,        and he will rule over you." 17 To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about                which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,'        "Cursed is the ground because of you;        through painful toil you will eat of it        all the days of your life.  18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you,        and you will eat the plants of the field.  19 By the sweat of your brow        you will eat your food        until you return to the ground,        since from it you were taken;        for dust you are        and to dust you will return."   we see that there are three separate declarations, one for Satan, one for the Eve, and the last for Adam. These are consequences for our actions, God declares war and judges us making mankind no longer friends that walk in the cool of the day in the garden with God, but now enemies. But God doesn’t stop there at the declaration of war at the consequence of sin, no in the midst of the consequences, God prophesies about the coming hero, In every war there are hero’s, in every story, or movie we watch there is the main hero, who blazes in all glorious, with his sword swinging, or guns firing.  But this hero is not like any other, the hero that God was talking about was Christ, His Son, who came into the war for one purpose, to die.  He came armed with authority, and power, raising the dead, and healing, not fighting and killing. This hero, Jesus will save us from this war, and take our place as an enemy of God, and die for us. In return we will take His place and be made sons and daughters of God, no longer enemies, but royalty. God makes an atonement for us, a sin covering so we no longer have to be enemies, and does so by spilling the precious blood of His own son, Jesus. So we see that war is ultimately the direct result of sin, and there are two different types of wars: The first is spiritual war, or else known as STRATEUO, in the Greek, a metaphorical, spiritual war. Spiritual war The Spiritual war is the war that we as believers (whom are no longer enemies of God.) battle every day. 2 Corinthians 10:3, for our war is not a physical one, but a spiritual one. Ephesians 6:10 – 12, 10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. As Eph 6:10 – 12 stated our enemy and our battle is not of flesh and blood, but that of demonic hosts of Satan, who is always assembled for mortal combat.  We also see and can take comfort that God equips us with everything that we need to get through this battle. The second type of war is the physical war, or else known as POLEMEO, in the Greek, to fight or to make war. Physical war The physical war Is the type of war that God still has waging against the world. The physical war is also the type of war that the mankind has upon itself. It is also the type of war that God will ultimately have with Satan. Because of the sinful condition, or the depravity of the world, and because war is the result of sin, physical war is also used as a type of judgment. War is used as an act of judgment We see by examples in the Old Testament, God ordered the Israelites to: “Take vengeance on the Midianites for the Israelites” (Numbers 31:2). We also see in Deuteronomy 20:16-17, “However, in the cities of the nations the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, do not leave alive anything that breathes. Completely destroy them--the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites--as the LORD your God has commanded you.” Exodus 17:16 proclaims, “He said, "For hands were lifted up to the throne of the LORD. The LORD will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation." Also, 1 Samuel 15:18, “Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; make war on them until you have wiped them out.” God used wars to place His judgment upon other nations, even though in the Old Testament the Jews are in a different time, and God deals with them different then with the Church, we still see that God’s character remains the same. War is used as Judgment against : War is used against a sinful world   Ecclesiastes 3:8 declares, “there is…a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. In a world filled with sin, hatred, and evil (Romans 3:10-18), war is inevitable. Some wars are more “just” than others, but all wars are ultimately the result of sin. But what about the commandment “You shall not kill,”? Many people take this commandment and apply it to war. However, the Bible actually says, “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13). The Hebrew word literally means “the intentional, premeditated killing of another person with malice.” God often ordered the Israelites to go to war with other nations (1 Samuel 15:3; Joshua 4:13). God ordered the death penalty for numerous crimes (Exodus 21:12; 21:15; 22:19; Leviticus 20:11). So, God is not against killing in all circumstances, but rather only murder. St. Augustine wrote in the Just war theory “All citizens and all governments are obliged to work for the avoidance of war. Despite this admonition of the Church, it sometimes becomes necessary to use force to obtain the end of justice. This is the right, and the duty, of those who have responsibilities for others, such as civil leaders and police forces. While individuals may renounce all violence those who must preserve justice may not do so, though it should be the last resort, "once all peace efforts have failed." [Cf. Vatican II, Gaudium et spes 79, 4] St. Augustine then gave on account that this theory should be enforced, and in this regard Just War doctrine gives certain conditions for the legitimate exercise of force, all of which the following must be met: The act itself must be good.  The use of force to obtain justice is morally licit itself. It must be done with good intent. It must be corrective, in order to restore justice and restrain evil.  It is not for the purpose to inflict evil in any manner shape form or sake. It must be appropriate in circumstance. An act that may otherwise be good and well motivated can be sinful by reasons of improper judgment and execution.  The Church's role in this matter consists of clearly enunciating the principles, informing the consciences of society and insisting on the exercise of just war. On the flip side of this argument, those who feel that all Is fair in war, must recheck their morals and the purpose of the Church body in a war. We must be careful not to turn a Just war into an unjust war. We must err on the side of caution as we look for:   Attacks against, and mistreatment of, non-combatants, wounded soldiers, and prisoners. Genocide, whether of a people, nation or ethnic minorities; Indiscriminate destruction of whole cities or vast areas with their inhabitants. Given the modern means of warfare, especially nuclear, biological and chemical, these crimes against humanity must be especially guarded against. And if we find ourselves fighting in this physical battle even though we may feel like the opposing force must pay, we need to keep our sinful nature at bay, and remember that we have a battle within us, a spiritual battle, and God will give us the armor to do so. We also need to remember that we are ambassadors of Christ, and we can demonstrate Christ’s love even to our enemies. During a fierce battle in New Guinea during W.W. II an allied soldier was left for dead by the side of a trail. Later he recovered consciousness and lay there helpless, expecting every moment that Japanese soldiers would arrive and finish him off. Finally four Japanese soldiers did arrive. To his surprise, however, instead of killing him, they lifted him gently and carried him to the side of a track in another part of the forest. Before leaving him, one of them said, "You will be quite safe here. Some of your countrymen will arrive soon and pick you up. We are Christians and hate war. It is not enough to wage war and not get to the heart of the matter. "Injustice, excessive economic or social inequalities, envy, distrust, and pride raging among men and nations constantly threaten peace and cause wars. We have no illusions we know that true justice and peace will only be attained by the coming of Christ, as the Hero comes back to rule and reign, as he sets up His Kingdom under His authority. In the words of the spiritual dictum, we should work as if everything depended upon our efforts, and pray as if everything depended upon God. Lastly we see that War is used against Satan. War is used against Satan   Just as God had prophecied to Eve, when the war began, when sin entered the world. Jesus’ Second Coming also is exceedingly violent. Revelation 19:11-21 proclaims, “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, "Come, gather together for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and mighty men, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, small and great." Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army. But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.” This is the final Judgment against evil, the war to end all wars. War is never a good thing, but sometimes it is a necessary thing. In a world filled with sinful people (Romans 3:10-18), war is inevitable. Sometimes the only way to keep sinful people from doing great harm is by going to war with them.  We should not desire war, but neither are we to oppose the government God has placed in authority over us  (Romans 13:1-4; 1 Peter 2:17). So what is it that we should be doing, as Christians in times of war? There are 4 things. The most important thing is to pray. Pray. Paul exhorts us in 1 Timothy 2:1-2 with these words. 1 I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. As you make your requests, plead for God’s mercy upon them, and give thanks. 2 Pray this way for kings and all others who are in authority, so that we can live in peace and quietness, in godliness and dignity. Pray for godly wisdom for our leaders, praying for the safety of our military, praying for quick resolution to the conflict, and praying for minimum casualties – on both sides of the conflict (Philippians 4:6-7). Trust God. Listen to the words of Psalm 27:1, 3. 1 The LORD is my light and my salvation, so why should I be afraid? The LORD protects me from danger, so why should I tremble? 3 Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will know no fear. Even if they attack me, I remain confident. We can be confident in times of war, because we know that we can trust God. We may not understand all that is happening. We may not understand how God is working. But, we know we can trust God.   Seek peace. Do your part to live in peace with everyone, as much possible (Romans 12:18 NLT).  We must do all we can to work for a peaceful solution, even if the solution involves war.   Support each other. Paul told the Galatians to Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2 NKJV).  During times of crisis we need to pull together and support one another. Our military personnel need our support. Their families need our support. So then this question still remains, Will we ever have permanent peace? Yes. Isaiah painted a beautiful picture of the peace we look forward to. The LORD will settle international disputes. All the nations will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. All wars will stop, and military training will come to an end (Isaiah 2:4 NLT).   Outside the United Nations building is a sculpture of a man hammering a sword into a plow. The story of the sculpture is amazing. The bronze sculpture was created by Soviet artist, Evgeny Buchetich and presented to the United Nations in December 1959 by the Government of the USSR. On the sculpture are these words from Isaiah 2:4. Consider the time in which the sculpture was made and who made it.   When the time is right, Jesus will come again. When he does, all war will end. Notice that Isaiah said God will settle international disputes. Not the United Nations. The UN serves a very needed function. But we are fooling ourselves if we think the UN can resolve all international disputes. Take Home truths 1. We must remember that our battle is not of flesh and blood 2. We must remember to view the world in a Biblical perspective 3. We must remember to base our beliefs from the Bible, and not from what we feel (2 Timothy 3:16 – 17) Table Talk Post-Sermon Discussion ?’s Is war Just? Do we really have to go to war to solve problems? For what purpose did God use battles and wars in the Old Testament? Should Christians be involved in a physical war? Why? How can Christians honor their government, whom God has placed as the authority over us, and still not agree with the decisions they have made on war? When is it acceptable to not obey the government in times of war?  Do we have any currant situations? Do you think that Christians are currently informing the consciences of our society and insisting on a Just war?