About "Just" Wars

Early in the "Gulf War" the President of the United States was addressing a Protestant convention of radio and television evangelists. His theme centred on the concept of a "just" war and its application to his then current policies.

His audience of religious broadcasters would undoubtedly be familiar with the arguments which have supported this concept since the fourth century. During the first three centuries of the Christian era there had been a broad consensus among believers in Jesus that they should not join in military conflict. It was after the rulers of the Roman Empire embraced Christianity (circ. 313 AD) that Augustine developed initial arguments in support of military action. He proposed that "war should be waged only as a necessity, and waged only that God may by it deliver men from the necessity and preserve them in peace". Three further criteria were proposed by Thomas Aquinas in the thirteenth century combat must be waged by a competent government authority; the cause must be just; and there must be a right intention to promote good. Additional conditions were later proposed: that war should be a "last resort"; there should be probability of success; there must be discrimination to protect noncombatants; the expected good results must outweigh the suffering it would cause.

Debate on Christian responsibility in war inevitably intensifies with every fresh outbreak of military conflict. Some believers take the view that involvement in bearing arms may be compatible with their Christian calling, provided the particular conflict is "just" having regard to such criteria as we have outlined. They also point out that in Old Testament days the Israel nation was at times instructed by God to wage war (eg. 1 Sam. 15:1-3); and that God chastised Israel through military invasion by their enemies (eg. Judges 2:14). Moreover the Lord Jesus will Himself in future make war against the armies of the Antichrist (Rev. 19:11-16).

However, we endorse the view generally taken by believers in the early centuries of the Christian era, and Still held by many today. This view recognizes that God's purposes through His people have varied from age to age. In this present age of grace disciples of Christ are in the world but not of the world (John 17:14-16). They have a distinctive calling, with the objective of promoting the kingdom of God - a spiritual kingdom to which the Lord Jesus referred when He said to Pilate: "My kingdom is not of this world: if My kingdom were of this world, then would My servants fight ... but now is My kingdom not from hence" (John 18:36).

In harmony with this Paul wrote to the Ephesians: "Our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (6:12). Also to the Corinthians: "For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the casting down of strong holds: casting down imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God" (2 Cor. 10:4,5).

Unjust suffering is to be accepted without retaliation by the Lord's disciples. It was Peter who wrote: "If, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye shall take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that ye should follow His steps... Who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously". (1 Peter 2:20-23). Clearly Peter had learned from his experience when his attempt to defend his Master in Gethsemane was met by the rebuke: "put up again thy sword into its place, for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword" (Mat. 26:52). In this our Master put into practice what He taught in the Sermon on the Mount: "Resist not him that is evil: but whosoever smiteth thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also... Love your enemies, and pray for them that persecute you" (Mat. 5:39,44).

So by teaching and example the Lord Jesus gave clear direction for Christian believers in this present phase of God's purposes. "Because as He is, even so are we in this world" (1 John 4:17), a principle which obtains until the day of His manifestation in glory to take His great power and reign (2 Thes. 1:4-8). Until then Christian disciples should live in harmony with the Master's character and attitude when He was Himself in the world. Debate about whether any particular military conflict may be "just" or otherwise then becomes irrelevant: The Christian's attitude to all military conflict is governed by more basic considerations.

unknown | Jun 1991
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