Reason for War

Peace Through Sacrifice

If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
—Rom 12:18 (ESV)

Except for defense and protective action against the innocent, the Church should never support a nation going to war. God is not at war with mankind; on the contrary, the heart of the gospel’s message is that the Father sent Jesus to reconcile us “when we were enemies” (Rom 5:10) by sacrificing His Son on the cross for us. The Church’s message to the world should be reconciliatory, not retributory or tyrannical (2Cor 5:19).

In Augustine’s earlier work, Contra Faustum, while condemning violence and vindictive behaviors, he supports warfare:

What is the evil in war? Is it the death of some who will soon die in any case, that others may live in peaceful subjection? This is mere cowardly dislike, not any religious feeling. The real evils in war are love of violence, revengeful cruelty, fierce and implacable enmity, wild rebelliousness, and the lust of power, and such like; and it is generally to punish these things, when force is required to inflict the punishment, that, in obedience to God or some lawful authority, good men undertake wars (Augustine, 390).

When Augustine had seen enough violence in his lifetime, his views shifted slightly in his later work, City of God; he grew skeptical of political society waging wars as R.A. Markus’ interpretation of Augustine concludes that warfare is “one of the tragic necessities to which Christians must at times resort to check the savagery which is liable to break out between, as well as within, political societies” (Markus, 1983). Societies change as governments rise and fall, but the Church remains a sanctuary of peace and a refuge for the afflicted (Ps 9:9; 61:3). The Christian’s message must persistently asseverate the gospel of peace in reconciling the world to Jesus.

There are times when nations must go to war to defend their citizens; when Pearl Harbor was attacked in 1941, that event led the United States into World War II. While I do not believe the Church should support retaliation against the Japanese aggressions, the country must defend its citizens by declaring war to stop further assaults and invasions. The Church, however, should be active in providing aid and assistance for those affected by the collateral damage of warfare at home and even for the citizens of our aggressors — it must not condone preemptive wars.

If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink.
—Prv 25:21 (c.f. Rom 12:20)

Wars end when the enemies are vanquished or annihilated; Paul asks, “How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard” (Rom 10:14)? The world must hear the gospel from the Church, not the sound of bellicose zealots pontificating over the dead after it has won wars.

The Church must not engage in wars against humanity regardless of how evil they present themselves.

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
—Eph 6:12

We are ambassadors for Christ to reconcile heaven’s enemies to God (2Cor 5:20). The resurrection of the Lord has defeated our spiritual enemies; we are mandated to setting the captives free and proclaiming the Lord’s salvation to the lost (1Cor 15:57; 2Tim 1:10). According to Woodrow Wilson in his 1917 address to Congress said, “But the right is more precious than peace, and we shall fight for the things we have always carried closest to our hearts.” If peace can only be achieved and maintained through violence, humanity will perpetually be in a defensive posture and never know true peace. The blessing of the Church to this world is her ability to make peace and reconcile enemies to God (Mat 5:9).

The Lord gave the Church the ministry of reconciliation by demonstrating it in the garden of Gethsemane; Jesus asked Peter to put away his sword (Mat 26:52) because eternal peace comes to mankind when the Prince of Peace lays down His life for His enemies (1Cor 2:8; Acts 3:15). The Church reflects the Lord’s meekness to this world filled with violence and brutality; the Church must not “be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom 12:21).

BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Augustine. (390). Contra Faustum 22, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 4, P. 301.
• Markus, R. (1983). Saint Augustine's Views on the "Just War". Oxford: Blackwell.