Much ink has been spilt—and much debate has occurred—over the question of whether it is right for a Christian to go to war. Today, as we celebrate Veterans Day and honor the memory of those soldiers who served our country during times of war, this presents a good time to reflect on that question. Can a Christian, in good conscience before God, go to war?
This is the very question that challenged our Christian forefathers on the eve of the War for Independence. Their position was derived from Scripture, proclaimed from pulpits, and animated them with a spirit of conviction that withstood the mightiest military power of their day. History has preserved their answer to pass down to us.
In 18th century America, Christians were taught from the pulpit about the proper role of civil government — to be God’s minister of justice for our good. Because of the diligent work of the pastors, the light of God’s Word guided their understanding of the proper use of civil authority. This truth is reflected in a great summary statement found in our Declaration of Independence:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men…[emphasis added]
The American colonists were also taught, from the pulpit, that the rights of the people would at times need to be protected against a tyrannical government. Thus, a defensive war for the protection of those God-given rights was sometimes necessary.
As the war-like intentions of England became more and more apparent in the 1770s, pastors preached sermons such as, “Defensive War in a Just Cause Sinless” (Rev. David Jones of Pennsylvania) and “A Self-Defensive War Lawful” (Rev. John Carmichael of Pennsylvania), among others. Again, this understanding is summarized in the Declaration of Independence:
But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.
Since God has entrusted the power of the sword (lethal force) to the civil government for the purpose of securing the people’s rights by “punishing the evil doer and praising the righteous” (Romans 13), it is right for a nation to go to war to defend their God-given rights. God approves of this because He has ordained the civil government for this very purpose. For this reason, it is a noble and high calling to serve as a soldier in this cause. Resistance to tyrants is indeed obedience to God.
Praise the Lord for the veterans who have served on our behalf to defend our God-given rights. We are the beneficiaries of those who have gone before us.
A Brief History of Veterans Day
Originally called Armistice Day, Veterans Day is celebrated on November 11th each year which, back in 1918, marked the cessation of fighting in the First World War. Though celebrated before the 1930s, Armistice Day was made a legal holiday in 1938 to commemorate the veterans who had fought in World War I. In 1954, after the end of World War II and the unofficial war in Korea, the name of the holiday was officially changed to Veterans Day to honor American veterans of all wars.
On October 8 of 1954, President Eisenhower made the first Veterans Day proclamation, in which is found these words:
I…do hereby call upon all of our citizens to observe Thursday, November 11, 1954, as Veterans Day. On that day let us solemnly remember the sacrifices of all those who fought so valiantly, on the seas, in the air, and on foreign shores, to preserve our heritage of freedom, and let us reconsecrate ourselves to the task of promoting an enduring peace so that their efforts shall not have been in vain.