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War and Self-Defense
Christian Ethics · Doctrinal study

War and Self-Defense

Can a Christian serve in the military or defend his home, and what does Jesus mean by the other cheek?

Theologica Editorial16 min read
Why It Matters

The Sword and the Other Cheek

A young believer is deciding whether to enlist. A father wakes at two in the morning to the sound of breaking glass. A Christian in uniform gets orders for a war she believes is wrong. An old man sits in the back row of church and has never told anyone what he saw and did fifty years ago. All of them open the same Bible, and there they find both the sword and the other cheek.

A word first to those who have worn a uniform. If you served, we honor you. Scripture's word for you is honour to whom honour (Romans 13:7). You stood between other people and harm, and you gave years that most of the people around you never had to give. If you came home carrying something heavy, this study was not written to reopen it. Go to the section below called “For Those Who Carry It.” The Lord knows what you carry.

Believers who love the Lord have answered these questions differently for nearly two thousand years, and some have died for their answer. So this study will state each view fairly, and then tell you where we stand and why.

The Key Question

What is the difference between what God forbids me to do for myself and what He has authorized someone to do for my neighbor?

Three Questions

  • What must someone believe to be saved? The Gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1–4). A soldier and a pacifist who both trust Christ alone stand on the same ground.
  • What must a Christian believe and obey? God ordained the ruler's sword (Romans 13:4). Private revenge is forbidden (Romans 12:19). Enemies are to be loved (Matthew 5:44). Murder is forbidden (Exodus 20:13). Christ's kingdom does not advance by force (John 18:36). See The Gospel, the Whole Counsel, and Liberty.
  • Where has God granted liberty? Whether you personally enlist. Whether your conscience lets you carry a weapon. Whether you keep one in your home. Scripture gives principles here and no single rule, and each believer must be fully persuaded in his own mind (Romans 14:5).

Here is where we stand. We believe a Christian may serve in the armed forces of his nation and may defend himself and the people in his care. We honor the believer whose conscience will not let him carry a weapon. And we believe no Christian may use force for revenge or for the Gospel.

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Further reading

For Deeper Study

  • War, Peace, and Christianity: Questions and Answers from a Just-War PerspectiveAmazon J. Daryl Charles and Timothy J. DemyA clear evangelical defense of the just war tradition in question-and-answer form. Demy is a retired US Navy commander who taught military ethics.
  • War: Four Christian ViewsAmazon edited by Robert G. ClouseNonresistance, pacifism, just war, and preventive war, each answered by the others. The nonresistance chapter is by Herman Hoyt, a Grace Brethren dispensationalist, and the pacifist chapter is by Myron Augsburger, a Mennonite.
  • The Anabaptist StoryAmazon William R. EstepA warm, readable history of the Anabaptists and their witness, by a Southern Baptist historian. It will help you understand why they laid down the sword.
  • The Combat Trauma Healing ManualAmazon Chris AdsitA Christ-centered workbook for those carrying the wounds of war, best used with a small group. Adsit serves in evangelical military ministry.
  • Foxe's Book of MartyrsAmazon John FoxeThe classic Protestant record of those who died for the faith, from the early church to the English Reformation.

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Government and the Christian

God ordained civil government to restrain evil and reward good, so Christians obey the law, pay their taxes, honor those in office, and pray for them, while knowing that no ruler owns the soul and no ruler can save.

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