Just War (11/14/11)

Shalom,

Please begin by reading Rom 13:1-5.

Just war is a concept many people disagree about. Some say it's impossible for any war to be just. Others lean too far into the warmongering attitude and lose credibility. Just war has been debated since the beginning of Christianity. We need to consider every point and be willing to allow the Holy Spirit to guide us in our study and when we have to make the tough choices that come with man's inhumanity to man.

On November 11th America celebrates Veteran's Day. It's a day set aside to honor those who have fought and died for the cause of freedom and liberty. There are some people who would suggest to us that Veteran's Day is outmoded, that it's a holiday that should no longer be practiced, that the time for remembering the sacrifices made in wars long past is unnecessary. They want us to move on to other things that don't remind us of death and destruction.

Some of these people would even suggest that Veteran's Day glorifies war and encourages people to think and believe that it's acceptable instead of abhorrent and ungodly. Some would say that to die fighting for one's country isn't a good and honorable thing. They say, "Don't do this, don't remember. Do something else, speak about the horror of war, and proclaim that our heavenly Father is against all violence, against all forms of man's cruelty to his fellow man."

Proper Christian thinking is guided by Rom 13:1-5. These verses include some very powerful words: "the authority does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer." We should fight for justice. We should fight to punish evil. This is Yahweh's will. We don't love war. We fight because we have to.

Take for example - terrorism. The only reason to fight a war against terrorism is that by doing so we'll save lives. If our military attacks terrorists, say the leadership of Al-Queda, our main intent is to stop them from killing non-combatants. By doing this it's certain that some "innocent" people will be saved from death or injury. There is no negotiating with a people who believe it's right for them to tell lies to advance their cause.

We shouldn't be eager to go to war. Christians, especially, should go into any conflict with much sadness and humility. Our military uses smart bombs and other high-tech munitions, but smart bombs aren't omniscient. Terrorists will die. It's likely that innocent civilians will die. Our soldiers will die. But terrorists are murdering fanatics, and they've left us with some bad and hard choices.

Some people worry that viewing warfare as a positive good will incline us to be quicker to fight and slower to negotiate. But this simply isn't the case. Aquinas wrote of three requirements for just war: 1) Right Authority. 2) Just Cause. 3) Right Intention. Augustine listed sufficient provocation for waging a just war as: 1) Avenging Wrongs. 2) Punishing an Evil Nation. 3) Restoring What's Been Unjustly Seized. 4) Securing Peace. 5) Punishing Evildoers. Christians would be wise to always consider these criteria before waging war or battling evil.

The issue of how we fight is another matter. We must fight with right intention. We must intend to punish evildoers, not just anyone attached to them culturally or nationally. We should do our best to see that our use of force doesn't detract from our duty to uphold the good. Right conduct in war is dependent upon the virtues of the soldiers and their commanders. From Yahweh's point of view, he works through us to restrain evil within his creation. In using human beings to do so, Yahweh actually elevates the restrainers to a closer relationship with him. If they're just soldiers who fight for the love of God and neighbor, even in their use of force they're serving their Lord and Master. When soldiers asked John the Baptist what they should do, he didn't tell them to throw down their weapons and stop soldiering. He said, "Don't extort money and don't accuse people falsely - be content with your pay" (Luke 3:14).

From the human point of view the virtue of charity, love for our God, drives just soldiers to do all they can to restrain evil, to see that justice is done, and this sometimes means using force. When evil men break into your home and begin to threaten or harm your children, isn't it right to fight for them? We're to defend those who can't defend themselves. Psalm 82:3-4 admonishes us: "Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked."

A failure to engage in a just war is a failure of Christian virtue, a failure to act well on behalf of the weak. It's a greater evil for a Christian to fail to wage just war than it is for an unbeliever. When an unbeliever fails to go to war, the cause may be lack of courage or the sense of justice. He may be a coward or indifferent to evil. These are failures of natural moral virtue. When Christians fail to engage in just war, it may involve all of these natural failures, too. But more significantly it involves a failure of charity. The Christian who fails to use force when necessary to aid or defend his neighbor is being uncharitable. Christians who willingly and knowingly refuse to engage in a just war, when they have a very real ability to help, do a vicious thing. They fail to show love toward their neighbor as well as toward their Creator.

We look at what happens in a war and we don't like it. People have died. The ability of some soldiers to walk or see has been lost. Dreams for their future have been battered and even destroyed. And amazingly we Americans have benefited from these tragic losses. One soldier went to war and didn't return. Another went and did come back, but maybe now they're unable to play ball or build a house or see a sunset. But we're blessed because we have our freedom, our security, our prosperity. And we owe it to those who've lost a life, a limb, a loved one.

When I look at the level of sacrifice that was required for me to enjoy freedom, I'm amazed. When I look at the level of responsibility required of me to maintain that freedom, I feel inadequate. I especially feel inadequate when I compare my responsibility to those who've faced actual combat. But I also know I served 12 of my 21 years in the United States Air Force living overseas and working all kinds of odd shift schedules. I worked in confined spaces due to the high security level of what I was involved in. Many people can't relate because they have no military experience. But I know I've served and done my part to preserve freedom and I'm proud that I was able to do my small part.

As a Christian and a pastor I believe we need to look to the eternal guide of the Scriptures to see how to live properly and how to stand for freedom. When the prophet Zechariah (Chap 7) responded to questions from the Israelite people he didn't encourage them to mourn as they had in the past. He told them their days of mourning were over. Instead he told them to love truth and peace, and he reminded them of what all the prophets had said so long before. He spoke of what Yahweh had stated in the past. The prophet reminded them of the promises made by Yahweh in the days of Moses and all the other prophets.

They were told, "If you forget who your God is and what he can do, if you fail to keep the commandments to love your God and your neighbor, if you do evil rather than good, if you act unkindly toward foreigners and refugees, if you lie and steal and cheat, if you take bribes and pervert justice and slander your neighbors - then your land will be destroyed, your men killed, and your women and children enslaved."

So we need to think like this: "If we do what's right, if we care for the widows and orphans, if we give justice in our courts, if we seek to follow our Lord instead of greedily seeking wealth, if we obey Yahweh's laws rather than worshiping success or seeking popularity and recognition, if we're kind and merciful to one another - then our land will prosper and we'll live long and happy lives." These are the things we need to be much more mindful of. If we're truly thankful for those who've sacrificed so we could live in freedom, then we must take the torch they pass to us and carry it on high.

We need to live in the way that Yahweh meant us to live, in freedom and with the intention of preserving that freedom. Do what's necessary to maintain freedom. Do what's necessary to bring peace. Do what's necessary to bring justice to all people. Be a merciful person, walk humbly with your Lord God. Trust in his guidance. Those who seek him with all their hearts can know him in a very personal and special way. And he promises to speak with us, walk with us, and love through us.

If we can walk as true Christians, not just as people who claim its promises, but those who own it and possess it, we can see the nations more in line with our Creator's plan and purpose. If we walk away from Yahweh and his ways we ask for trouble and set ourselves up for terrorist activity. Isa 54:14 says, "In righteousness you will be established: Tyranny will be far from you; you will have nothing to fear. Terror will be far removed; it will not come near you." Yahweh promises to protect us from terror and tyranny if we live as a righteous people. America found out it doesn't have absolute protection when the 9/11 attacks happened. We weren't standing in righteousness as a nation, and terror was allowed to strike us extremely hard.

We have a responsibility to live up to when we're a free nation. Taking our freedom for granted will only lead to an eventual loss of that freedom. We must stand strong and defend what's right and just. In a democracy we must stand strong and vote for men and women who'll lead the nation in a righteous way. We must support our military, our police forces, our firefighters - any and all who sacrifice for the greater good.

As we recall those who gave their lives for freedom, we must remember their purpose. They loved freedom and were willing to pay the ultimate sacrifice for others. Yes, remember the horror of war and work to do all you can to avoid it. But also understand that there's a time and a place for righteous people to fight for justice. Commit yourself afresh and anew to the struggle against evil. Be willing to stand up for what's right and follow your Lord's leading in doing your part. Don't rush into a fight, but don't avoid one when it's in your power to protect someone weaker than yourself.

Blessings & Peace, Mike