A Christian Theology of War

In episode 19, I will provide a broad and comprehensive Christian theology of war. We seem to be living in an age of endless wars, and so the subject of “just war” is of the upmost importance for us to properly understand as Christians.Every individual is effected by war, and therefore every individual needs to think through this issue, whether active soldiers, veterans, pastors, husbands, housewives, or young men who might enlist in the military in the future. We all need to ask respectively of our specific role and position of authority in life, what is the Christian responsibility and duty concerning war? That is, how shall I, as an individual, render an account to God for how I handled the issue of warfare?However, how are we to think through this issue?It's hard to know what's really happening in war. There are so many fake AI videos which looked extremely realistic. It's very difficult to know what's AI and what's real. There is so much propaganda from China, Russia, Iran, from Israel, and from our own government. There are more lies and propaganda floating around on the internet than there is truth and legitimate journalism. So, how are we to draw any decisive conclusions and then act on them with conviction?Thankfully God has not left us to ourselves, "For we walk by faith, not by sight." (2 Corinthians 5:7) We have the Word of God, and the Scriptures are sufficient for how we are to live and walk under every circumstance in life. As 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works."While many "conspiracy theories” are in fact true, others are blatantly false, and as humans we can easily be deceived by many things, including by our own hearts (see Jeremiah 17:9). Furthermore, even if some conspiracies are true, we are not to walk or govern our lives according to them. We are to humbly walk by faith in inspired and inerrant Scripture.So, rather than risk being deceived by psyops or controlled-opposition, and rather than being mislead by propaganda, as Christians we need to stand on the plain truth of Scripture and the historic Christian doctrine on the subject of war. For us as Christians who know the Bible to be the true, the only question that really matters is, “What saith the Lord?”In order to have a comprehensive biblical worldview concerning war, we must lay an appropriate foundation and then build on it. This podcast will include everything, from: (1) properly diagnosing the cause of wars; (2) understanding the role of the Civil Government; (3) knowing the proper disposition that we are to have regarding both self-defense and war; (4) what is and what is not a “just war”; (5) what is the Christian duty regarding war rightly understood in various contexts; and (6) how God is testing our faith and refining his church through the fiery trial of wars and conflicts.This is a vitally important topic. May God grant us all humility, wisdom, boldness, and courage to do what we must, and to act distinctively as Christians, even if we stand alone, to the glory of God alone. I do believe that God has provided a peaceful way out of this mess, but Christians have to remain faithful. So, take heart and fulfill your duty before God.