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From soldiers on the battlefield to those who study military history, warfare has never ceased in human history. In many ways, war serves as a powerful apologetic tool, forcing mankind to confront life’s deepest questions, questions that ultimately lead to God.
During World War II, famed Baptist Pastor George W. Truett remarked, “I have wondered if he [God] hasn’t let it [war] come on the world, that Christian people might see, ‘You can’t get on without me. You’ve tried to, and you’ve made a shipwreck of it. You can’t get on without me; you can’t get on without me.’”[i]
Truett proclaimed “Christ or Chaos,” a principle he took from the urgency of British Prime Minister David Lloyd George during World War I.
In the year 2026, notably during Holy Week, war continues to rage in Ukraine, with estimates of hundreds of thousands dead across both Ukraine and Russia. Conflict involving Iran also continues, with many uncertainties still surrounding its future.
The reader is left realizing not much has changed since the days of both world wars. Mankind is lost, in desperate need of understanding.
War refuses to let the soul sit idly by; it demands deep thought and wisdom. There is a reason it has so often stood at the forefront of philosophy and theology. The Just War tradition, influenced by Cicero and later developed by Christians such as Augustine of Hippo and Thomas Aquinas, sought to answer these very questions, taking clearer form in the 4th century and beyond.
From Cicero to Aquinas, war was never to be the first course of action, but a last resort. Innocent blood is inevitably spilled, leaving devastation wherever conflict takes hold. Founding Father John Witherspoon, known as both a philosopher and theologian, held similar views, arguing that war is a final act taken to restrain an aggressor and prevent further harm already inflicted or certain to come.
War becomes especially dangerous and reckless when God is removed from it. Sons, daughters, husbands, wives, and even children fall victim, leaving behind pain that is often unbearable to comprehend. War forces us to ask hard questions: What is the cost? Can any good come from the conflict? What will bring an end to the destruction?
In truth, the victors often impose their own answers to these questions. Yet mankind, created in God’s image, carries a responsibility to pursue peace. This is where each generation falters, repeating the same ruin. No nation is without fault, though there have been moments in history—such as World War II—where victory brought a measure of deliverance from evil. Even so, the lesson remains: the same errors of war continue to plague every generation.
Truett consistently urged that Jesus must be present at the negotiation table of any conflict, a point he emphasized in the context of World War II. Human responsibility must take this seriously and recognize that Jesus, known as the Prince of Peace, the very person who taught the Greatest Commandment and the Golden Rule, offers more than words. His teaching carries a deeper meaning, providing real and practical guidance for how life ought to be lived.
As Ronald Reagan reminded in reflecting on war and peace, “There is no argument over the choice between peace and war… there is only one guaranteed way you can have peace—and that is surrender.”[ii] Reagan’s point was not that nations should surrender, but that peace at the cost of surrendering to evil is no peace at all. The Christian, then, must hold both truths together: follow the Prince of Peace (Jesus), yet realize peace cannot be preserved by yielding to evil. Winston Churchill similarly remarked, “You cannot reason with a tiger when your head is in its mouth.”[iii]
The difficult aspect of war, from a religious standpoint, is that it will not cease until Jesus returns. It is, at times, unavoidable and will occur in every generation. Yet the practicality of this does not negate the fact that Christians are called to action—to serve those who are suffering and to act as the light of Christ, seeking to bring an end to war where possible. Christians have, at times, taken sides in conflicts, and they may do so today, but they must ensure their actions are measured and directed toward ending conflict for the betterment of humanity.
Should the Jews of World War II have been rescued sooner than they were? Should the massacre in Rwanda have been addressed immediately once nations knew a genocide was occurring? The answer to both is a resounding yes. The leaders of the world have a duty and obligation to act as instruments of God—to enable peace, restore peace, and preserve life.
The lessons of warfare plague entire generations, yet they all lead to the same conclusion that troubled Augustine of Hippo and John Witherspoon, some 1,300 years apart: evil exists, and it can only be defeated in the light of Christ.
The late military historian John Keegan taught, “War is a collective act and it entails collective suffering.”[iv] Which, in simpler terms, means that war is never confined to the battlefield, but spreads its pain across entire nations, generations, and innocent lives.
Warfare, like the funeral of a loved one, forces the human heart to reflect on life, purpose, and ultimate destination. Mankind may not fully understand the depths of war and all that it brings, yet within every soul there is an awareness that something is deeply wrong. War, in this way, serves as a powerful apologetic tool, reminding us that without Christ, true peace will never come.
[i] George W. Truett, “Philip at Samaria,” sermon delivered at First Baptist Church, Dallas, TX, March 16, 1941.
[ii] Ronald Reagan, “A Time for Choosing,” speech, October 27, 1964.
[iii] Winston S. Churchill, speech to the House of Commons, July 4, 1941.
[iv] John Keegan, A History of Warfare (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1993).