Just War – A Kingdom Catechism

Just War

A Kingdom Catechism

A just war has purposes in line with the Law of God and the demands of justice.

Q 115: How do the redeemed of the Lord wage just war against enemies?

A 115: The redeemed of the Lord wage just war against enemies by employing all spiritual weapons against the enemies of our soul and supporting the state as it bears the sword against evildoers. (Eph. 6:10-20; 2 Cor. 10:3-5; Rom. 13:1-4; Deut. 20:1-18)

We may not like the language of war, or the thought of going to war, but Christians must acknowledge that we are at all times engaged in war with the enemies of our souls. And as we would not want to give room to the devil to thwart our pursuit of holiness or rob us of our peace and joy, so we must be on guard against enemies at the human level who intend such for our nation. A just war is a war that reflects the purposes of divine justice, of maintaining a social order in which love for God and neighbors flourishes and the Law of God is obeyed. Enemies which threaten any aspect of the justice of God must be opposed, first by prayer, then by diplomacy, and, when necessary, by the sword.

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In the Gates is a devotional series on the Law of God by Rev. T.M. Moore, editor of the Worldview Church. He serves as dean of the Centurions Program of the Wilberforce Forum and principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He is the author or editor of twenty books, and has contributed chapters to four others. His essays, reviews, articles, papers, and poetry have appeared in dozens of national and international journals, and on a wide range of websites. His most recent books are The Ailbe Psalter and The Ground for Christian Ethics (Waxed Tablet).

Scripture quotations in this article are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (c) copyright 2001, 2007 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.