Why Does God Allow War?

”If it be possible, as much as lies in you, live peaceably with all men".

With everything that’s happened September 11 and recently in England

many Christians are concerned. The truth is that God does not like war but shows in His word that sometimes war is inevitable and necessary to bring peace and freedom.

#1. The notion that Christians should seat down and allow others to be oppressed and killed and not even defend themselves in not Biblical. On the contrary, we have an obligation to stand up for God’s cause and bring order for God to be exalted. Sometimes peace can only be accomplished when righteousness is established by force.

*Numbers 10:9 "And if ye go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresses you, then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets;

and ye shall be remembered before the LORD your God and ye shall be saved

from your enemies."

Leviticus 26:7-8 "And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall

before you by the sword. And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an

hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall

before you by the sword."

#2. The Bible shows that there is a season for war.

*Ecclesiastes 3:1, 8 "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.”A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace."

#3. In the New Testament, Jesus teaches;

Luke 11:21-22, "When a strong man armed keeps his palace, his goods are in peace:

But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he takes

from him all his armor wherein he trusted, and divides his spoils."

#4. A few examples of God allowing war in the Old and New Testaments:

*Numbers 32:20-23, "So Moses said to them, "If you will do this, if you will

arm yourselves before the LORD for the war, and all of you armed men cross over the Jordan before the LORD until He has driven His enemies out from before Him, and the land is subdued before the LORD, then afterward you shall return and be free of obligation toward the LORD and toward Israel, and this land shall be yours for a possession before the LORD. But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the LORD, and be sure your sin will find you out".

*Num 32:6, “But Moses said to the sons of Gad and to the sons of Reuben,

"Shall your brothers go to war while you yourselves sit here?”.

*1 Samuel 15:1-3, "Samuel also said unto Saul, The LORD sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou

unto the voice of the words of the LORD. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the

way, when he came up from Egypt. Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass."

*Psalms 144:1, "Blessed be the LORD, my rock,

Who trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle".

*Hebrews 11:32-34, "And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, who by faith conquered kingdoms,performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire,

escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty

in war, put foreign armies to flight".

*Revelation 19:11-13 "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and

he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he

doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head

were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he

himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is

called The Word of God."

We are constantly in a spiritual conflict and God encourages us to fight the good fight of faith.