War: Fighting the Enemies of God, not Man

Abstract

The role of warfare in the life of the Christian is a debated topic. Typically, one wonders if the Christian can participate in warfare, but perhaps the question is more appropriately should the Christian do so? In this article I hope to demonstrate the role of conflict in the Bible and two distinctions: the difference between God as warrior and humans as warriors, and the difference between God's enemies and human enemies. For instance, God is presented positively as a warrior, but human warfare is condoned only if God sanctions it. God's enemies are those opposed to God's purpose, whereas human conflicts are often fought according to human purposes. Warfare is traced through Scripture, and several hermeneutical approaches to warfare are discussed and evaluated. It appears that God's overall conflict with Satan and evil should be the basis for any conflict—especially conflict undertaken in the name of God.