Morning Sermon - 8th November 2026 - The Biblical Case for a Just War

The reading coming from the word today is found in Romans chapter 12, verse 17 to Romans chapter 13 verse seven.

And this is God's word to us all.

Recompense no man evil for evil, provide things honest in the sight of all men.

If it be possible as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place onto wrath for it is written, vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord.

Therefore, if thine enemy hunger, feed him.

If he thirst give him to drink for in doing so thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.

Be not overcome of evil but overcome evil with good.

That every soul be subject unto higher powers for there is no power but of God.

The powers that be are ordained of God.

Whosoever therefore resisteth of power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.

For rulers are not a terror of good works but to the evil.

Will thy then not be afraid of the power?

Do that which is good and thou shalt have praise of the same for he is the minister of God to be thee for to thee for good but if thou do that which is evil be afraid for he beareth not the sword in vain for he is a minister of God a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.

Wherefore ye must needs be subject not only for wrath but also for conscience sake for this cause pay ye tribute also for they are God's ministers attending continually upon this very thing.

Render therefore to all their Jews tribute to tribute as Jew...

Sorry, tribute to whom tribute is due, custom to whom custom, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.

Amen.

Hi, Glynis was all nervous about that, but she did really, really well.

Thank you very much, Glynis.

Really appreciate you doing that.

And she served the Lord for many years in the Ulster Defence Regiment in very, very difficult times.

Now we come to God's word, and we want to make a few comments.

We're gonna thank this morning about the biblical basis for a just war.

And in this remembered Sunday, yes, it's good that we stand in silence before war memorials, and we wear puppies.

And we remember the names of those who have fallen.

And we remember the courage and the sacrifice of men and women who have laid down their lives so that others might live in relative freedom and peace.

And yet the urgency of this act of remembrance, I think, is sharpened by the world in which we currently live in.

Nations and governments are once again speaking openly of the possibility of a third world war, and leaders and commentators point to the interconnected regional conflicts raising tensions between major powers and the risk that local wars could escalate into something which is far larger.

And in such a climate, the question we face is not merely historical or theoretical, but the question is, how can a people who follow the prince of peace and who are commanded to love their enemies and turn the other cheek ever speak of a just war?

Is there a biblical foundation for the use of force by the state, or must the church renounce all violence?

Well, the historic Christian answer carefully developed from scripture is that in a fallen world, the restraint of grave evil sometimes requires the use of armed force by legitimate authority and under strict moral limits and always aimed at the restoration of peace.

And this is not a celebration of war.

It's a sober recognition of its occasional necessity and its ever present tragedy.

And precisely because governments are now discussing the prospect of a wider conflict, which has implications for those of a younger generation because the nation will call on you to make your stand.

And it's important that when we think of the wider conflict and we...

When we think of perhaps war, we need to ask ourselves as Christians, is there a biblical criteria by which to judge both the necessity and the limits of any resort to arms?

Now in thinking about this, there are four things that I want to focus on.

I want us to think, first of all, about a fallen world and the grief of necessary conflict.

Then secondly, I want us to think about the authority of the state, which Glynis was reading about, God's minister bearing the sword.

Then thirdly, the conditions of a just war.

And then fourthly, the practical application for remembrance and for living.

So first of all, let's consider a fallen world and the grief of necessary conflict.

A fallen world and the grief of necessary conflict.

Scripture doesn't pretend that war is good.

It's a consequence of human selfishness after the flood.

If you remember, God established the principle that human life made in the divine image is sacred and that the shed of...

Shedding of innocent blood must be restrained by human authority.

That's why Genesis chapter nine and verse six says, whosoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.

So civil authority exists in part because evil itself exists.

Augustine of Hippo writing in the early fifth century in a great book that he wrote, the city of God, amid the collapse of the Roman world captured the Christian attitude with clarity when he wrote these words, for it is the wrongdoing of the opposing party which compels the wise man to wage just war.

And this wrongdoing, even though it gave rise to no war, would be...

Would still be a matter of of grief to man because it is man's wrongdoing.

Even a just war is misery.

It's lamentable.

It's never to be gloried in.

It's never to be sought after a fallen world, and the grief of necessary conflict is something that we must always keep in mind.

And then secondly, let's consider the authority of the state.

This idea of God's minister bearing the sword.

In other words, governments, judges bearing the sword on behalf of God.

And the New Testament distinguishes carefully between private revenge and public justice.

Romans chapter 12 verse 19 forbids personal vengeance.

Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God.

For it is written, vengeance is mine.

I will repay, says the Lord.

And immediately afterwards in Romans chapter 13, it declares that governing authorities are instituted by God.

We're told in Romans chapter three and verse four, for he is God's servant for your good.

But if you do wrong, be afraid for he does not bear the sword in vain.

For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.

And this is the foundational biblical text, of course, for the just war tradition.

The sword is not given for national ambition or settling private scores.

It's given so that the state may restrain evil and protect the innocent.

Writing, in the thirteenth century, Thomas Aquinas in his Summa Theologica draws a logical conclusion.

He says, just as rulers may use the sword against internal disruptors of the peace, so they may use it against external aggressors who threaten the common good.

And the same distinction appears, of course, in the ministry of John the Baptist when soldiers asked what repentance required.

He didn't tell them to abandon their profession and don't be a soldier.

He told them in Luke Luke's gospel chapter three and verse 14, do not exhort extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.

And Jesus himself, of course, marveled at the faith of the Roman centurion in Matthew chapter eight, and the vocation of the soldier is not inherently sinful.

Its moral character depends on the cause, the authority, and the intention under which that is exercised.

The authority of the state, gods, ministers bearing the sword.

And then thirdly, the condition of a just war itself and the conditions of a just war, this this understanding just didn't appear once, and that was it.

It's grown through many centuries through the work of theologians reflecting in scripture in the light even of new circumstances.

Ambrose of Milan in the fourth century already taught that force could be used to defend the innocent and uphold justice.

His younger contemporary, Augustine, gave the the tradition its lasting heart.

War is a grievous necessity compelled by wrongdoing, and it must be authorized by proper authority.

And its only rightful aim at the end of the day is peace.

That's what's taught at the military colleges, what was set out by Augustine.

In the thirteenth century, Thomas Aquinas, who have already mentioned, gathered these insights into the clear threefold test of legitimate authority, just cause, and right intention.

And later into the sixteenth and early seventeenth century, two Spanish theologians, Francisco de Victory and Francisco Suarez, applied and refined the same principles to the complex questions raised by European expansion and the rights of people.

And then finally, there was Dutch Protestant theologian Hugo Grudius writing in the devastation of the thirty years war, set the just war criteria on a broader natural law foundation in his work on the law of of war and peace.

And in doing so, he helped shape the rules that still underline...

Or underlie, should I say, much of modern international law.

And across these centuries, the core remained constant.

War is never a good thing in itself.

It may be entered only under strict moral limits by proper authority for a just cause and always for the restoration of peace in the end.

And the church has never treated every war as equally just or unjust.

Over the centuries, Christian theologians have worked out a set of morals tests so that the use of force would remain limited, purposeful, and aimed at peace.

And in simple terms, they agree on four main conditions or criteria for a just war, all of which were originally led down by Augustine, but they've been developed.

Condition number one, war must be a response to real injustice.

A war is not just started for glory.

It's not started for winning territory or national pride.

It's forced upon the wise by the wrongdoing of others when a nation attacks the innocent and refuses to make amends or seizes what does not belong to them.

And Augustine makes it very plain when he says the wrongdoing of the opposing party, which compels the wise man to wage just wars.

And this is clearly taught in scripture.

If you go to Psalm 82 and verses three and four and Psalm 72 verses four twelve through 14, Rulers are charged to defend the weak and the fatherless, rescue the weak and the needy, and deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

Force then used by authority is free him to rescue from injustice.

We can think of Genesis chapter 14.

Abram, he wasn't Abraham yet.

Abram was his name.

He goes to war to rescue his his nephew Lot and others who have have been taken captive by aggressive kings.

His action is a response to an existing injustice, not an unprovoked campaign.

So that's condition number one.

Condition number two, only proper authority may decide on war.

Private individuals are not free to take up arms to settle scores.

The power to wage war belongs to those who govern because they're responsible for peace and safety of the nation or the community.

Augustine said the the natural order that seeks peace requires that, and he quotes, the power to declare and counsel war should be made in the hands of those who hold supreme authority.

And remember Romans chapter 13 verses one to four, Paul locates the legitimate use of lethal force, the sword in the hands, of course, of those who hold authority, whether it be the government, whether it be the judiciary, whether it be the police, whether it be the army.

It's not a right given to every individual or private group.

And condition number three, the intention must be peace, not cruelty or revenge.

And this is perhaps the strongest emphasis that Augustine makes even when forces use the heart must remain that of a peacemaker because he wrote like this.

He said, peace should be the object of your desire.

War should be waged only as a necessity.

Therefore, even in waging war, cherish the spirit of peacemaking.

And true religion, he said, regards as peaceful those wars that are fought not for motives of greatness or cruelty, but with the object of securing peace, of punishing evildoers, and uplifting the good.

And the passion for harm, the cruel thirst for vengeance, and the lust of power are always to be condemned.

Peace is always the goal.

Romans chapter 12 and verse 18 says, if it is possible as far as depends on you, live at peace with everybody.

Matthew chapter five verse nine, blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called the children of God.

Hebrews chapter 12 verse 14, make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy.

And scripture presents peace as both both the the commanded Christian aim and the proper outcome of any just use of force.

Cruelty, personal or national revenge, gloating, unnecessary destruction are repeatedly forbidden.

The state's sword exits are for good.

It's used for good and good alone and to restrain the the wrongdoers so that a that a just peace might be restored, not so that cruelty or vengeance can be indulged upon.

And this is the biblical foundation for a just war requirement that the ultimate intention and outcome must be peace.

And then fourthly, even a just war is a grief never good in itself.

Augustine refused at all times to glorify war, and the the wise person wages a just war only with sorrow because the injustice that made it necessary is itself an absolute tragedy.

And if there were no wrongdoing, there would be no need for war at all.

And the Bible consistently treats war even when it's necessary or even when it's commanded as the...

It's it's looked upon as a tragic consequence of human sin, a cause for sorrow rather than celebration.

And here are the clearest supporting passages, referring to to to war being, part of the brokenness of our world.

You only have to go to Ecclesiastes chapter one and...

Or chapter three, the great chapter about time.

And we read in verse one and verse eight, there's a time for everything, a time to love, a time to hate, a time for war, and a time for peace.

War is acknowledged as a reality in this age, but it's listed alongside other painful necessities of a disordered world, not as something good in itself.

And scripture laments the destruction of war.

You go to the book of Lamentations, chapters one and two and chapter five.

Even the fall of Jerusalem understood to be part of divine judgment is mourned with real grief.

And the destruction, death, and suffering are are never treated as good.

They're a cause for weeping, and there's no biblical pattern of treating the the suffering of war as something to celebrate the conditions of a just war.

Now in the twenty first century, debates about the justice of going to war have focused on banning aggression and and the huge human environmental and economic costs of modern war.

Many argue that the only cause for war is self defense against aggression, but this idea has a problem.

History is too varied.

Is intervening in a country suffering under a brutal dictator aggression?

If a state strikes first to prevent an obvious attack, who is the aggressor?

And such cases make the distinction unclear.

And it's also wrongly suggest that the defender is always right and the aggressor is always wrong.

A just cause can be pursued unjustly.

And modern destructive weapons make it harder to justify war.

Fear of massive destruction rightly makes nations hesitate.

We only have to think of the nuclear button and the nuclear war.

However, this fear often comes with the belief that human life is the only ultimate value and that no political cause is worth dying for.

People then use just war principles in an extremely strict way to reject almost every war, and then they move themselves into the position of being pacifists.

A classic problem is that both sides in a war usually claim that they...

Their their position is just, and sometimes outside observers can easily judge between them, but often both sides have reasonable arguments.

And this doesn't make just war theory useless.

It simply admits that politics is full of ambiguities, and the just war tradition does not claim to settle every dispute, but it offers a framework for thinking about and assessing them, the conditions of a just war.

These things are significant in the day and age that we are living in and they will become more and more significant.

And then fourthly and finally, let's consider the practical applications for remembrance and for living.

The practical applications for remembrance as we have come today and for our living beyond this time.

First, we may honor without embarrassment today those who served and died in conflicts that meet the just war criteria, whether it's the first or second world wars, whether it's military engagement since then, or the terrorist campaign in Northern Ireland.

And I would say for the the younger generation, there is a great revisionism of history going on.

What you're being taught or what you're hearing about the troubles is not what happened.

There's a great injustice in the history that's being told by republicanism, and you need to be careful.

And we we we come today and we give thanks for those who gave their lives.

Their sacrifice reflects how ever imperfectly the words of Jesus, greater love has no man than this than he laid down his life for his friends.

And we remember them with gratitude, and we remember them with a sense of loss.

And second, we refuse to romanticize war or conflict in any way.

Augustine's insistence that even just wars are to be lamented must shape our worship.

They must shape our memory.

We mourn the dead in every sight, the ruined cities, the moral injury suffered by those who returned.

And then thirdly, we we pursue peace as the proper aim for all just force.

We we pray for our leaders.

We pray for our armed forces, for the victims of present conflicts.

We support the work of reconciliation, the care of veterans looking after refugees who are truly fleeing from countries where, they are being persecuted, and the patient efforts of diplomacy.

As citizens, we hold governments to account refusing to give any uncritical blessing to every military action undertaken in the nation's interest.

And then, fourthly, we maintain the distinction between personal discipleship and public authority.

The sermon on the mount, the great call is to love our enemies and to refuse private retaliation, and that remains binding upon every individual Christian.

It's not abolished.

The state's god given duty to protect the innocent is not abolished in any way.

There's therefore room both for those who serve in the armed forces under just authority and for those who after careful conscience conclude that a particular conflict fails the tests and therefore they refuse to participate.

So it's a big issue.

It's a big it's a big subject.

It's something that perhaps we could have met after church on a Sunday night and discussed, but the biblical basis for a just war is not a license for violence, but a disciplined framework for restraining evil when all other means have failed.

It's grounded in the recognition that God has ordained governing authority to bear the sword for the good of the community, and it's hedged about by the demand for a just cause, a right intention, and a constant aim for peace.

And on this Remembrance Sunday, we honor those who stood in that gap, and we lament them at the necessity that compelled them, and we refused to treat any earthly victory as final.

Our ultimate hope lies elsewhere.

The decisive battle was already fought and won at the cross, where the Prince of Peace absorbed the violence of the world and he overcame it.

And it's incumbent upon us today to to come to Christ as he calls us in the midst of these things because one day he is coming back and we we look forward for those of us who are in Christ.

We look forward that he can say, nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.

There's a day coming when there will be true peace, but that true peace must be found in our hearts down here before it can be experienced in a new heaven and a new earth.

And therefore, we stand before God as sinners today, and our only hope is Jesus Christ who can save us.

And until that day we remember, we pray, we work for justice and we wait for the Lord who alone can bring the peace that is perfect and the peace that is everlasting.

Amen.

May God bless these words to our hearts.