Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus going on before.
Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe;
Forward into battle see His banners go!

I wonder what images are conjured up in your minds when you hear those reveling words, which of course are taken from the old hymn by Sabine Barin-Gould.  Perhaps you envisage the crusaders dressed in their red-cross embroidered white robes riding into bloody fought victory in the name of Christ? Perhaps you imagine the cross of Christ as the cry is heard “the war is over, death is beaten”? Maybe for some your mind is triggered to recall the writing of C S Lewis in his book “The Final Battle” which is fictionally concerned with the eschatological final events of time as know it.  Or are you someone who ponders on the supernatural fights we face, holding onto the opinion that the war might be over but the spiritual battles are still playing out?

War is a present reality that we live surrounded by.  As christians it is said that there are three possible flags that we may choose to fly in regards to forming an opinion of war:

1.    The Crusade (fighting in the name of Christ - a holy war)
This is the theory that states the people of God have been imparted with the task of introducing the ‘Kingdom of God on earth’ to all cultures, peoples, tribes and tongues.  Where a culture is completely under the rule of Christ (Christendom - a ‘Christian nation’ has been created), then the base has been established from which God’s rule can be asserted - using whatever means necessary - to other political groups and nations.

Looking through the history books it doesn’t take long to find examples of violence ‘for the advancement of God’s kingdom’.

The biblical basis for this is taken from the annihilation of the Amelakites in 1 Samuel 15 and the promise in Joshua 1 of the ownership of every land he was to set foot in (the conquering of the promised land).  Furthermore, moving into the New Testament, we read in Luke 22: 36-38 that Jesus seemed to give a call to bear arms.

2.    Pacifism (violence is under no circumstance necessary)
This has been the major response of Christians for centuries. It is a theory that says Christ’s teaching and example clearly demonstrate a humble submission - “turning the other cheek” to enemies is the obedient duty of ALL believers, both on a personal and corporate level, and to take another’s life is sinful under all circumstances.

The biblical basis from the Old Testament is taken from Exodus 20:13 which states “thou shalt not murder.’  In the New Testament we read in Matthew 5:39 ‘if someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.’  and in Luke 2: 27 we read ‘But I say to you, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.’

The pacifist stance offers an appealing, neat and non-compromising stance which states “Christians don’t do war.”  It should be noted that because of it’s counter-cultural nature it is a fairly unpopular opinion to hold.

3.The Just War (under certain circumstances and after every other option is tried is war permissible).
It is generally thought that the just war is the viewpoint held by the majority of christians.

John Stott once said “A just war is one fought for a righteous cause, by controlled means, with a reasonable expectation of success.”

The theory states that there are five tests in which a war can be qualified as ‘just’, they are:
    1.    As a last resort – diplomacy has been tried and has not been successful.
    2.    When declared by competent authority (not a civil war)
    3.    If there is a chance of success
    4.    When taken place under the right motive – bring freedom/lesser evil/restrain wicked kingdom etc
    5.    To be done in proportionality – once waged war is not to become a massacre. The use of nuclear weapons should absolutely not be used in retaliation for a tactical defeat.

The history books point out practical results where a just war was enacted, the most prominent being the removal of Hitler and the Nazi regime (battling a ‘greater evil’).  Further practical results could be acknowledged to the removal and restriction of dictatorship and where short term bloodshed has led to long sustained terms of peace.

There is a fourth ‘flag’ of course which could be an option and perhaps is - if we’re being honest - the one a lot of us fly. That is the flag of selected or unselected naivety - i.e it’s just easier not to form an opinion or it hasn’t crossed my mind to form an opinion. It might look like this:

 ‘war is happening around me but I hold no considered opinion of it, it is a distant tragedy, it is all over the news but I have become numb to it’s images and reports, the number of deaths fill me with momentary sadness and I spare a thought for their friends and family, however if I’m being honest they are merely statistics.’

Let me provide you with a further picture to the words of the hymn found at the start of this article.  Picture those men and women around the world who, as you read this, some of them christians, are fighting for the welfare, justice and peace of mankind;  bravely stepping out into battle, risking their lives so that others may live. Now picture those civilians who live in the midst of war, who try to find some meaning in life, who have lost loved ones and every earthly possession that they own. A further picture is of those who have marched out before into the front line of the battle field, some out of choice, some out of fear, some out of compulsion. Those men and women who live haunted by the images and scars of war, things that they have done and things that have been done to them.

I urge you to recognize the closeness of war and to form a considered opinion of it, and whatever your opinion is, pray for those who are in the middle of it’s reality.

“At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.”

Taken from the poem For The Fallen (1914), by Laurence Binyon

[Thanks to Richard Fothergill for his original thoughts]