Many are surprised to learn war did not originate with humans, but with a created heavenly being. The King of Tyre, referred to in Ezekiel 28:12-15 is a cherub, known as Satan. As a result of his pride and selfishness, he sought to overthrow God, by influencing one third of the angels to rebel against their Creator. “And war broke out in heaven…and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail….the great dragon… called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels…with him” (Revelation 12:7-9). See also (Isaiah 14:12-15 and our free study guide: Is There Really A Devil?).
Satan then introduced war into the human realm. The first instance occurred when Cain murdered his brother in a fit of jealousy (Genesis 4:1-8). God offered Cain another way to work out the conflict with his brother and warned him his attitude would lead to sin, if he did not control his impulses (verses 6-7). But Cain did not heed God and killed his brother (verse 8).
Since that time man has striven to make more and more deadly weapons. With the advent of nuclear weapons, mankind has the ability to annihilate all life on earth, if not for the intervention of Jesus Christ (Matthew 24:21-22).The prophet Isaiah tells us that war is an inherent part of humanity’s sinful nature and that, until repented of, it keeps people from knowing the path to peace (Isaiah 59:7-8).
In Carnage and Culture, Victor Davis Hansen chronicles the war-making abilities of Europe and the United States, pointing out the goal of war is to win, doing whatever is necessary to achieve the destruction of the enemy, regardless of the morality. He makes the point that historically Alexander the Great exemplified this approach to warfare: “ “To Alexander the strategy of war meant…. the annihilation of all combatants and the destruction of the culture itself that had dared to field such opposition to his imperial rule. Thus, Alexander’s revolutionary practice of total pursuit and destruction of the defeated enemy ensured battle casualties unimaginable just a few decades earlier” (p. 83). The Roman Empire learned from Alexander and perfected his approach to war, building their empire through warfare.
Conflict permeates our world on many levels. Many regional and ethnic groups, competing religions and power blocs are willing to battle for their cause. There is conflict within families and, in many parts of the world, gangs rule neighborhoods and battle with their rivals for “turf.” It is so easy for men and women to be divided over issues, to become offended and, in response, take revenge in word and action.
The Apostle James addressed the fundamental reason war occurs: “What leads to strife (discord and feuds) and how do conflicts (quarrels and fightings) originate among you? Do they not arise from your sensual desires…? You are jealous and covet [what others have] and your desires go unfulfilled; [so] you become murderers. [To hate is to murder as far as your hearts are concerned.] You burn with envy and anger and are not able to obtain [the gratification, the contentment, and the happiness that you seek], so you fight and war….” (James 4:1-2, The Amplified Bible).
War has not been eliminated because humankind has never resolved the problem of our nature, but the Bible promises us that in the coming worldwide Kingdom of God, Jesus Christ, will usher in a time of peace (Isaiah 9:6-7). War will cease (Psalm 46:9; Micah 4:3; Isaiah 65:25), and man will learn to be his brother’s keeper. Rather than battle each other, people will learn to wage a personal spiritual warfare against their own nature (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).
On April 25 we consider not only the courage and sacrifice of our soldiers, and the wars being fought around the world, but also the spiritual battles of life we face as Christians. With Jesus Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection at Passover, and the gift of God’s Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost in 31 A.D, God began to work with a nation, drawn from many backgrounds, that was no longer physical, but spiritual. It is important to remember that even though we fight in a different theatre of war, we need to diligently prepare ourselves for the spiritual battles we face as we strive to stay faithful to God, looking forward to the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth and a secure peace at last.
