In his prophecies of the Last Things, Jesus spoke of the wars of the future. He said that nation would rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, that wars and rumours of wars would be heard of, that Judaea would be devastated, Jerusalem besieged and taken by the gentiles, and the Temple defiled and destroyed.
For the thinkers in this its classic form, the just war tradition is grounded in a verse from the thirteenth chapter of the letter to the Roman church: “For [the sovereign ruler] is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain.
And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. (Isaiah 2:4).
“Peace is a fruit of the Spirit, and Jesus was, and is, full of the Spirit.” It's somewhat shocking, therefore, to learn that when the expected Messiah appeared on earth, He told His disciples quite plainly that He did not come to bring peace, but rather a sword (Matthew 10:34-35).
Constant PRAYER – Ephesians 6:18. Remember, all of this together forms the whole Armour of God or what we may call the weapons of our warfare. In other words, for us to be in position to really confront the power of darkness, we must put on the whole armour.
First, because it's a tool of the state necessary for survival. Two, because it is a theological means to communicate God's supremacy and power in the ancient near east and third, because it is a tool of judgment against sin with that kind of covered.
Many Christians believe that war should be avoided if possible, and should only be undertaken if all efforts to resolve an issue by peaceful means have failed. Many Christians see war as the result of a failure to live by God's standards.
Sell your cloak and buy a sword is an instruction by Jesus to his disciples during the Last Supper which has been interpreted in several ways.
Verse 34. "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send [or bring] peace, but a sword." This is a much-discussed passage, often explained in terms of the "apocalyptic-eschatological" context of the 1st century. R. T.
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
Ephesians 6:10-17 lays out even more powerful and purposeful tools — and an even more forceful war cry — to be deployed in spiritual battle with Satan and his demons, the most important being the sword of the Spirit, God's Word.
[13] And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
[7] For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. [8] All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Whether you like it or not, the Bible teaches that justified warfare is moral - war that is necessary to protect your country and defend your freedoms! Immoral acts may be committed in war; but the principle of war is moral when war becomes necessary. Fighting and killing the enemy is moral - not immoral!
THE JUST WAR TRADITION
St Augustine (354 – 430 CE) used biblical teaching to support the view that in some situations, war could be considered morally acceptable for Christians. He developed the idea of a just cause. In other words, a war should only be fought in self-defence or to defend the innocent.
In 2 Timothy 2:3, Paul says, “Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.” These words, and others like them, were written metaphorically to help Christians understand the nature of our walk with Christ.
“Let the one whom has no sword sell his cloak and buy one,” Jesus said to his disciples during their last meal together before Jesus was arrested and executed. The statement is recorded in Luke 22, and it must have been a head turner, both to his disciples and early hearers of the Gospel.
Just before they did so, they noticed that Jesus was already dead and that there was no reason to break his legs ("and no bone will be broken"). To make sure that he was dead, a Roman soldier (named in extra-Biblical tradition as Longinus) stabbed him in the side.
Holy Lance, also called Spear of Destiny, Holy Spear, or Lance of Longinus, legendary relic that pierced the side of Christ at the Crucifixion.
“If you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one,” Jesus once told his disciples.
Jesus appeared to teach pacifism during his ministry when he told his disciples: You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. ' But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.
"Live by the sword, die by the sword" is a proverb in the form of a parallel phrase, derived from the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 26, 26:52): "Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword."
The great Battle of Mount Zemaraim was reported in the Bible to have been fought in Mount Zemaraim, when the army of the Kingdom of Israel led by the king Jeroboam I encountered the army of the Kingdom of Judah led by the king Abijah I.
God says, “Do this and you will overcome evil with good: Let love be genuine.” In other words: “Love must be sincere.” It must be authentic! There must be no pretense – no play acting, nothing fake or false. Let your love be the real deal.
Matthew 5:43-48
You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.