Previous Questions and Answers
"Should a Christian join the military?"
Does
Jesus or the New Testament condemn or embrace a man joining the army
Abraham
had his servants trained to fight in battle if the need arose, and the need did. Genesis 14:14-16 says, And when Abram heard
that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants,
born
in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them
unto
Dan. And he divided himself against them, he
and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is
on
the left hand of Damascus. And he brought back
all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also,
and the people.
At
times, God told His people to fight against other peoples and nations. 1 Samuel 15:18 says, And the LORD sent thee
on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight
against them until they be consumed.
Romans
5:6-8 refers to the nobleness of a person being willing to die for others. For when we were yet without strength, in due
time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely
for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to
die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in
that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
So it is noble when a person is willing to risk his life for others.
There
is a caution for the Christian, when considering todays military service as a
career, and not just as a service when the need arises for war. The caution deals with the ungodly atmosphere in
todays military. Proverbs 13:20 says,
He that walketh with wise men
shall
be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.
1 Corinthians 15:33 says, Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt
good manners. There is the cursing, the
immorality, the sleeping together of males and females in the same tents or quarters on
the battlefield today, etc. You have to face
many of the same things in many other occupations, but at least you can go home to your
own place and have a godly atmosphere there. Many
soldiers have fallen to immorality with the present practice of males and females living,
working, and sleeping in the same quarters.
There
is also another factor to consider. When you
sign up for the military, you are placing your life in the hands of others. You will go where they say. You will do what they say. You will live where they say. You will fight whom they say. You will take orders from whom they say (even if it
is a United Nations mission and you are under the authority of a foreign officer?). 1 Corinthians 7:20-23 says, Let every man
abide in the same calling wherein he was called. Art
thou called being
a
servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it
rather. For he that is called in the Lord, being
a
servant, is the Lord's freeman: likewise also he that is called, being
free,
is Christ's servant. Ye are bought with a
price; be not ye the servants of men.
Many
Christian men have joined the military forces and have served with great distinction and
spiritual maturity. They have been great
influences upon those that they have worked with or commanded. But there have also been many young men from
Christian families who joined the military, and have been made spiritual shipwrecks: their
lives scarred by alcohol and immoral living.
Each
young man should carefully and prayerfully discern Gods perfect will for his life,
before signing on to military service. He
should make sure that he has specific Scripture leading him not just his feelings.