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What does the Bible say about war?

Bible Topic · WEB

The Bible teaches that war is a grievous reality in a fallen world, marked by human sin and conflict, yet God remains sovereign and calls his people to seek peace, justice, and final hope in Christ. Ecclesiastes 3:8 acknowledges a time for war, while Deuteronomy 20:1-4 shows that Israel's battles were not independent of God's presence and command. James 4:1-2 locates the deepest source of conflicts in sinful desires, and Ephesians 6:12 reminds believers that their chief struggle is spiritual. Jesus blesses peacemakers in Matthew 5:9 and foretells wars in Matthew 24:6 without calling his disciples to despair. Isaiah 2:4 points to God's promised kingdom, when he will judge the nations and end war forever.

Top passages, ranked by readers

Rankings: OpenBible.info Topical Bible (CC BY) · Scripture: World English Bible

  • Ecclesiastes 3:8

    A time to love, And a time to hate; A time for war, And a time for peace.

  • Matthew 24:6

    You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you aren't troubled, for all this must happen, but the end is not yet.

  • James 4:1-2

    [1] Where do wars and fightings among you come from? Don't they come from your pleasures that war in your members? [2] You lust, and don't have. You kill, covet, and can't obtain. You fight and make war. You don't have, because you don't ask.

  • Jeremiah 51:20

    You are my battle-axe and weapons of war: and with you will I break in pieces the nations; and with you will I destroy kingdoms;

  • Matthew 5:9

    Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called children of God.

  • Isaiah 2:4

    He will judge between the nations, And will decide concerning many peoples; And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning-hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war any more.

  • Exodus 15:3

    Yahweh is a man of war. Yahweh is his name.

  • Ephesians 6:12

    For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world's rulers of the darkness of this age, and against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

  • Deuteronomy 20:1-4

    [1] When you go forth to battle against your enemies, and see horses, and chariots, [and] a people more than you, you shall not be afraid of them; for Yahweh your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. [2] It shall be, when you draw near to the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak to the people, [3] and shall tell them, Hear, Israel, you draw near this day to battle against your enemies: don't let your heart faint; don't be afraid, nor tremble, neither be scared of them; [4] for Yahweh your God is he who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.

  • Romans 7:21-25

    [21] I find then the law, that, to me, while I desire to do good, evil is present. [22] For I delight in God's law after the inward man, [23] but I see a different law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity under the law of sin which is in my members. [24] What a wretched man I am! Who will deliver me out of the body of this death? [25] I thank God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! So then with the mind, I myself serve God's law, but with the flesh, the sin's law.

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