(Rom 13:1-3 NKJV) Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. {2} Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. {3} For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same.

A full study of this scripture will provide the student with an understanding about how God's government operates. Also, if you consider the Old Testament, you know that God sent His people into war many times. He even commanded that they execute the prisoners, and even their animals. Therefore, it is a thin argument that insists that America should not go to war against one of the most ruthless men who has ever been a head of state. Saddam Hussein is like Ted Bundy in the presidency, only he is a dictator. To suggest that a Christian is evil, or less than Christian, for being in the military that is involved in this current war is insensible. I personally find it repulsive.

In my opinion, war protesting, while living in a nation that has its liberty, its freedom of speech and religion, and its free economy—by the means of war—is hypocritical. Not only do Americans have their tremendous benefits by the means of war, but we have liberated other nations from ruthless and sadistic dictators by means of war. War is violence and violence is sometimes necessary to overcome a completely demonic enemy.

Religious war protestors say, "We should be praying for them." I agree, but no one can force anyone to be saved by the means of prayer. Let me give you an example of when prayer is offered, but violence is appropriate. If someone breaks into my house, holds my family at gunpoint, and it is obvious that they intend to rape and murder my wife and daughter, you'd better believe that I will be praying. However, if I see an opportunity to attack, I will defend my family by any means available. If it means wounding or killing the intruder, then so be it. I do not believe a person who defends his family in such a way has failed as a Christian.

Let's take another example. What about policemen? They must sometimes use deadly force to prevent evil people from harming the innocent members of society. Every person in this nation enjoys the benefit of police protection. I personally know some Christians who are involved in law enforcement and I am glad that they are. It is revealing that many of the war protestors also despise law enforcement. Religious war protestors have to admit that they despise the police force as much as they despise the military.

There are demonic people who are reprobated and have no opportunity to be saved. Our community and nation has to be protected from them. "But what about the wickedness of our nation?" the protestor may ask. When a nation turns from God, He will deal justly and righteously with that nation, but judgment is in God's wisdom and timing—not ours. Americans have turned from God and He has and will judge them. If enough Americans turn from God He will judge this country. However, that does not mean that Christians should become anti-patriotic and anti-American because of wicked people who live within our borders.

Consider how the prophets dealt with the sins of their nation. Not one of them wished defeat or destruction on Israel. They did not go about degrading everyone who fought in its wars. Instead, they prayed for the people to repent. They also wished for God to judge wicked leaders. Their prophecies of impending judgment was not their own, but was of God.

In my honest opinion, religious war protestors are ungrateful hypocrites. They hide behind the thin disguise of pious compassion for demonic people while at the same time hurling insults and scorn at the military that protects them and provides for their freedom. They join the secular war protestors, who are backed by Communist Castro, vile liberals and Hollywood reprobates, and other agents of evil. These horrible people deride the agents of the very freedom that gives them the right to be protesters. It's like saying, "I hate you for bleeding and dying to give me the right to hate you for bleeding and dying." If they had their way, America would be under a dictatorship with no freedom and certainly no morality. Religious war protestors are inviting raw evil to dominate our nation. They are insisting that life would be better if we were all oppressed and persecuted. They are hastening the day of darkness. They are also not leaving the matters of America's judgment to the wisdom of God, but are taking it upon themselves to judge.

If they do not like this nation and its freedoms, there are still planes and ships leaving our coast heading for foreign countries. They are welcome to "enjoy" the liberties of another nation, such as narcissist and atheistic France. Maybe they would like to become a Chinese citizen, where Christianity is violently oppressed.

Of course, they could reply; "I have the right to voice my opinion," to which I shall reply, "Yes, and have you considered that many young men died face down in a puddle of their own blood to give you that right?" One had better balance their complaints with gratefulness. Not even being served less than tasteful food does not give us the right to berate the host who cooked and served it to us. How much more should we balance our protests concerning this war with the measure of gratefulness that people have died and are dying to give us the right to complain?

Many professing Christians have difficulty accepting that war is sometimes necessary and ordained by God. What primarily concerns them is the fact that the New Testament teaches us to live by the rules of peace and righteousness. The letters of the Apostle Paul are replete with guidelines that Christians should follow in their social relationships with people. Every true Christians wants to love and learn how to love more perfectly. We want to follow in the steps of Christ. None of us want to feel the ravages of anger or hatred. We recognize the errors of holding grudges and desiring vengeance. When these issues are juxtaposed against the brutal images of war, war comes out looking as something that no Christian could ever support on engage in.

Therefore, how does one synchronize war with the peacefulness of Christianity? First, we have to realize what war is. The definition tends to be obscured in the hysterical and capricious verbiage of war protestors—religious and secular. The following are the definitions of war:

1. armed fighting between groups: • The two countries are at war. an armed conflict between countries or groups that involves killing and destruction

2. period during war: a period of armed conflict • during the Vietnam War

3. methods of warfare: the techniques or the study of the techniques of armed conflict

4. conflict: any serious struggle, argument, or conflict between people • The candidates are at war.

5. serious effort to end something: an effort to eradicate something harmful • a war against drugs

To hear war protestors talk, you would expect the definition of war to be: The United States bullying around another country—killing all the women and children. Obviously, this is not so. When an armed S.W.A.T. force has conflict with a gang of drug dealers, that is a war. When the armed policemen have to fight with war protestors, that is a war. There is no difference between an armed group of policemen in the United States restoring law and order and the United States military restoring law and order. Either example is considered war. Both examples are sometimes necessary to insure peace and civilization in the world.

Now that we have the definition of war, we should understand how war is presented in the Scriptures. The first time we see war by the nation of Israel, to whom the Law was given, we God making war against Pharaoh. Here is a line from the song that Moses sang.

The LORD is a man of war; The LORD is His name. (Exo 15:3 NKJV)

The next time war is mentioned, Moses declares this: And Moses built an altar and called its name, The-LORD-Is-My-Banner; {16} for he said, "Because the LORD has sworn: the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation." (Exo 17:15-16 NKJV)

In other words, the Lord is still at war with the Amalekites until this very day. They were a band of Arabs that are possibly included in the groups of terrorists that hate the United States and Israel today. Israel most certainly fought the very nations that are against her today, including Iraq. Any man that refused to fight was under a curse. Consider the following scripture.

Cursed is he who does the work of the LORD deceitfully, And cursed is he who keeps back his sword from blood. (Jer 48:10 NKJV)

How was this scripture harmonized with the Ten Commandments and the other parts of the Law that governed social relationships? One of the Ten Commandments says; "You shall not murder," (Exo 20:13 NKJV). This obviously does not mean Israel couldn't go to war. The following scripture clears up the matter. "Keep yourself far from a false matter; do not kill the innocent and righteous. For I will not justify the wicked," (Exo 23:7 NKJV).

In other words, there were very strict guidelines governing social relationships in the Old Testament. But in the time of war, every man that was of fighting age was expected to kill the enemy. If he did not, he would be under a curse—or worse.

Since God does not change, it must be true that God still uses war to accomplish His will against His enemies and the enemies of His people. Just as in the Old Testament, the social rules are suspended during war. If they were not, no policeman or soldier could fight. They would be massacred and evil would triumph over good.

Of course, there are people that will say, "Oh, we don't have to fight—God will take care of the wicked!" Yes, God is more than able to destroy the wicked with fire and brimstone from heaven, as He has proven several times in history. However, much more frequently He has used the force of war and involved His people in it.

People often forget that we are in the temporal realm. God does not often intervene in the affairs of this temporal life that require our action. Neither does He supercede our common duty in every matter. We still work for our income. God does not just rain it down from heaven as He did the manna. There are many things that we cannot expect God to do for us when we can do them for ourselves. By the same token, we still have law enforcement and military to keep law and order in the temporal realm. God does not supernaturally knock down every murderer and rapist. He does not supernaturally knock down every evil despot either. Often, our intervention in these matters is required and we can easily see this by studying war in the Scriptures.

A point of disagreement might be that the New Testament does not mention war in the same sense as the Old Testament. First, there is the fact that the New Testament is mostly a collection of letters to the Church. These letters deal mainly with the Gospel message and the believer's social relationships. Next, I want to refer the reader to Roman thirteen.

Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. {2} Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. {3} For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. {4} For he is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. (Rom 13:1-4 NKJV)

Not every ruler is appointed by God because God is not the author of evil. Some rulers have their appointment and authority by Satan. God does not consider these people to be legally appointed as evidenced by the Old Testament wars. He commanded Israel to war against and depose them. If the same situations exist today, God may incline a nation to rise up in war against another nation that is oppressed by an extremely evil man. All that is required is a ruler that is authorized by God to rule. That ruler is God's minister, and avenger who executes wrath on the evil doer.

War protestors look at the most terrible result of war, but never consider the result of not conducting a just war. Hitler murdered over six million Jews. Had he been allowed to continue, the entire race of Israel might have been exterminated. There is no way to determine what he would have done to the rest of the world. Hitler was an antichrist and a forerunner to the Antichrist that will be a global leader. Saddam Hussein is an antichrist. All antichrist's are unredeemable and will cause as much death and destruction as possible can while they remain in power. God did not appoint Saddam Hussein to power or He would be guilty of conspiring with demons and authorizing an antichrist. He would also be complicit in the brutal deeds of Hussein. That is unthinkable.

When Christians began praying for an oppressed nation to be liberated from a despot and opened to the Gospel, war may be the deciding factor in the answer. War liberated the former communist countries and opened them to the Gospel. Thousands of people have been saved as a result. The United States would not be a nation if it was not for war. This nation has been the greatest preserver of the Gospel, the greatest sender of missionaries, and the greatest support of Israel. Yes, our nation has evil within its borders, but evil people are judged for their own sins. Remember Abraham's intercession for Sodom and Gomorrah? How many evil people does it take proportionately to make the entire nation evil? Has the United States risen to that level yet? I don't believe so. But when it does, we will not be fighting wars outside of our borders, but wars inside of them—plus cosmic judgments that will destroy it and the world.

We cannot individually suspend the rules governing social behavior. A policeman or a soldier cannot shoot anyone they wish when they wish to. But when either of them are engaged in an conflict pursuant to their job, they are authorized to use deadly force. Their use of deadly force does not clash with any commandment, and supersedes the rules governing a Christian's social relationships.

Someone once said, "All that is necessary for evil to prosper, is for good men to do nothing." I disagree somewhat with that statement. I do not believe that good men stand idly by while evil prospers. Good men take the action necessary to stop evil from prospering.

This present war is the legal action of a ruler being used by God to execute His wrath on an evil doer. If anyone has questions as to why God does not do the same to other evil rulers, then they should ask Him. He is the one who is in charge.