Should Christians be in the Military? Is Being in the Military a Sin?

Written by a disciple who is a Marine veteran, with full respect to the final divine authority of the Word of God (Romans 3:4; 2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Imagine a World without Law and Order

Third world countries are full of anarchy, unbridled crime, and danger. This is due to the lack of proper God-ordained civil government (Romans 13; 1 Peter 2:14-15).

Recently I listened to a video from a preacher who is saying that it’s a sin for a Christian to go into the military. Is that true?

” … work out YOUR OWN salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” Philippians 2:12-13

May God bless us to work out our own salvation and cease attempting to meddle in the affairs of others, their own God-given liberty, lest He call us a “busybodies.” (2 Thessalonians 3:11; 1 Timothy 5:13)

If a house is broken into, it is the duty of the husband, the father, the man, to defend his family and estate. And, there will be no guilt in the eyes of God for doing so! Read Exodus 22:1-3; Luke 22:36. In fact, what kind of a “man” wouldn’t defend his own family?

If a nation is attacked by another nation, namely on its own homeland, it is the duty of that civil government to protect its people and for the men of that nation to be involved in that defensive effort.

Did you realize that the police are the domestic MILITARY of our nation? They certainly are and what is their God-given purpose as “God’s ministers”? – “the punishment of evildoers.” (Romans 13:6; 1 Peter 2:13-14)

To say that joining the military for mainly foreign purposes is evil, is to say that being a policeman is in sin. Both have the divine purpose of protection of its people by punishing “evildoers” because God’s stated desire for society is that it be “quiet and peaceable” in contrast to anarchy (1 Peter 2:13-14;1 Timothy 2:1-3).

Serving God or mammon is the context of Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 6:19-24, not being in the military. This has nothing to do with being a civilian or being in the military. It applies to all men – military or civilian. So evil minions have used war to make money BUT so have civilian, non-military minions. Think about that in light of this video message.

Keep in mind that there is a proper use of force, of military – for the divinely ordained purpose – “For the punishment of evildoers.”

“Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; 14 Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him FOR THE PUNISHMENT OF EVILDOERS, and for the praise of them that do well.” 1 Peter 2:13-14  

God Himself ordained family, the church, and civil government. Civil government is specifically ordained “for the punishment of evildoers.” (1 Peter 2:13-14; Romans 13). “Evildoers” are to be punished and such a duty is assigned by God to civil authorities. The civil government, as the LORD has ordained it, is “For the punishment of evildoers,” namely within the jurisdiction of an individual country….to protect the citizens from foreign and domestic enemies, “evildoers.”

Didn’t God send His people into foreign lands to destroy, to kill? Yes? Why? It was for His protective purposes because of His love for His beloved people. In this video, the presenter is meddling, talking out of turn, and out of context, instead of letting each individual believer work out HIS OWN salvation with fear and trembling before the LORD (Philippians 2:12-13).

Notice the bookshelf positioning of his (the video presenter’s) stage. Be not deceived: books make no one wise. Only GOD can do that. Having knowledge does not make one wise. Only God can instill wisdom in a man.

To say that a Christian should not be in the military due to ungodliness would mean that no Christian should leave home, definitely not work for a secular company.

Should we not allow GOD to work in the individual lives of HIS people – that He bought with HIS precious blood – and not meddle with non-essentials, with God-given liberties afforded to each individual saint of Christ? (Romans 14) | Liberty in Non-Essentials

“Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.” Romans 14:4

Example of the foolishness: In his video, he uses the idea that military men will have to submit to women military leaders and so for that reason no Christian man would ever join the military. Apparently, and sadly, this man doesn’t yet realize that the civil military is not the church. Very novice. Let cross examine: Just as there are women in leadership in the military, so there are even many more times the women in leadership in the secular world. So, should every Christian who has a female boss in the civilian world quit? Are they in sin? No. They just need to have a mature biblical perspective and realize that the whole world – weather civilian or military – is presently under the dominion of Satan and so it doesn’t matter if your boss is male or female (2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:1-3, etc.). The Bible is speaking of THE CHURCH environment when it says to “suffer not a woman to teach nor to usurp authority over the man.” (1 Timothy 2:11-12) That doesn’t apply to the secular work world or a military environment. Rightly divide please. The whole world is a kingdom of sinners and not under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. So, being that they are not the body of Christ, they live according to the god of this world (Satan) and we are there to reach them with the Gospel. Salt and light must “GO ye INTO ALLLLL (that includes the military) the world” to “preach the gospel to EVERY creature,” right? (Mark 16:15)

Failure to assimilate and rightly divide the whole of Scripture: Notice that the presenter in this video is saying that the military is full of sinners and under evil leadership. SO is the whole world, the non-military, the civilian people in this fallen world! And what did Paul say of such? He said in order to get away from all the sinners, we would have to leave this world. But we are to be the salt of the earth, the light of Christ to shine to them, to lead them to Jesus. Running and hiding from everything and everyone is cowardly and not Christlike or according to His instructions, His Great Commission mandate.

“Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. 14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 5:13-16

Believers are to judge those within the professing body of Christ – NOT those outside of it – whom GOD will judge.

“For what have I to do to judge them also that are WITHOUT (the unsaved)? do not ye judge them that are within? 13 But them that are without (the lost) God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.” 1 Corinthians 5:12-13

Did you catch that? Read it again. Paul is saying that Christ’s disciples are not to judge “them … that are without” or outside Christ’s kingdom. Let’s wake up.

When Scripture speaks of coming out from among them, it is speaking mainly of the way we live, not necessary always physically removing oneself. If you are weak, immature in Christ, the LORD is not going to send you on a mission that requires a mature man in Christ. If you are that rare mature man in Christ, He may send you on such missions as require maturity.

Whether in the civilian world or in the military, just because others around us sin, in no way means we are forced to sin just because others are sinning. “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” (1 John 3:9) Those who are weak in the faith will be influenced to sin and so should stay clear – because they are not ready for such a mission.

If the military is evil in and of itself, WHY did Paul use it as an illustration for the life of a disciple of Jesus? – “endure hardness, as A GOOD SOLDIER OF JESUS CHRIST.” (2 Timothy 2:3) See also 1 Corinthians 9  “No man that WARRETH….”

“The LORD is a man of WAR.” Exodus 15:3

Can and does God only move and work among civilians and not those in the military?

Thank God for the Christian brother who in Marine Corp boot camp planted the Word of God into my heart, the seed of the Gospel, in word and deed (the way he lived), which led to my being saved. Jesus be praised that this man didn’t have this flimsy, run for the hills, hide in a bunker, “Touch not; taste not; handle not” cop out perspective (Colossians 2:21). Instead, he went boldly into the midst of the military to make Christ know! The LORD used him mightily!

Jesus warns us of the deceivers among us posing as being godly while being devouring wolves who are the most dangerous, not the rank heathen who need to be saved in the military or the secular world. When Jesus walked the earth, Jerusalem and many of the places He ministered were under Roman military occupation and it was the religious Jews (professing believers) who had the greater sin when they delivered Jesus into the hands of the Romans to be killed. – “Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath THE GREATER SIN. “ (John 19:11)

Did Jesus ever condemn the military? Not once. In fact, He healed the ear of a military man named Malchus whose ear Peter cut off, right? (Luke 22:50-51; John 18:10-11) What about Cornelius, a military soldier who was of the Italian band? Didn’t Jesus send Peter to get him saved? Yes (Acts 10-11).

If the military is all about money, and much of it has been, SO IS THE REST OF THIS WHOLE FALLEN WORLD. So the point of this video message is a ridiculous conflation.

The unsaved cannot possibly serve God and so until they are saved, they WILL serve mammon. That’s why the body of Christ is here – to bring them to Christ. The reality is that anyone reading these words who works for a company in this world, unless the ownership is truly Christian, is working for a company that is all about money. Let’s be wise in our assessments and not just believe something because someone staged a video about a topic.

In this video, he’s conflating things out of proper context, not taking in the whole of the matter (Proverbs 18:13). Think about it: Just because some in the military do evil, doesn’t mean all military personnel are that way or agree to that evil. If, according to this man, Jesus’ disciples aren’t to go into the military they also shouldn’t go out into this secular, sinful world. Being a civilian is just as evil according to him, because there are even more wicked non-military, civilian personnel. So, since there are many, even more wicked non-military personnel, then do people now need to denounce that they are civilian, stop being a civilian? See the point?

This speaker speaks as though we presently have wars being waged for money. Not so. God threw a monkey wrench into history named Donald Trump. So, this speaker fails to mention that under trump the military is in better hands than the previous puppet presidents who perpetuated endless wars for money and other evil NWO dealings. Since the beginning of his term, Trump has begun to bring home the military and continues to do so by the tens of thousands. Unlike the previous luciferian presidents, namely the last 4-5, Trump has started not 1 war nor been engaged in any conflict or war.

Much of modern war has been about money but that’s sin to the handlers, not the individual military men (Individual accountability: Deuteronomy 24:16; Ezekiel 18).

Being in the military doesn’t equal loving mammon. Keep in mind that military pay is minimal, very low. It would seem that most people can earn more money outside of the military.

Also keep in mind that there is a proper use of force, of military action, including killing someone if needed…. Romans 13; 1 Peter 2:13-14…. to punish evil doers, namely within the jurisdiction of an individual country….to protect the citizens from foreign and domestic enemies, “evildoers”. This is the stated divine purpose of civil governments (1 Peter 2:13-14).

Under trump the military is in better hands, is being pulled out of foreign wars, etc. The previous NWO (both Bush’s, Clinton, Obama, etc.) luciferian puppet presidents perpetuated endless wars for money and other evil NWO dealings. They were all satanists. Trump is not. I didn’t say he’s saved. I simply said he’s not an avowed satanist and seeks to do the right thing for this nation.

Just because someone stands up and preaches a message, does not mean that you have to believe it, to buy it without thoroughly comparing his points to the whole of Holy Scripture (Acts 17:10-11). It’s the mind of Christ on the matter that matters and such can only be apprehended by way of thoroughly studying, knowing, and understanding the whole of Scripture. Only then can we rightly divide the Word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15; 3:16-17).

Many times, wrong assessments like this one addressed in this post come out of our own self-righteousness, namely that of novices (1 Timothy 3:6).

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