As a pastor in a military town, it isn’t surprising that one of the theological questions I’m asked most often is whether the bible allows Christians to become soldiers and fight in wars. It is for that reason that we have decided that our next Bible Conference will be on the subject of War and Capital Punishment.

But just so you aren’t left in suspense until then, the clear teaching of scripture is that magistrates have been given the power to wage just war, and in the New Testament, the profession of "soldier" is clearly not an occupation forbidden to Christians as say an occupation like thief would be. This would not be the case if the primary calling of soldiers (waging war) was a violation of God's commands in the same way that stealing things is.

For instance, when a group of soldiers ask John the Baptist the open-ended question "What should we do?" in Luke 3:14 he answers "Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages." Notice he does not command them to find a new vocation, in fact he tells them to be content with the salary they receive in their present profession. What they must do, however, is to stop acting sinfully in their calling and using the power they have unlawfully. Their service must be honorable and above reproach.

In Matthew 8:9-10 Jesus commends the faith of a Centurion in a direct response to the Centurion’s use of his authority as a commander of men as an analogy for Christ's heavenly power. In Acts 10, we see another Centurion, Cornelius, praised as a godly man. Both of these men were saved, and neither of them was told he must leave his trade or that his calling worked against his faith. Contrast that with verses dealing with occupations like "Thief" - "Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.” (Eph. 4:28) Thieves are expressly told that they will not inherit the kingdom, and that this is a vocational choice that has to be repented of (1 Cor. 6:10). Even though the profession of soldier necessarily involves fighting and killing other people, yet that killing is not called murder and the kingdom of heaven is not closed to them in the same way it is to the unrepentant murderer. (Rev. 21:8)

Historically, the churches that came out of the Reformation including the PCA have always accepted this, confessing that:

"It is lawful for Christians to accept and execute the office of a magistrate, when called thereunto: in the managing whereof, as they ought especially to maintain piety, justice, and peace, according to the wholesome laws of each commonwealth; so, for that end, they may lawfully, now under the new testament, wage war, upon just and necessary occasion." [Westminster Confession, circa 1648]

The statements in the Second Helvetic [i.e. Swiss] Confession which were put together by Swiss Reformed (Protestant) churches and formed their doctrinal expression are even stronger, they condemned the Anabaptist belief in non-involvement in the state and absolute pacifism [The Anabaptists should not be confused with modern day Baptists. The Anabaptists were the fore-runners of groups like the Amish and Mennonites]:

"War. And if it is necessary to preserve the safety of the people by war, let him wage war in the name of God; provided he has first sought peace by all means possible, and cannot save his people in any other way except by war. And when the magistrate does these things in faith, he serves God by those very works which are truly good, and receives a blessing from the Lord. …

The Duty of Subjects. For as God wants to effect the safety of his people by the magistrate, whom he has given to the world to be, as it were, a father, so all subjects are commanded to acknowledge this favor of God in the magistrate. Therefore let them honor and reverence the magistrate as the minister of God; let them love him, favor him, and pray for him as their father; and let them obey all his just and fair commands. Finally, let them pay all customs and taxes, and all other such dues faithfully and willingly. And if the public safety of the country and justice require it, and the magistrate of necessity wages war, let them even lay down their life and pour out their blood for the public safety and that of the magistrate. And let them do this in the name of God willingly, bravely and cheerfully. For he who opposes the magistrate provokes the severe wrath of God against himself." [Second Helvetic Confession, circa 1566]