does God take sides in wars?

Question

on army belts sometimes in says stuff like "god is on our side" and stuff like that. so does god take sides in war?

Answer 1

>Absolutely NOT. This is one of the oldest and most profane ways that men justify killing in war, saying God is on "their side," as if God didn't create the "enemy." THEY are human beings too, thus children of God and are no less worthy in God's eyes than you are or anyone else. I can tell you right now, God takes no sides in any war.

Answer 2

As a Christian, if you're speaking of the God of the bible....then this is an extremely difficult question for me and one that has been debated since Jesus walked the earth and it will continue to be debated until He returns.



I am confident that when you ask "does God take sides in wars" you mean the wars of men.



The scriptures are clear that He took sides in the old testament. In Deuteronomy 20:16-18 he told the Israelites to kill everyone within the cities that He would give them as an inheritance. He wiped out those people, however, because they were wicked and because they did abominable things.



Our God is not a whimsical God. He doesn't kill for the fun of killing. You will see time and again it was for punishment...yet people twist it & make Him out to be a murderous God.



In the new testament we see that it says in Romans 13 to, "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. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves."



This seems to be problematic. The United States exists today because of a rebellion against the British authority. If all governments are established by God and yet these governments have war with one another then what's the cause? Were there not Christians on both sides of the water?



God is sovereign. He does as He pleases but, again, He has a plan. His plan seems to revolve around the fellowship that He desires to have with His creation. His creation has rejected Him and so bad things are happening and have been happening since the day we first turned from Him.



Through Christ He is reconciling us back to Him so those born of Christ have a great dilemma when it comes to war. At least I know I would have a dilemma on my hands if I were called to war. The Holy Spirit in me propels me to "love" and to "save" instead of destroy. Jesus said, "I did not come to destroy man but to save him."



I am not saying that there is not a time for war because Ecclesiastes declares that there is a time for everything under the sun...a time for peace and a time for war. I would not, however, relish the responsibility of deciding when war was appropriate on this earth.



Lastly, we see war being waged in the book of Revelation. A Spiritual war that culminates in the ultimate demise of Satan.



I revel in that war.

Answer 3

I would say yes. And no.



I interpret scripture to say that Jesus valued freedom. He let people make their own choices, after all, and was quick to condemn the "right and proper" religious rituals of the day, didn't hold women to their standard roles in society, and ignored social convention when it meant racism, sexism, or religious bigotry.



So I'd say that God is definitely on the "side" of freedom. In scripture, he clearly uses war to render judgment on individuals and nations. As an all-knowing, all-powerful God, he certainly isn't surprised by wars or casualties in wars. Don't forget that on more than one occasion in scripture, he allowed his chosen people to be defeated in war (and has done so again since.) The Babylonians overthrew and captured the Jews, and the Romans did the same. There are other wars and battles in scripture that the Israelites, even though they are selected by God, are allowed to lose.



But I'd also say no, he doesn't take sides. He doesn't need to root for a particular side. No one wins a war without God's knowledge or permissive action (or inaction.) I have heard (though I admit I don't know its source -- I think it's Talmudic) a Jewish tale of the destruction of the Egyptians when the Red Sea fell in on them. The story goes (it's not a Biblical story) that the Israelites are cheering and happy that they've been rescued and the Egyptians are drowned. God asks Moses why they would be cheering, since thousands of God's children have just died.



Even though it's not a true story, I still think there's a lot of truth in that.

Answer 4

He certainly was in the old testament. However, I think in more modern terms, both sides are acting according to what they genuinely believe to be true and good. In that case God is probably more concerned about the individual cause of each side and spiritual understanding of the people involved that the "good" vs. "bad" side. More often than not, soldiers are just used as pawns of their government. Regardless of who was more right or wrong, if he judges our conscious, then what can he really hold against someone with a good/pure motive.

Answer 5

God takes the side of the righteous. It isn't always immediately apparent how He does this or who He favors, but it's clear when the dust settles. It doesn't mean God loves war, it just means the He helps the righteous in their struggles when they call on Him.

Answer 6

god stands against the wicked



so yes he will take a side

Answer 7

No. Not wars. But God always chooses sides for the superbowl. If not, why does the winning team always thank God for their victory?

Answer 8

Both sides think that god is on their side.

Answer 9

I suppose that would depend on His will. He sought to protect His true believers people in the Old Testament. He sought to prove that the Jews were the most moral nation known to man in those days, as well as to prove that it was in His name that they held their glory. This concept is lost on modern Israel. Thus, I don't support them in their future endeavors. But, no, I don't support Palestine, either.

Answer 10

Nope. God created us all in His image. We are all children of God.



It is just mankind who is wrapped up in worldly pursuits who causes strife, wars, and killing - not God, because He dwells in our hearts although we're not aware of it, not yet.

Answer 11

No, just putting those phrases on belts does not make it so.

Answer 12

Of course not how can god do that when he does not exist

Answer 13

God does not interfere. He respects the freedom of his creatures, even if they abuse it.

Answer 14

He is always on the winning side

Answer 15

You should ask him when you see him

Answer 16

idk but when I play CoD I usually go for the specs team