Is War Ever Righteous?

         More to the point, is joining the army of your country, ok with God? This is a question that has been debated in just about every denomination, non-denomination, and religion in the world. Even in the Muslim world, there are some who live to fight, and others who claim killing is wrong. I live in the United States (some who read this live in Africa and India), and other than a questionable reasoning with the Indian wars of the 1800's, the U.S. has used it's military for the defense of our country or for defense of friends. I always believed this to be righteous, and after reading scripture, I still do. But what if the country you live in, starts wars for the reason of land, money, oil or any reason other than defense? What if it starts a war for defense of Christ? The scriptures are not silent on this subject, and history has shown us men will start wars for any reason.
        Romans chapter 13 tells us that we are to respect our government. "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosever resists the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation." 2 Peter 2:13-14 might explain it better, "Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto the governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well" Now this tells us that we should obey the laws of our respected governments, as long as they obey God's, which should always come first, but says nothing of military. It has been argued that you have an obligation to defend your government as part of this obeying, but unless it is a law, such as a draft, I don't see this in scripture. It has also been argued by preachers in every belief, that we should not join or take an oath to anyone other than God. However, there is little or no evidence of this in scripture either. In the United States, the argument became a major one in the 1850's until the end of the great Civil War.
        Of course few Americans had brought this up until the Civil War, but when they saw that a war would break out that pitted brother against brother, and men from every Christian belief would be fighting against each other, and both sides believed God was on their side. It can be argued that the North was fighting for the end of slavery and keeping the Union intact, while the South could argue they were living under submission of aggressive administration impeding on their rights. Was God with either side? It is truly hard to say, and no answer will be found searching scriptures. When American military began fighting against the Indians for land, this is not something I believe God would be in favor of, yet soldiers had to follow orders and do as they were commanded.
        England however, considered another Christian nation, has a somewhat darker history. In the late 1600's through the early 1900's, Britain was putting soldiers on the ground for the purpose of spreading their empire. There was no reason for defense or defense of their allies. Is this the proper actions of Christians who teach to love one another and respect governments?
        During the Middle-Ages, the nations of Europe under the leadership of the Catholic Pope, joined together in the Crusades and fought for the Holy Land under the banner of God. I don't believe these actions are by any stretch authorized in scriptures. God does not care about land, He only cares about the souls of men. Yes, there was a time when God commanded men like Joshua and the judges of Israel to conquer and destroy lands in the Old Testament, but that was for the establishment of the Promised Land where our savior was to come from. But does God hold accountable the soldiers that fought for evil leaders? The only thing I can say for sure, is that God holds each of us accountable for our own actions, and we don't have to join the military if we so choose. If you live in a country where you must join by law, then you must follow the commands as set forth in Romans and 1 Peter.
        In closing, we should remember the example of the conversion of the house of Cornelius in the Book of Acts. Cornelius was a centurion, a Roman commander who served under Caesar who was not exactly friendly to Christians. After Peter baptized Cornelius, nothing was said about his resigning from the army before he was baptized, or resigning after. We have to assume that Cornelius went on being a soldier for Rome, but now as a Christian. I believe what we can come away with in the end is that God wants us to be with Him, and if we decide to join the military, He still expects us to walk with Him and do what is right. We must pray for our world leaders, even if we don't agree with their policies, that they use their armies for reasons of defense only, and to allow all to worship freely. The veterans of this country, such as members of my family like my father, uncle, grandfather, cousin, should be honored and thanked for their service. For without them and those like them, we would not be free to worship God, and live in a free society.
        If all nations of this world believed one belief, and worshipped in unity, we would have no reason to have militaries and worry about oppressive governments. Ephesians 4:4-6, Paul pleads with us to do this, but of course he knew as God did, that this could never be. So, yes, armies are needed in my opinion, but are only righteous when protecting those who cannot protect themselves. Grace be with you.