War For Peace?
Is God A God Of War
Or A God Of Peace?
Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI
Biblical Authority Ministries, May 27, 2025 (Donate)
The Alleged “Problem”
Romans 15:33 calls God a God of peace, but Exodus 15:3
calls Him a man of war. So is this a contradiction?
The Lord is a man of
war; the Lord is His name. (Exodus
15:3, NKJV)
Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen. (Romans 15:33, NKJV)
The Solution
A true contradiction is A and Not A at the same time in the same relationship. As it turns out, these are not in the same relationship.
So, the
most basic answer to this supposed contradiction is that both statements are
true depending on the time and context. With that in mind, let’s examine a
couple different ways we can look at this.
First,
consider the fact that war is often fought for the purpose of bringing about
peace. During World War II, Europe and Asia were engulfed in fighting. Sitting
on the sideline was the United States, hoping that this situation would be
resolved without our involvement. The U.S. wanted peace, not war.
On
December 7, 1941, Japanese pilots made a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor that
launched the U.S. into war against Japan. That prompted Hitler to declare war
on the US, bringing the country into both fronts. The U.S. became a nation of
war in an effort to be a nation of peace and to help bring peace to the world
at that time.
In
the same way, God is a God of peace. He created an originally perfect, peaceful
world that has been subjected to war only because of mankind’s rebellion (and Satan's rebellion). Of
course, God knew this, had a plan for victory, and offers a time when peace
will reign for eternity. However, bringing about this peace often includes the
necessity of war.
The
context is also significant. In Exodus, the oppressed Israelites had just been
set free from their harsh oppressors, and God fought the battle at the crossing
of the Red Sea. The beautiful metaphor in Exodus 15:3, “the Lord is a man of war,” reveals the ease,
power, and control God had over the situation, doing battle against an
oppressing army of Egyptians.
Furthermore,
we must consider the recipients of war and the recipients of peace. God has
never promised peace to the wicked. In fact, He has stated exactly the
opposite. “‘There is no peace,’ says the Lord,
‘for the wicked’” (Isaiah 48:22; Revelation 14:11). The promises of peace in
Romans 15 and elsewhere are given to God’s people alone. We should also
understand that the peace God gives does not always mean avoidance of trouble,
but rather it means we will have God’s comfort and assurance while going through
difficult times.
Conclusion
In
the grand scheme of things, God did not only fight against the Egyptians on
behalf of the Israelites, but His ultimate war is against sin and death. Christ
conquered these foes on the cross and now offers peace to those who trust in
Him.
Paul
expounds on this peace in Romans and other epistles (e.g., Romans 5:1, 10:15, 16:20;
Philippians 4:7, 9; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; 2 Thessalonians 3:16; Hebrews 13:20).
Because they are in Christ, Christians are no longer at war, but rather have
peace with God (Ephesians 2:3, 14, 16). A God of peace and a God of war are not
in contradiction because they are discussing two relationships.
Originally here: https://answersingenesis.org/contradictions-in-the-bible/war-and-peace/; Edited; Republished by permission.
