War is a dreadful and terrifying reality of living in a fallen and sinful world. When war breaks out, many people wonder how God is at work in the midst of it. Some even go so far as to suggest that one side of a conflict is carrying out holy warfare—that is, that one side is fighting for God while the other stands in opposition to him.
The Crusades of the Middle Ages are an obvious example, but this way of thinking is still common today. Some Christians speak as if U.S. conflicts in the Middle East are acts of holy war. So it is worth asking: does God still use holy warfare?
Holy War in the Bible
To begin, we must acknowledge that God has used holy warfare in the past. The clearest example is the conquest of the Promised Land under Joshua’s leadership. During this time, God repeatedly promised to fight for his people, Israel (Josh. 1:5; 10:42). Joshua even encountered the commander of the Lord’s army in Joshua 5:13–15. These examples show that God did, in fact, use holy warfare.
Israel, under Joshua’s leadership, was called to take possession of the land so that the nations might be removed and Israel established in God’s promised kingdom (Deut. 9:4–5; Josh. 6:21). By definition, this was a holy war—commanded by God, carried out under his authority, and functioning as an act of divine judgment.
Why Did God Use Holy War in the Bible?
So why did God allow, or even command, this kind of warfare? The answer becomes clearer when we understand typology. Scripture often uses people, institutions, and events as shadows that point forward to a greater reality (Col. 2:16–17; Heb. 8:5). For example, the tabernacle was the dwelling place of God in the Old Testament, but it ultimately pointed forward to Christ, who is the true dwelling place of God among us (John 1:14). Likewise, David—the king of God’s people—was a shadow of the true and greater King, Jesus Christ (Luke 1:32–33).
When we understand typology, we begin to see why God acted as he did in the Old Testament. He instituted kingship to prepare his people to expect a true and eternal King. In the same way, God used holy warfare as a type of what is to come.
In the book of Revelation, we see God executing final judgment over the nations, led by the commander of his righteous army (Revelation 19:11–16). There, Jesus is revealed as the one who judges and makes war in righteousness. Scripture teaches that there is a coming day when Jesus Christ will come and carry out this judgement. This is assured to us when God raises Jesus from the dead (Acts 17:31).
Jesus is the true commander of God’s army and the judge of all nations. One of the central promises of the New Testament is that he will return to rid the world of sin and bring about his kingdom in its fullness (2 Thess. 1:7–10). This is why God used holy warfare in the past—it pointed forward to this final reality. On that day of judgment the church will finally enter God’s kingdom and be triumphant!
Does God Use Holy War Today?
So yes, God used holy warfare in the past, and yes, he will bring final judgment in the future. But one question still remains: is God using holy warfare today?
This was the very question Jesus’ disciples asked after his resurrection: “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6). In other words, are you now going to establish your kingdom through judgment like Joshua or David?
Jesus’ answer is revealing: “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will be my witnesses…” (Acts 1:7–8). In no uncertain terms, Jesus redirects his disciples. The role of the church is not to wage holy war. We are not called to advance God’s kingdom through physical force, political power, or military conquest. That kind of holy warfare belonged to a specific time in redemptive history and points forward to a future reality that Christ himself will accomplish.
Instead, in this present age, the church is called to bear witness. We proclaim Christ’s first coming—his death and resurrection—so that sinners might be forgiven (Luke 24:46–47). And we warn of his second coming, when he will return to judge the nations.
Spiritual Warfare
Today, holy warfare is spiritual, not physical.
Scripture is clear: “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12). The enemies of God’s people are not nations, ethnic groups, or political opponents, but sin, Satan, and the powers of darkness. And the weapons of this warfare are not swords or armies, but the means God has given his church: the word of God, prayer, the preaching of the gospel, and the sacraments (2 Cor. 10:3–5).
This is why theologians have historically referred to the church as the “church militant.” Not because the church takes up arms, but because it is engaged in a real and ongoing spiritual battle. We fight, but we fight differently. We fight by proclaiming the truth, resisting sin, and calling people out of darkness into the kingdom of Christ.
So we must be clear: God is not calling any nation, government, or church today to carry out holy war in the way he once commanded Israel. Nor has he abandoned holy warfare altogether. Rather, it has been transformed in this present age into a spiritual conflict, awaiting its final and decisive fulfillment when Christ returns.
