Was Jesus a pacifist?

Pacifists believe it's wrong to go to war, fight, own or carry weapons, or participate in any sort of violence. Most pacifists have a moral or religious reason for being against violence. Pacifists won't participate in war because they feel it goes against their personal values and convictions.

Since Jesus is our "prince of peace" (Isaiah 9:6), does that mean He's a true pacifist who wants only peace for the world? Well, not necessarily.

How did Jesus view weapons and the military?

"They said, 'Look, Lord, here are two swords.' And [Jesus] said to them, 'It is enough.'" —Luke 22:38

When a Roman centurion humbly asked Jesus to heal his servant, insisting the soldier himself was unworthy for Jesus to come all the way to his home, Jesus commended him for his faith and healed the servant in that very moment (Matthew 8:5-13). If Jesus didn't believe in the career this Roman man had chosen, Jesus could have told him to quit the army before He would do anything for him, but He didn't.

As John the Baptist was giving godly advice to different kinds of people (Luke 3:10-13), some soldiers asked him, "What should we do?" John could have instructed them to drop their weapons and leave their posts, but he didn't. Instead, he told them how to be noble soldiers: "Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay" (Luke 3:14).

The twelve disciples each carried weapons with them during Jesus' ministry (Luke 22:37-39). Jesus never told them carrying weapons was wrong. He only corrected Peter’s action of misusing a weapon when Peter attacked one of the soldiers who had come to arrest Jesus. Jesus healed the injured man and went with them peaceably (Luke 22:49-51).

The Need for War & Peace

"Praise the Lord, who is my rock. He trains my hands for war and gives my fingers skill for battle." —Psalm 144:1 (NLT)

In the Old Testament, there are numerous accounts of Israel going to war, which were all commanded by God (Deuteronomy 7:1-2). In the battle recorded in Joshua, Israel was marching in to take over Jericho (Joshua 6:20-21). The man who led Israel’s army out is described as "the commander of the Lord's army" (Joshua 5:14). Biblical scholars believe this man was Jesus!

During Jesus’ ministry on earth, He emphasized the need for peace. He taught non-violence and told His disciples the importance of "turning the other cheek" rather than getting even (Matthew 5:38-44). We call Jesus the “prince of peace” because He will one day bring true and lasting peace to all creation. So while peace is what we ought to aim for, the Bible also teaches that war is sometimes necessary (Psalm 144:1).

God's Truth Brings Conflict

"Don't imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword. 'I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. Your enemies will be right in your own household!'" —Matthew 10:34-36 (NLT)

Jesus was firm and unwavering in His rebuke of religious leaders who were leading others to hell (John 8:44; Matthew 23:15). He knew that God's truth would cause conflicts between even the closest of friends and family and even warned His apostles that this would happen (Matthew 10:34-36). In fact, Jesus' claim to be the Messiah caused division right in His own hometown and family (Matthew 13:53-58; Mark 3:21).

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 says there's a time for everything—including building and tearing down, love and hate, and, yes, war and peace too. These aren't tenets of pacifism. When we look at the book of Revelation, we learn that there will be a great war when Jesus returns to defeat the Antichrist and his forces (Revelation 19:11). Jesus is described as having a sharp sword coming out of His mouth and a rod of iron (Revelation 19:15), and He will be wearing a robe dipped in blood (Revelation 19:13).

The Battle Between Good & Evil

"For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places." —Ephesians 6:12 (NLT)

On a spiritual level, the Bible teaches that there's a real battle going on between good and evil. This is called spiritual warfare. God has given us His armor to both protect ourselves from enemy attacks and defend ourselves against the evil of Satan (Ephesians 6:10-18).

Our lives are not to be consumed with fighting and battles though. Romans 12:18 tells us, "If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all." Note that the author says "if possible" here. That means that sometimes peace is NOT the answer. We cannot be pacifistic when waging war against injustice, aggression, or genocide. Sometimes force IS necessary. God wants us to aim for peace with others, but we should never be at peace with evil.

"Don't let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good." —Romans 12:21

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• What is spiritual warfare?
• Will the Bible protect me from spiritual attack?
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• What should I do if I'm being bullied in school?
• What does the Bible say about dealing with mean people?
• What do I say if someone morally offends me?
• What does it mean that God fights our battles?
• Does God hate?
• What is peace as a fruit of the Spirit?
• What is the full armor of God?