War was first known in Heaven, not because it is holy, but because sin is so unholy.

Revelation 12:7 says “And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels.” The chapter also gives us the account of Satan bringing war to earth against God’s people.

The history of Israel was marked with war, especially as you read the record of leaving Egypt and establishing its nation in the land God promised.

Exodus 15:3 says “The Lord is a man of war” and the context is God redeeming His people from the evil of Egyptian slavery.

War is horrific, but the aggressive advancement of evil makes it a necessity for the protection of innocent lives. A pacifist philosophy pleases Satan, when offered against wars that confront his evil.

On the eternal side of the Lord’s return we will all rejoice that war will be no more, but on this side where sin still has its reign there is no other anti-dote against evil.

Evil has no consideration of the innocent or their future. You can not reason with evil and you can not pacify evil. Peace and evil can not co-exists.

The angels of Heaven did not sit back in restraint of force when Satan and his angelic followers rebelled against God. If war was the solution in that heavenly conflict, why would we think restraint could possible work on earth?

Evil is consumed with a blind passion of its own selfish desire and hate toward all things God-like. The nations and terrorist who do Satan’s bidding now on earth can only likewise be subdued through war.

So, we thank God for the men and women who stood as did the heavenly angels in the noble cause of protecting the innocent and their future.

We grieve the fallen warriors of our nation and we remain grateful for their sacrifice in protecting the innocent and their future.

A few weeks ago, the former President Jimmy Carter remarked that America has been at war for all but 16 years of its history. He mentioned a few other countries like China as rarely being at war.

His remarks were unfortunate and reflected an ignorance of the greater truth.

America has not been a country of war, but a nation who understands as did the heavenly host, that evil must be continually confronted with the strength of the righteous.

War is a serious undertaking that we do not enter into lightly, but it is the only means to stop evil from overtaking the innocent.