War and peace seem to be polar opposites, but the Bible puts the two together more than once. Jesus is called the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6), but he is also the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Revelation 5:5) who leads us into battle. In order to bring peace, our Lord had to go to war against and defeat God’s and our archenemy, Satan, the tyrannical prince of darkness.

Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. 12 His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. 13 He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. 15 From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress. 16 On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords. Revelation 19:11–16 (NLT) —

God first revealed himself as the God of peace (Jehovah-shalom) to Gideon the same night that he called him to provoke all the worshipers of Baal by ripping down the symbols of their idolatry (Judges 6:24-25).

We should never assume that being a peacemaker requires us to retreat from conflict with the enemy.

The God of peace commanded Gideon to begin the process of bringing peace by angering the entire local populace. The Baal worshipers wanted to put him to death, as they always do, but God rescued him from their hands (Judges 6:30-32). Soon after, the God of peace commissioned Gideon to lead the fight against a vast horde of Midianites who had invaded the land and terrorized the populace. This man, who was so intimidated by these conquerors that he threshed wheat in a hidden wine press in the valley, was put in charge of leading God’s army into battle! Once God convinced Gideon through two signs that this commission was real, he reduced his army to 300 men, just to make it obvious that victory would come from the Lord, not man.

Victory always comes through the small “remnant” who fearlessly follow God despite their small numbers.

The night before the battle, God reassured this reluctant hero that victory would be his through a dream. The rest of the story is part of Israel’s glorious history in the time of the judges. God conquered Israel’s enemies through a most unlikely leader in a seemingly impossible fashion, just to prove that he is God and to bring peace to the land.

So Midian was subdued before the sons of Israel, and they did not lift up their heads anymore. And the land was undisturbed for forty years in the days of Gideon. Judges 8:28 (NASB95) —

But why would God reveal himself as our peace while simultaneously calling us to war? Perhaps the answer can be found in these famous words of another man God called to war. God commissioned Jehu to destroy the family line of King Ahab, who led Israel into the terrible sin of worshiping Baal. Once again, we see that Baal worship is Israel’s worst sin and those who led her into it her worst enemies.The same is true today. The evil spirit behind that false God is still with us. His goal of destroying God’s people is still paramount. His followers must either repent or eventually be destroyed by God.

Queen Jezebel was the chief influencer behind the throne and the ring leader of Baal worship in Israel. Jehu fearlessly carried out this assignment of carrying war to the followers of Baal, even though he was not what most would consider to be a godly man. (Can anyone say Trump here?) As he approached the city in which Queen Jezebel lived, he was asked by those aligned with her if he came in peace. His answer is revealing.

King Joram demanded, “Do you come in peace, Jehu?” Jehu replied, “How can there be peace as long as the idolatry and witchcraft of your mother, Jezebel, are all around us?” 2 Kings 9:22 (NLT) —

The evil spirits behind Baal worship, including Satan himself, cannot be tolerated at all because they relentlessly strive to dominate and stamp out the worship of the true God. There can be no compromise or “just getting along.” Jesus made it clear that this is the case.

But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. 21 ‘I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality. 22 ‘Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. Revelation 2:20–22 (NASB95) —

There can be no peace until Baal worshipers either repent and turn to the true God or are destroyed.

Peace can only come through total victory over Satan and those aligned with him. That is why the God of peace calls us to war.

Elijah was another man God called to confront the spiritual darkness behind Baal worship. On Mt. Carmel. following God’s awe inspiring demonstration of  his preeminence over every pretender to the throne, including Baal, Elijah put to death all the priests of that evil deity. (1 Kings 18:40) Elijah did not finish the work, however, because Jezebel still lived. Her demise was left to Jehu. Interestingly, the final act of killing her was done by the emasculated eunuchs who served her.

When Jezebel, the queen mother, heard that Jehu had come to Jezreel, she painted her eyelids and fixed her hair and sat at a window. 31 When Jehu entered the gate of the palace, she shouted at him, “Have you come in peace, you murderer? You’re just like Zimri, who murdered his master!” 32 Jehu looked up and saw her at the window and shouted, “Who is on my side?” And two or three eunuchs looked out at him. 33 “Throw her down!” Jehu yelled. So they threw her out the window, and her blood spattered against the wall and on the horses. And Jehu trampled her body under his horses’ hooves. 2 Kings 9:30–33 (NLT) —

If we consider that Jehu is a type of Christ, in the sense of being prophetically commissioned to conquer Jezebel, it is instructive that he asked those previously under that woman’s power to assist him in taking her down. Paul reveals that we who have been previously enslaved by Satan will assist Christ in his final victory over that enemy and his followers in this remarkable promise.

The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. Romans 16:20 (NASB95) —

Once again war and peace are joined together. This verse is linked to the first messianic promise in the Bible, which God gave to us via what he told the serpent in the garden.

And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.” Genesis 3:15 (NLT) —

The offspring of Eve are those who are born again by faith in the promised Messiah (Galatians 4:28-29), our Lord Jesus. The offspring of the serpent are those who are spiritually aligned with Satan through Adam’s fall (John 8:44). Every person is in one camp or the other; although, some children of Satan are blissfully unaware of their allegiance, while others are fully devoted to him and his plan for world conquest and the enslavement and destruction of humanity. This messianic promise was partially fulfilled when Jesus, Eve’s ultimate promised descendant, was struck by his tormentors, who were inspired by Satan, and put to death on the cross. After Jesus triumphantly rose again from the dead, he disarmed Satan, rendering him powerless to stop the advancement of his kingdom. (Colossians 2:13-15)

After Jesus’ resurrection, he commissioned his church to go into the entire world making disciples and planting his kingdom assemblies everywhere (Matthew 28:18). He promised that the gates of hell would not be able to resist it.

“I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. 19 “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” Matthew 16:18–19 (NASB95) —

This promise aligns with the book of Daniel, where we are promised that Christ’s kingdom will prevail over every other.

During the reigns of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed or conquered. It will crush all these kingdoms into nothingness, and it will stand forever. Daniel 2:44 (NLT) —

Paul’s assertion in Romans 16:20 reveals that God chose to use his church, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to finish the job that Jesus began. Even though Christ’s work was “finished” through his death and resurrection, the outworking is still in the future. This is the way God often does things. His kingdom is here but not yet in its fullness. Before God is finished, Christ’s kingdom will come and his will be done on earth as it is in heaven. (Revelation 12:10)

Since God’s purpose is for us to reign with him forever (Revelation 3:21), he will use us to deliver the final blow to Satan himself and his ugly horde of rebels.

Don’t you realize that we will judge angels? So you should surely be able to resolve ordinary disputes in this life. 1 Corinthians 6:3 (NLT) —

Spiritual warfare and the crushing of Satan are connected to our destiny to share the throne with our glorious Savior, the Prince of Peace!

We are currently engaged in warfare that will bring peace to the earth by the elimination of God’s enemies by those who have chosen to bow their knee to the Lord. This warfare by and large is spiritual; although at times it will include physical combat. What is described in Revelation and the prophets includes bloodshed and death. In the present, however, we battle primarily against spiritual wickedness using spiritual weapons.

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) —

As was Gideon, we are called to go up against a formidable enemy, one over which we cannot possibly win without God’s help. Even though God promised Gideon victory and was with him in battle, he still had to put his life on the line. So do we. The following verse explains what we are called to do.

And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death. Revelation 12:11 (NASB95) —

The early church overcame by fearlessly proclaiming the gospel and laying down their lives when necessary. We do not know what lies ahead at the close of the age, but we do know that Christ will be triumphant and God is going to crush Satan under our feet one way or another. With that confidence, we can fearlessly face the future in anticipation of Christ’s complete victory that will usher in eternal peace.