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155 Bible verses about Wars
In times of war and crisis, it's so easy to get caught up in fear and uncertainty. But the Bible offers us a beacon of hope and strength. In the middle of the chaos and despair, we can find comfort in God's promise to be with us, even in the darkest of times.
Psalm 46:1-2 tells us, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea." And in John 16:33, Jesus tells us, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
When things get tough, remember our true weapons aren't physical, but spiritual. Prayer, faith, and hope are our most powerful tools. By keeping our minds and hearts focused on God, we can face any adversity with courage and confidence.
God calls us to be light in the darkness, to be bearers of hope and love in times of despair. Through our actions and words, we can reflect Christ's love and peace, offering comfort and support to those around us.
In these difficult times, let's trust in God, hold on to His promise of salvation, and allow His love to guide our lives.
The Lord, my protector, deserves praise – the one who trains my hands for battle, and my fingers for war,
Where do the conflicts and where do the quarrels among you come from? Is it not from this, from your passions that battle inside you?Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you.Do not speak against one another, brothers and sisters. He who speaks against a fellow believer or judges a fellow believer speaks against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but its judge.But there is only one who is lawgiver and judge – the one who is able to save and destroy. On the other hand, who are you to judge your neighbor?Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into this or that town and spend a year there and do business and make a profit.”You do not know about tomorrow. What is your life like? For you are a puff of smoke that appears for a short time and then vanishes.You ought to say instead, “If the Lord is willing, then we will live and do this or that.”But as it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.So whoever knows what is good to do and does not do it is guilty of sin.You desire and you do not have; you murder and envy and you cannot obtain; you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask;
for you are still influenced by the flesh. For since there is still jealousy and dissension among you, are you not influenced by the flesh and behaving like unregenerate people?
You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. Make sure that you are not alarmed, for this must happen, but the end is still to come.For nation will rise up in arms against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
He will arbitrate between many peoples and settle disputes between many distant nations. They will beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nations will not use weapons against other nations, and they will no longer train for war.
An angry person stirs up dissension, and a wrathful person is abounding in transgression.
When you go to war against your enemies and see chariotry and troops who outnumber you, do not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt, is with you.
He will judge disputes between nations; he will settle cases for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nations will not take up the sword against other nations, and they will no longer train for war.
For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to wage war; the city will be taken, its houses plundered, and the women raped. Then half of the city will go into exile, but the remainder of the people will not be taken away.
The men of Judah captured 10,000 men alive. They took them to the top of a cliff and threw them over. All the captives fell to their death.
for the Lord your God goes with you to fight on your behalf against your enemies to give you victory.”
But the Lord said to me: ‘You have spilled a great deal of blood and fought many battles. You must not build a temple to honor me, for you have spilled a great deal of blood on the ground before me.
and all this assembly will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves! For the battle is the Lord’s, and he will deliver you into our hand.”
He said: “Pay attention, all you people of Judah, residents of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Don’t be afraid and don’t panic because of this huge army! For the battle is not yours, but God’s.
God is our strong refuge; he is truly our helper in times of trouble.He says, “Stop your striving and recognize that I am God! I will be exalted over the nations! I will be exalted over the earth!”The Lord who commands armies is on our side! The God of Jacob is our protector! (Selah)For this reason we do not fear when the earth shakes, and the mountains tumble into the depths of the sea,when its waves crash and foam, and the mountains shake before the surging sea. (Selah)
There he shattered the arrows, the shield, the sword, and the rest of the weapons of war. (Selah)
who loves me and is my stronghold, my refuge and my deliverer, my shield and the one in whom I take shelter, who makes nations submit to me.
Indeed every boot that marches and shakes the earth and every garment dragged through blood is used as fuel for the fire.
Indeed, this is what the Lord says to me: “The Lord will be like a growling lion, like a young lion growling over its prey. Though a whole group of shepherds gathers against it, it is not afraid of their shouts or intimidated by their yelling. In this same way the Lord who commands armies will descend to do battle on Mount Zion and on its hill.
The Lord emerges like a hero, like a warrior he inspires himself for battle; he shouts, yes, he yells, he shows his enemies his power.
In the west, people respect the Lord’s reputation; in the east they recognize his splendor. For he comes like a rushing stream driven on by wind sent from the Lord.
“Babylon, you are my war club, my weapon for battle. I used you to smash nations. I used you to destroy kingdoms.I used you to smash horses and their riders. I used you to smash chariots and their drivers.I used you to smash men and women. I used you to smash old men and young men. I used you to smash young men and young women.I used you to smash shepherds and their flocks. I used you to smash farmers and their teams of oxen. I used you to smash governors and leaders.”
For the day is near, the day of the Lord is near; it will be a day of storm clouds, it will be a time of judgment for the nations.
“‘Then those who live in the cities of Israel will go out and use the weapons for kindling – the shields, bows and arrows, war clubs and spears – they will burn them for seven years.
The following is a record of what Amos prophesied. He was one of the herdsmen from Tekoa. These prophecies about Israel were revealed to him during the time of King Uzziah of Judah and King Jeroboam son of Joash of Israel, two years before the earthquake.
Proclaim this among the nations: “Prepare for a holy war! Call out the warriors! Let all these fighting men approach and attack!
Compete well for the faith and lay hold of that eternal life you were called for and made your good confession for in the presence of many witnesses.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.
For though we live as human beings, we do not wage war according to human standards,for the weapons of our warfare are not human weapons, but are made powerful by God for tearing down strongholds. We tear down arguments
And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets.Through faith they conquered kingdoms, administered justice, gained what was promised, shut the mouths of lions,quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, gained strength in weakness, became mighty in battle, put foreign armies to flight,
When Abram heard that his nephew had been taken captive, he mobilized his 318 trained men who had been born in his household, and he pursued the invaders as far as Dan.Then, during the night, Abram divided his forces against them and defeated them. He chased them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus.He retrieved all the stolen property. He also brought back his nephew Lot and his possessions, as well as the women and the rest of the people.
The Lord your God is about to go ahead of you; he will fight for you, just as you saw him do in Egypt
In addition, the officers are to say to the troops, “Who among you is afraid and fainthearted? He may go home so that he will not make his fellow soldier’s heart as fearful as his own.”
I repeat, be strong and brave! Don’t be afraid and don’t panic, for I, the Lord your God, am with you in all you do.”
Then Joshua said to them, “Don’t be afraid and don’t panic! Be strong and brave, for the Lord will do the same thing to all your enemies you fight.
“When the leaders took the lead in Israel, When the people answered the call to war – Praise the Lord!
All three units blew their trumpets and broke their jars. They held the torches in their left hand and the trumpets in their right. Then they yelled, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!”
Afterward you will go to Gibeah of God, where there are Philistine officials. When you enter the town, you will meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place. They will have harps, tambourines, flutes, and lyres, and they will be prophesying.
Jonathan attacked the Philistine outpost that was at Geba and the Philistines heard about it. Then Saul alerted all the land saying, “Let the Hebrews pay attention!”
Jonathan said to his armor bearer, “Come on, let’s go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised men. Perhaps the Lord will intervene for us. Nothing can prevent the Lord from delivering, whether by many or by a few.”
There was fierce war with the Philistines all the days of Saul. So whenever Saul saw anyone who was a warrior or a brave individual, he would conscript him.
The Philistines gathered their troops for battle. They assembled at Socoh in Judah. They camped in Ephes Dammim, between Socoh and Azekah.Then the Philistine said, “I defy Israel’s troops this day! Give me a man so we can fight each other!”When Saul and all the Israelites heard these words of the Philistine, they were upset and very afraid.Now David was the son of this Ephrathite named Jesse from Bethlehem in Judah. He had eight sons, and in Saul’s days he was old and well advanced in years.Jesse’s three oldest sons had followed Saul to war. The names of the three sons who went to war were Eliab, his firstborn, Abinadab, the second oldest, and Shammah, the third oldest.Now David was the youngest. While the three oldest sons followed Saul,David was going back and forth from Saul in order to care for his father’s sheep in Bethlehem.Meanwhile for forty days the Philistine approached every morning and evening and took his position.Jesse said to his son David, “Take your brothers this ephah of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread; go quickly to the camp to your brothers.Also take these ten portions of cheese to their commanding officer. Find out how your brothers are doing and bring back their pledge that they received the goods.They are with Saul and the whole Israelite army in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.”Saul and the Israelite army assembled and camped in the valley of Elah, where they arranged their battle lines to fight against the Philistines.
Be strong! Let’s fight bravely for the sake of our people and the cities of our God! The Lord will do what he decides is best!”
In the spring of the year, at the time when kings normally conduct wars, David sent out Joab with his officers and the entire Israelite army. They defeated the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed behind in Jerusalem.
Now the advisers of the king of Syria said to him: “Their God is a god of the mountains. That’s why they overpowered us. But if we fight them in the plains, we will certainly overpower them.
That very night the Lord’s messenger went out and killed 185,000 men in the Assyrian camp. When they got up early the next morning, there were all the corpses.
Because God fought for them, they killed many of the enemy. They dispossessed the Hagrites and lived in their land until the exile.
So they marched against Baal Perazim and David defeated them there. David said, “Using me as his instrument, God has burst out against my enemies like water bursts out.” So that place is called Baal Perazim.
O Lord, you are great, mighty, majestic, magnificent, glorious, and sovereign over all the sky and earth! You have dominion and exalt yourself as the ruler of all.
But as for you, be strong and don’t get discouraged, for your work will be rewarded.”
Early the next morning they marched out to the Desert of Tekoa. When they were ready to march, Jehoshaphat stood up and said: “Listen to me, you people of Judah and residents of Jerusalem! Trust in the Lord your God and you will be safe! Trust in the message of his prophets and you will win.”
The Lord delivers and vindicates me! I fear no one! The Lord protects my life! I am afraid of no one!
Evil men draw their swords and prepare their bows, to bring down the oppressed and needy, and to slaughter those who are godly.
He will rescue me and protect me from those who attack me, even though they greatly outnumber me.
Sound your battle cry against the wild beast of the reeds, and the nations that assemble like a herd of calves led by bulls! They humble themselves and offer gold and silver as tribute. God scatters the nations that like to do battle.
O God, do not be silent! Do not ignore us! Do not be inactive, O God!They were destroyed at Endor; their corpses were like manure on the ground.Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, and all their rulers like Zebah and Zalmunna,who said, “Let’s take over the pastures of God!”O my God, make them like dead thistles, like dead weeds blown away by the wind!Like the fire that burns down the forest, or the flames that consume the mountainsides,chase them with your gale winds, and terrify them with your windstorm.Cover their faces with shame, so they might seek you, O Lord.May they be humiliated and continually terrified! May they die in shame!Then they will know that you alone are the Lord, the sovereign king over all the earth.For look, your enemies are making a commotion; those who hate you are hostile.They carefully plot against your people, and make plans to harm the ones you cherish.They say, “Come on, let’s annihilate them so they are no longer a nation! Then the name of Israel will be remembered no more.”
O Lord, make the sky sink and come down! Touch the mountains and make them smolder!Hurl lightning bolts and scatter them! Shoot your arrows and rout them!
“Speak kindly to Jerusalem, and tell her that her time of warfare is over, that her punishment is completed. For the Lord has made her pay double for all her sins.”
Don’t be afraid, for I am with you! Don’t be frightened, for I am your God! I strengthen you – yes, I help you – yes, I uphold you with my saving right hand!
“Look, I am making you like a sharp threshing sledge, new and double-edged. You will thresh the mountains and crush them; you will make the hills like straw.
No weapon forged to be used against you will succeed; you will refute everyone who tries to accuse you. This is what the Lord will do for his servants – I will vindicate them,” says the Lord.
Do not lose your courage or become afraid because of the reports that are heard in the land. For a report will come in one year. Another report will follow it in the next. There will be violence in the land with ruler fighting against ruler.”
In my zeal, in the fire of my fury, I declare that on that day there will be a great earthquake in the land of Israel.
In the days of those kings the God of heaven will raise up an everlasting kingdom that will not be destroyed and a kingdom that will not be left to another people. It will break in pieces and bring about the demise of all these kingdoms. But it will stand forever.
“At the time of the end the king of the south will attack him. Then the king of the north will storm against him with chariots, horsemen, and a large armada of ships. He will invade lands, passing through them like an overflowing river.
Crowds, great crowds are in the valley of decision, for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision!
This is what the Lord says: “Because Moab has committed three crimes – make that four! – I will not revoke my decree of judgment. They burned the bones of Edom’s king into lime.
“For the day of the Lord is approaching for all the nations! Just as you have done, so it will be done to you. You will get exactly what your deeds deserve.
Nations will see this and be disappointed by all their strength, they will put their hands over their mouths, and act as if they were deaf.
You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. Make sure that you are not alarmed, for this must happen, but the end is still to come.
Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back in its place! For all who take hold of the sword will die by the sword.
And when you hear of wars and rebellions, do not be afraid. For these things must happen first, but the end will not come at once.”
I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have trouble and suffering, but take courage – I have conquered the world.”
But you took along the tabernacle of Moloch and the star of the god Rephan, the images you made to worship, but I will deport you beyond Babylon.’
When he had seized him, he put him in prison, handing him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him. Herod planned to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.
for it is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be in fear, for it does not bear the sword in vain. It is God’s servant to administer retribution on the wrongdoer.
Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, through our Lord Jesus Christ and through the love of the Spirit, to join fervently with me in prayer to God on my behalf.
He delivered us from so great a risk of death, and he will deliver us. We have set our hope on him that he will deliver us yet again,
We are experiencing trouble on every side, but are not crushed; we are perplexed, but not driven to despair;we are persecuted, but not abandoned; we are knocked down, but not destroyed,
For the flesh has desires that are opposed to the Spirit, and the Spirit has desires that are opposed to the flesh, for these are in opposition to each other, so that you cannot do what you want.
Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ so that – whether I come and see you or whether I remain absent – I should hear that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind, by contending side by side for the faith of the gospel,
Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God.
But since we are of the day, we must stay sober by putting on the breastplate of faith and love and as a helmet our hope for salvation.
As a result we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and afflictions you are enduring.
I put this charge before you, Timothy my child, in keeping with the prophecies once spoken about you, in order that with such encouragement you may fight the good fight.
quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, gained strength in weakness, became mighty in battle, put foreign armies to flight,
Where do the conflicts and where do the quarrels among you come from? Is it not from this, from your passions that battle inside you?
Then war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back.
Then I saw heaven opened and here came a white horse! The one riding it was called “Faithful” and “True,” and with justice he judges and goes to war.
Sing to the Lord a new song, for he performs amazing deeds! His right hand and his mighty arm accomplish deliverance.
Now, this is what the Lord says, the one who created you, O Jacob, and formed you, O Israel: “Don’t be afraid, for I will protect you. I call you by name, you are mine.
So I prophesied as I was commanded, and the breath came into them; they lived and stood on their feet, an extremely great army.
Now when Jesus realized what they were thinking, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is destroyed, and no town or house divided against itself will stand.
For nation will rise up in arms against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
For nation will rise up in arms against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines. These are but the beginning of birth pains.
Or what king, going out to confront another king in battle, will not sit down first and determine whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand?
He said to them, “But now, the one who has a money bag must take it, and likewise a traveler’s bag too. And the one who has no sword must sell his cloak and buy one.
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; I do not give it to you as the world does. Do not let your hearts be distressed or lacking in courage.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest parts of the earth.”
But thanks be to God who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and who makes known through us the fragrance that consists of the knowledge of him in every place.
For he is our peace, the one who made both groups into one and who destroyed the middle wall of partition, the hostility,
and by not being intimidated in any way by your opponents. This is a sign of their destruction, but of your salvation – a sign which is from God.
But our citizenship is in heaven – and we also await a savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,
Be sober and alert. Your enemy the devil, like a roaring lion, is on the prowl looking for someone to devour.Resist him, strong in your faith, because you know that your brothers and sisters throughout the world are enduring the same kinds of suffering.
I will grant the one who conquers permission to sit with me on my throne, just as I too conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.
But they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.
And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet are too, and they will be tormented there day and night forever and ever.
Lord, lead me in your righteousness because of those who wait to ambush me, remove the obstacles in the way in which you are guiding me!
Who is this majestic king? The Lord who is strong and mighty! The Lord who is mighty in battle!
Even when an army is deployed against me, I do not fear. Even when war is imminent, I remain confident.
He brings an end to wars throughout the earth; he shatters the bow and breaks the spear; he burns the shields with fire.
He stores up effective counsel for the upright, and is like a shield for those who live with integrity,
There is no wisdom and there is no understanding, and there is no counsel against the Lord.
In the future the mountain of the Lord’s temple will endure as the most important of mountains, and will be the most prominent of hills. All the nations will stream to it,At that time men will throw their silver and gold idols, which they made for themselves to worship, into the caves where rodents and bats live,so they themselves can go into the crevices of the rocky cliffs and the openings under the rocky overhangs, trying to escape the dreadful judgment of the Lord and his royal splendor, when he rises up to terrify the earth.Stop trusting in human beings, whose life’s breath is in their nostrils. For why should they be given special consideration?many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the Lord’s mountain, to the temple of the God of Jacob, so he can teach us his requirements, and we can follow his standards.” For Zion will be the center for moral instruction; the Lord will issue edicts from Jerusalem.He will judge disputes between nations; he will settle cases for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nations will not take up the sword against other nations, and they will no longer train for war.
Look, the sovereign Lord comes as a victorious warrior; his military power establishes his rule. Look, his reward is with him; his prize goes before him.
Look, I create the craftsman, who fans the coals into a fire and forges a weapon. I create the destroyer so he might devastate.No weapon forged to be used against you will succeed; you will refute everyone who tries to accuse you. This is what the Lord will do for his servants – I will vindicate them,” says the Lord.
In the future the Lord’s Temple Mount will be the most important mountain of all; it will be more prominent than other hills. People will stream to it.Twist and strain, Daughter Zion, as if you were in labor! For you will leave the city and live in the open field. You will go to Babylon, but there you will be rescued. There the Lord will deliver you from the power of your enemies.Many nations have now assembled against you. They say, “Jerusalem must be desecrated, so we can gloat over Zion!”But they do not know what the Lord is planning; they do not understand his strategy. He has gathered them like stalks of grain to be threshed at the threshing floor.“Get up and thresh, Daughter Zion! For I will give you iron horns; I will give you bronze hooves, and you will crush many nations.” You will devote to the Lord the spoils you take from them, and dedicate their wealth to the sovereign Ruler of the whole earth.Many nations will come, saying, “Come on! Let’s go up to the Lord’s mountain, to the temple of Jacob’s God, so he can teach us his commands and we can live by his laws.” For Zion will be the source of instruction; the Lord’s teachings will proceed from Jerusalem.He will arbitrate between many peoples and settle disputes between many distant nations. They will beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nations will not use weapons against other nations, and they will no longer train for war.
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace but a sword.
Then some soldiers also asked him, “And as for us – what should we do?” He told them, “Take money from no one by violence or by false accusation, and be content with your pay.”
Or what king, going out to confront another king in battle, will not sit down first and determine whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand?If he cannot succeed, he will send a representative while the other is still a long way off and ask for terms of peace.
No trial has overtaken you that is not faced by others. And God is faithful: He will not let you be tried beyond what you are able to bear, but with the trial will also provide a way out so that you may be able to endure it.
But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that the extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.We are experiencing trouble on every side, but are not crushed; we are perplexed, but not driven to despair;we are persecuted, but not abandoned; we are knocked down, but not destroyed,
So we must not grow weary in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not give up.
for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.When Christ (who is your life) appears, then you too will be revealed in glory with him.
So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, and I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”
Happy is the one who endures testing, because when he has proven to be genuine, he will receive the crown of life that God promised to those who love him.
But in fact, if you happen to suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. But do not be terrified of them or be shaken.
And, after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory in Christ will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
The one who conquers will be dressed like them in white clothing, and I will never erase his name from the book of life, but will declare his name before my Father and before his angels.
because the Lamb in the middle of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death will not exist any more – or mourning, or crying, or pain, for the former things have ceased to exist.”
And there will no longer be any curse, and the throne of God and the Lamb will be in the city. His servants will worship him,