It would seem that War and Peace are incongruent, incompatible, mutually exclusive.
But look at these 2 verses:
Luke 2:14
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth Peace , Good will toward men.
Matthew 10:34
Think not that I am come to send Peace on earth: I came not to send Peace , but a Sword .
God declared He was at Peace with man, but Christ was to be a point of division and conflict between men.
This is Why Paul said the following:
Ephesians 6:10-18
10 Finally, my brethren, be Strong in the Lord , and in the Power of his Might .
11 Put on the whole Armour of God , that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil .
12 For we Wrestle not against Flesh and Blood , but against Principalities , against Powers , against the Rulers of the Darkness of this world, against Spiritual Wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto You the whole Armour of God , that ye may be able to withstand in the Evil day, and having done all , to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with Truth , and having on the Breastplate of Righteousness ;
15 and your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace ;
16 above all , taking the Shield of Faith , wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the Wicked .
17 And take the Helmet of Salvation , and the Sword of the Spirit , which is the Word of God :
18 Praying always with all Prayer and supplication in the Spirit , and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
We are to put on the whole Armour of God - not just the Helmet of Salvation .
What is Armour for except Warfare ?
Who is the Enemy ?
Not mankind - but Satan .
But he uses men to attack the Church and hinder the Kingdom .
Remember, our offensive Weapon is the Sword of the Spirit - the Word of God .
So, our attack is against SpiritualWickedness in HighPlaces . The satanically inspired Ideas that men hold is our target. The Word of God is our Weapon .
Generally Speaking , people who go into battle get pumped up emotionally as they are putting their Lives on the line and they Need motivation to attack the Enemy .
We do not Need to pump ourselves up emotionally to go into Spiritual Warfare . We have the Armour , the HolySpirit and the Word .
The Armour will protect Us . The HolySpirit will Give us strength and courage. The Word will accomplish God's intent. So, we can and should remain in Peace and Love .
Our Peace and Love may not be reciprocated but that should not bother us . The battle is the Lord's and it is His Kingdom that He is building.
Deuteronomy 31:6
Be Strong and of a Good courage , Fear not , nor be Afraid of them: for the Lord thy God , he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
Ephesians 6:10
Finally, my brethren, be Strong in the Lord , and in the Power of his Might .
Listen to what Jesus said when He was approached by a potential Disciple :
Luke 9:57,58
57 And it came to pass, that, as they went in the Way , a certain man said unto him, Lord , I Will Follow thee whithersoever thou goest.
58 And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
Do You Think Jesus had to sleep on the Ground under the stars?
No, Jesus likely owned property and he definitely had the Homes of His Disciples where He could lay His head.
Jesus was saying He could never step out of His calling. He could never escape His Purpose . He knew that He was hated by the authorities. He knew there was no Rest for Him until He had completed His Work .
The fox doesn't stay in his hole. The bird does not stay in his nest. They must leave their Comfort and go out in Order to sustain life.
Jesus has called us to be His Disciples , to carry the Gospel of Peace throughout the world.
Our Life in Christ will not flourish unless we leave the Comfort and safety of our nests and enter the fray. Those who we could impact for Christ will not be impacted unless we leave the Comfort and safety of our nests.
Be a Disciple . Enter the fray. Preach the Gospel . Fight the Good Fight .
Matthew 16:18
And I Say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock { Public Confession that Jesus is the Son of God } I will build my Church ; and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.
The Church will be victorious against the Enemy !