“Holding Down The Fort”

Friday, February 01, 2013

My husband is in the army.  He has recently been deployed to Afghanistan.  I don't exactly know how to ask this question, but I'm having a hard time dealing with what he might have to do while there.  Does it make me a bad person to love someone who could possibly kill someone else in a time of war?  I just don't know what to think or how to deal with this.  Can he still go to heaven?  I know that God will forgive him if asks for forgiveness, but can He forgive him if he joined, knowing that war was inevitable?

Sincerely,
Soldier’s Bride

Dear Soldier’s Bride,

There is nothing wrong with your husband being a soldier; some of the most faithful men in the Bible were soldiers and had to kill people in the defense of their country.  David was a man after God’s own heart (1 Sam 13:14), and yet David killed many people as a soldier.  Jesus marveled at the faith of a centurion soldier (Matt 8:8-10).  The first Gentile convert was Cornelius, a well-known Roman soldier (Acts 10:22).  When a group of soldiers asked John the Baptist what they needed to do to live a faithful life, he told them to be honest and faithful... but he never told them to stop serving in the military (Lk 3:14).

Lord willing, your husband will never have to kill anyone, but if he does, it won’t be murder (read “Kill Or Be Killed” for more on that topic).  Support your husband with a clear conscience.  Being a soldier is an honorable profession.

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