Many years ago I struggled through the literary work, Tolstoy’s War and Peace. The work centers on Napoleon’s invasion of Russia in 1812 and follows three important characters—Pierre Bezukhov, the son of a count fighting for his right to inheritance and fulfillment of his spiritual longings; Andrei Bolkonsky, who leaves his family behind to go off to war against Napoleon; and the beautiful daughter of a noble birth, Natasha Rostov.

War and Peace is a massive work—some 1,500 pages—and reading it feels as daunting as fighting the war yourself. As the story unfolds, Napoleon’s army invades and various characters—peasants, royals, civilians, warriors—struggle through the problems of their time, history, culture, and faith. These characters struggle through war and with themselves to find inner peace. This peace becomes the essence of what it means to be fully human, and the book becomes one of the best-loved in world literatureWar and Peace broadly focuses on Napoleon’s invasion of Russia in 1812 and follows three of the most well-known characters in literature: Pierre Bezukhov, the illegitimate son of a count who is fighting for his inheritance and yearning for spiritual fulfillment; Prince Andrei Bolkonsky, who leaves his family behind to fight in the war against Napoleon; and Natasha Rostov, the beautiful young daughter of a nobleman who intrigues both men.. A s Napoleon’s army invades, Tolstoy brilliantly follows characters from diverse backgrounds—peasants and nobility, civilians and soldiers—as they struggle with the problems unique to their era, their history, and their culture. And as the novel progresses, these characters transcend their specificity, becoming some of the most moving—and human—figures in world literature.This oversimplification of this treasured piece of literature beings to my mind nuances of Biblical journeys and wars that produce great spiritual truths for inner peace.

The Bible is well known for its times of war and peace, and this fact makes it difficult to connect with non-believers who might sight bloody battles and arrogant conquests as far from the heart of God. The fact that so many wars seem to hinge on God’s directive to destroy and dismember appears too disconnect with a God of love, grace, and mercy. Didn’t Jesus say “blessed are the peacemakers?” Nonetheless, I try to reconcile these thoughts as the narrative of the Bible unfolds.

In the Old Testament (the Hebrew Bible), God is presented as a warrior God who not only fights for the people of Israel but demands that the people fight for His divine law and mission. Numerous times we read of God fighting, seemingly single-handedly, to remove the adversary before the Israelites. Consider Exodus 33:2, “And I will send an angel before thee; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite.”  Nonetheless, God’s mission for His people is clear in Exodus 19:5,6, “Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.”

God’s mission and desire to go to war, in the Hebrew Bible, was for a clear purpose, and yet these examples serve as reminders that these wars were not human wars, but God’s wars. In Numbers 21:14 an easily overlooked notation indicates there was a separate book (or the book is included in the historical books of the Bible) a “book of wars of the Lord.” In either case, we recall how Moses raised his hands in prayer during battle, and God brought about victory. Gideon leads a group of men into battle, but not until God whittled down the size of the group to prove God’s victory.

When we turn to the New Testament, the teachings of Jesus demonstrate a shift away from the thinking of the Old Testament. For example, in Jesus, we see less of a focus on the promised land in exchange for a concept of the Kingdom of God. This new Kingdom is the reign of God in the lives of believers (the present) and the future kingdom that is to come. This kingdom will be found both by those who intentionally search for it (parable of the merchant and the pearl) and by those who may trip over it while wandering (as in the parable of the treasure in the field.) The reign of God is global, and not limited to a territory or nation.

Jesus taught us to move above the “law” and to move towards grace. He reminded his listeners that it was normal to expect an eye for an eye, but he makes the law more difficult. Now if one wants our cloak, we should give him our tunic also. If one slaps us, turn the other cheek. If we are asked to carry a load one mile, we will go for two. Jesus shows us that grace defeats evil, and those who chose to live by the sword will die by the sword.

Finally, the New Testament is less interested in the Nation, and more on the Body of Christ. We belong to an eternal kingdom that transcends any earthly dwelling or government. Give to the government what belongs to the government—your taxes, votes, and patriotism. Give to God what is God’s—your heart, mind, soul, strength, and will.

Brothers and sisters, we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, as the nations and governments do, but we struggle with the evil powers that are in ourselves. We struggle against the darkness and spiritual wickedness (Ephesians 6:12.) If we wage our spiritual war on the evil within each of us (sin), then we will indeed find peace (shalom).

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