A wise man is strong; yes, a man of knowledge increases strength.
Wisdom provides an edge in whatever you set your hand to do. For lack of wisdom, men fail in their endeavors. They may even lose their lives if they do something brash. Some men will accomplish more in life because they are wise. They will have healthier families, spiritually strong churches, and nations established by robust character. “Strength” implies a resistance to destruction. For example, a strong iron bar is not easily bent. Some churches will be strong as iron, while others will be squishy like balsa wood. Wise pastors and elders will construct strong churches, and wise fathers will build strong families. It stands to reason, then, that we should seek to build our families and churches upon the wisest doctrine, the wisest counsel, and men discipled in true wisdom. Wise men learn from their mistakes, and their strength increases throughout their lifetimes.
Despite their spiritual wisdom and strength, these men, their families, and their churches are never impervious to destruction. There are times when men gain a little strength and succumb to pride, setting themselves up for a dreadful fall. Allowing pride to gain a foothold is always a breach in wisdom. It doesn’t matter how much strength is gained by an organization or an individual, there is always an enemy strong enough to overcome us without God’s constant protection.
For by wise counsel you shall make war: and in multitude of counselors there is safety.
Wisdom is important if you want to build families that will stand strong, businesses and farms that will produce well, and churches that will effectively shepherd God’s people. But wisdom is also important for the civil magistrate. One of the most important purposes for the civil magistrate is to defend its people from “evildoers” that attack a nation from without. What, then, should our leaders consider before sending the nation to war? The following factors should be analyzed and weighed by wise men before the path to war is plotted.
1. A nation may not have the resources or the will to defend itself. In such a case, it may be more prudent to submit to the rule of a foreign power or a larger centralized government, than to risk losing the war and absorbing great losses to person and property. You may remember that Jesus considered it wise for a king to count the cost before going to war. “Or what king, going to make war against another king, sits not down first, and consults whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him that comes against him with twenty thousand?” (Luke 14:31)
2. While Christians would generally consider the aggressor as the unrighteous party in a military conflict, things get a little more complicated in international relations. What might constitute an act of aggression? If a nation does not adequately control its anarchical elements, or if factions within the foreign government lend aid to terrorists as they attack your country, might these things be considered acts of aggression? What about unfavorable trade sanctions against your nation or steep increases in taxation on products that you ship into the country?
3. Sometimes war is the only way to resolve tensions within a nation. Although this is hardly a good reason to go to war, some leaders find that war can restore national purpose and a will to survive if the nation has sunk into hedonism, escapism, and other destructive patterns.
4. Often, relationships between nations disintegrate as sanctions between nations escalate towards aggression. When all-out war ensues, nobody really can remember who picked the fight. It could be that both nations were at fault, as it is with sibling rivalries and marital conflicts. Hence, attempts to make peace are probably worthwhile.
Hopefully, you can see now the complexity and importance of the question—shall we go to war? Men can fool themselves unless they are both honest and wise. These are the sorts of counselors who must make the important decisions in the highest offices of the land. Otherwise, nations resort to war too quickly, and many innocent lives are lost.
Now, the decision to go to war is one thing, but the wisdom required to win wars is quite another matter. If this is the case, what does it mean when wicked men win an occasional war? Some wicked men or unbelieving leaders have been known to receive good counsel on occasion; the kings of Egypt, Babylon, and Persia listened to the wise counsel of Joseph, Daniel, and Esther, for example. Yet, those in leadership who persist in wicked behavior usually meet an untimely end. God makes sure of it. This is the pattern for men like Nero, Hitler, Haman, and Ahab.
1. How might wisdom build strength into a man’s life? What is “strength”?
2. What is a just war? When would it be just and wise to enter into a war with another nation?