The Origin of War

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park, Washington, D. C. · Dec 11, 1916

The Origin of War

“O War! begot in pride and luxury, The child of malice and revengeful hate.” — Daniel.

As intimated by the poet, war originated in selfishness. The apostle goes to the root of the matter:— “Whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain.” James 4: 1, 2.

Satan Waged War in Heaven

Before human beings ever knew war, war began in heaven itself:— “There was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” Rev. 12: 7-9.

Selfishness, pride, greed of power, of position, started this first war in heaven. The prophet declares this in the words:— “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High.” Isa. 14: 12-14.

Milton’s lines repeat the story gleaned from the Scripture narrative:— “Th’ infernal serpent, he it was, whose guile Stirr’d up with envy and revenge, deceived The mother of mankind, what time his pride Had cast him out from heaven, with all his host Of rebel angels, by whose aid aspiring To set himself in glory above his peers, He trusted to have equal’d the Most High, If he opposed; and with ambitious aim Against the throne and monarchy of God Raised impious war in heav’n, and battle proud, With vain attempt. Him the almighty Power Hurl’d headlong flaming from th’ ethereal sky;” —“Paradise Lost.”

War Transferred from Heaven to Earth

Happy the lot of man had Satan never been able to infuse his spirit into the hearts of the human family! But we know the sad story. The deceiver, “that old serpent,” who was at war with heaven, beguiled our first parents into sin, and human nature became sinful and fallen.

In the fall of man, the same spirit of pride and ambition and greed that had actuated Satan in his original warfare against God, was communicated to the human family, and has ever since dominated the race, save as divine grace has been allowed to transform the natural heart.

With Satan war originated, and all the way along it has been his spirit stirring up ambitions and hatreds and rivalries and love of conquest among the nations.

His evil influence it was that inspired Cain to disregard the divine requirements, and to reject the gospel of salvation as represented in the slain lamb of the offering. And when abandonment to his own selfish way placed Cain fully under the control of the evil one, quickly the hand of violence was raised for the first time by a man against a fellow man. Cain made war upon Abel his brother, and slew him.

By the time of Noah, “the earth was filled with violence,” and the flood swept away the old world for its wickedness. Soon after the flood, however, as the descendants of Noah grew into tribes and nations, the lust of conquest and dominion again appeared.

We read of Nimrod:— “He began to be a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord. And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.” Gen. 10: 8-10.

Of Nimrod, Robinson’s “Calmet’s Dictionary of the Holy Bible,” says:— “He was the first to monopolize power on the earth, and gave occasion to the proverb, ‘Like Nimrod the great hunter before the Lord.’ His hunting was not only of wild beasts, but also to subdue men, to reduce them under his dominion.”

Beginning with his following secured at Babel, it would seem that Nimrod entered upon a career of conquest, and by war subdued to his own rule the other districts mentioned in Gen. 10: 10, building a city at Calneh, and making that for a time the seat of his government. From that day onward, the history tells the story of war from generation to generation.

It appears, therefore, in brief, that war originated in Satan’s rebellion in heaven; that with the casting of the enemy out of heaven the controversy was transferred to the earth; and that from that day to this, our poor world has been scourged and torn by wars. Back of all the pride of power and greed of possession, or mere wantonness, from which wars are sprung upon the world, is the spirit of the god of this world, who was the great originator of war in heaven.