1 Timothy 1:18 commands fight well in the Lord’s battles. Is this justification for Christian Jihad?

There has never been a Christian version of the Muslim Jihad. What about the Crusades? The Crusades were a response, albeit not always godly, against Muslim expansion into Europe and not a mandate to force all infidels into the faith or perish by the sword.

The Christian version of holy war is the battle against principalities and powers in high places that seek to keep people ignorant of the saving work of God through Jesus the Christ.

In plain English, Christian holy war is a verbal defense against all world views that deny the existence of God and His coming in Jesus Who commands all people everywhere to repent and receive Him freely as their Lord and Savior.

The means for waging this war is humble service, a willingness to be maligned by men and persecuted physically for proclaiming the Truth that there is one God and one means for pleasing Him, a reconciled relationship with Jesus. As God surrendered His life to become the Savior, His people are to surrender their lives in the proclamation of Him as Savior. In the meantime, Christians are to wage a war of ideas in a culture that increasingly rejects God and His manifestation in Jesus.

These ideas include people are born rebellious against God and not inherently good, not all religions lead to the same destination but God has determined only in Jesus can people get to heaven. That all people are equal in value whether born or unborn, aged or ‘challenged.’ God has ordained marriage between one man and one woman for He has commanded them to be fruitful and multiply so that His heaven will be full.

These and many other politically incorrect ideas Christians are to wage war advancing in our culture but not with the sword but with the pen, the tongue and with their very lives in deep humility.