Living Faith is robust and uncompromising in the fight against evil. Goodness requires striving in the ways of God, what Islam calls jihad. One level of striving is the inner struggle against demons and selfish desires—what Christians term “spiritual warfare” and Islam calls the “greater jihad.”
Yet as long as society is filled with injustice and peace is threatened by aggressors, the world will need fighters who will stand up for a righteous cause. Indeed, in many traditions, passivity in the face of injustice is regarded as sin, whereas love calls us to fight to defend the weak and stop the oppressor from doing wrong.
Some situations call for guns, notably for self-defense and to defeat an aggressor.
However, there are better ways to fight for goodness than by taking up arms. A spiritual view of the warrior’s task sees the struggle for justice in the world as primarily a spiritual battle. Behind the hostility of earthly enemies lie the “powers and principalities” of the Devil.
Defeating an opponent physically does not necessarily overcome his inner hostility; it can rather exacerbate it, particularly if the victors are vindictive or uncaring.
On the other hand, once we win over our opponents’ hearts and minds, the Devil is defeated and flees away. Even if the enemy is hostile and must be defeated by force of arms, the real victory is not secure until we have educated them to realize God’s Will.
Therefore, the way of the spiritual warrior is to practice the maxim, “Love your enemy.” This means we should sacrifice ourselves and live for our enemy’s sake, even though they reject, ridicule, and persecute us.
Our love for the enemy only becomes apparent in sacrifice. Death is no problem if in dying we can touch our enemy’s heart, as Jesus did on the cross. (See Chapter 13: Love Your Enemy)
It takes a great deal of courage and fortitude to fight this kind of war, for it is as dangerous as any military engagement. Father Moon’s statements about the fighting spirit mainly describe fighting in the way of such a spiritual warrior.
Sun Myung Moon
The Warrior for Righteousness
He is the true hero who fights to protect the helpless. Adi Granth, Shalok, Kabir, p. 1412 (Sikhism)
For a warrior, nothing is higher than a war against evil. The warrior confronted with such a war should be pleased, Arjuna, for it comes as an open gate to heaven. But if you do not participate in this battle against evil, you will incur sin, violating your dharma and your honor… Death means the attainment of heaven; victory means the enjoyment of the earth. Therefore rise up, Arjuna, resolved to fight! Having made yourself alike in pain and pleasure, profit and loss, victory and defeat, engage in this great battle and you will be freed from sin. Bhagavad-Gita 2.31-38 (Hinduism)
O Prophet! Exhort the believers to fight. If there be of you twenty steadfast, they shall overcome two hundred, and if there be a hundred steadfast they shall overcome a thousand of those who disbelieve, because they [the disbelievers] are a people without intelligence. Qur’an 8.65
Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier on service gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to satisfy the one who enlisted him. 2 Timothy 2.3-4
Those are the future saviors of the peoples Who through Good Mind strive in their deeds To carry out the judgment which Thou has decreed, O Wise One, as righteousness. For they were created the foes of Fury. Avesta, Yasna 48.12 (Zoroastrianism)
The Lord said to Joshua… “Be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded you; turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may be careful to do all that is written in it; for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; be not frightened, neither be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1.7-9
They that are desirous of victory do not conquer by might and energy so much as by truth, compassion, righteousness, and spiritual discipline. Discriminating then between righteousness and unrighteousness, and understanding what is meant by covetousness, when there is recourse to exertion fight without arrogance, for victory is there where righteousness is. Under these conditions know, O king, that to us victory is certain in this battle. Indeed, where Krishna is, there is victory. Mahabharata, Bhishma Parva 21 (Hinduism)
O my Father, Great Elder, I have no words to thank you, But with your deep wisdom I am sure that you can see How I value your glorious gifts. O my Father, when I look upon your greatness, I am confounded with awe. O Great Elder, Ruler of all things earthly and heavenly, I am your warrior, Ready to act in accordance with your will. Kikuya Prayer (African Traditional Religions)
There came out of the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze. And he had greaves of bronze upon his legs, and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders. And the shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron; and his shield-bearer went before him. He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants; but if I prevail against him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.” And the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.” When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid… David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth.” But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father; and when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, I went after him and smote him and delivered it out of his mouth; and if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him and killed him. Your servant has killed both lions and bears; and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.”… When the Philistine looked, and saw David, he disdained him; for he was but a youth, ruddy and comely in appearance. And the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field.” Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin; but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down, and cut off your head; and I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s and he will give you into our hand.” When the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone, and slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead; the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground… Then David ran and stood over the Philistine, and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath, and killed him, and cut off his head with it. 1 Samuel 17.4-51
Sun Myung Moon
Teachings of Sun Myung Moon
From morning until night you must be strong warriors. No matter how big the obstacles are in front of you, you must have the conviction that you can overcome them. Set your determination: “I will break through the barrier, though my fist be mangled and my body crushed.”
Never forget that God has made you His instruments to complete the mission for the sake of humanity’s future. By joining this fight you can become God’s princes and princesses, who resurrect the people of the past, liberate the present, and give hope to future generations. (73:106, August 4, 1974)
“I will become God’s true soldier. No matter how terrible this battlefield for God may be, I will join the front line.”
That is my spirit. I never once complained to God even when the world’s persecution swarmed about me, even when I was in a position of utter loneliness due to persecution and suffering. This is what I can take pride in. (193:73, August 20, 1989)
I did not pray to God asking Him to save me even when I collapsed under torture. When people were pursuing me, I did not pray to God asking Him to protect me on my path or to save me from my pursuers. As a man of character, I have my own reserve of strength. I have the spirit and inner strength to fight.
I say to myself, “God will probably save me if I collapse unconscious due to lack of strength. But before that, with my own power…” I know that God is waiting, preparing things in advance before I go. (138:358, January 24, 1986)
Each of you should pledge, “I will win God’s victory.” What is your attitude? Is it, “When the battle is joined, I will be the first to volunteer. When a Goliath appears, I will be David”? (118:129, May 9, 1982)
Twelve men representing the twelve tribes were sent to spy on Canaan. All except Joshua and Caleb reported that they would not be able to defeat seven tribes of Canaan. While the Israelites had lowered their flag to half-mast, Joshua and Caleb proclaimed, “God is alive.
Believe in Him, who parted the Red Sea for us and kept us alive thus far.” They proclaimed that the only way for Israel to survive was to believe in God, who does wonders for His people. Know that it was on the basis of Joshua and Caleb’s faith that God opened the way for Israel. (19:240, January 15, 1968)
Our situation is analogous to David and Goliath’s. We don’t have weapons and we didn’t receive any military training. We are like the humble shepherd David, a mere child, who had no armor but wore only patched-up rags. His only weapon was a sling; ours is the Word of God.
Whether in America, Korea, the Middle East or Russia, we will clash with Satan’s forces and keep fighting until we win. We are training and focusing our strength for the battles to come.
Although my forehead is crushed, my eyeballs pop out and my lifeblood drains out, I have to go this path for the sake of God’s work. United Nations soldiers from sixteen nations fought and died for the sake of Korea.
Perhaps Unification Church members throughout the world may have to shed more blood in the fight against communism than those United Nations soldiers did in the Korean War.
Regardless, we must go forward. If we retreat from the challenge, then God will lose any basis for hope in this world. Therefore, we march forward, knowing that the destiny of heaven and earth is in our hands. (88:323- 33, October 3, 1976)
“With the forceful and courageous sound of my pledge, the sound of my youthful heart beating, and the uproar of the corps running towards the enemy camp, I hold on to the thought, ‘Everything depends on this moment!’”—if you have this attitude, billions of spirits in the spirit world who have been waiting for this moment will welcome you with applause. Even the spirits in hell will say, “Please, please be victorious.
We will help you even if we have to crawl.” In a few years, such a breathtaking moment when all heaven and earth are mobilized will come to this land. Then you should fight courageously, even if you fall down on the battlefield and vomit blood.
Fight to the end for the cause of righteousness. If in the battle you must offer your life as a loyal subject of Heaven, your sacrifice will resolve countless sins. On that battlefield will begin a new history.
We have been preparing ourselves for that final, critical moment, always maintaining a righteous and courageous standard and cherishing the desire to secure the final unification.
Have we not willingly endured rejection by our own family, our own nation, and numerous religious denominations? God, history, and all humanity have been waiting for that final day.
For its sake have we not suffered the sacrifice of many loved ones, wishing that they too could realize that solemn and magnificent victory? Now, when everything can be consummated by the stroke of my sword and by my own words and deeds, is this not a moment unprecedented in history?
To fight on the actual battlefield, witnessing it with my own eyes and feeling it with my senses—what life can be more fruitful than this? (57:352, June 5, 1972)
Sun Myung Moon
Spiritual Warfare
Though we live in the world, we are not carrying on a worldly war, for the weapons of our warfare are not worldly but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every proud obstacle to the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ. 2 Corinthians 10.3-5
Humility is my mace; To become the dust under everyone’s feet is my dagger. These weapons no evildoer dare withstand. Adi Granth, Sorath, M.5, p. 628 (Sikhism)
Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Therefore take the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the equipment of the gospel of peace; besides all these, taking the shield of faith, with which you can quench all the flaming darts of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6.10-17
Invincible is the army of the Saints. Great warriors are they; humility is their breastplate; The songs of the Lord’s glory are their weapons; The word of the Guru is their buckler. They ride the horses, chariots, and elephants Of the understanding of the Divine Path.
Without fear, they advance towards the enemy. They ride into battle singing the Lord’s praise. By conquering those five robber chiefs, the vices, They find that they have also conquered the whole world. Adi Granth, Slok Sehskriti, M.5, p. 1356 (Sikhism)
Sun Myung Moon
Teachings of Sun Myung Moon
We can stand on God’s side if we have the heart to love the enemy. (52:87, December 22, 1971) You can expect fierce battles, but you must love your enemies whenever you encounter them. If you possess this spirit, someday victory will be yours. (March 12, 2000)
The enemy we must fight against is not a certain person on earth, but rather Satan, who grasped the height of authority, raised the banner of rebellion against God, and has been accusing God throughout the course of history. (3:180, October 27, 1957)
The kind of fighting we are involved in is more intense than physical fighting with guns. We are using ammunition of love, while Satan is shooting arrows of jealousy and slander. My determination is this: the more the forces of evil shoot at us, the more intensely we have to return volleys of love.
Our love must be greater than the enemy’s opposition. Their weapons are ineffective against us; their bullets they just bounce off us. In contrast, our bullets are extremely powerful; whomever they strike are melted in love and born anew.
The more people harass me, the more progress I make. The more they pursue me, the more I advance.
Look at this court case: the United States government versus Reverend Moon, a religious leader. Its absurdity has become apparent to almost everyone. The government’s arrogance makes the contest more dramatic, like David versus Goliath. (119:111-12, July 4, 1982)
God works through one good person to make ten evil people surrender. It is God’s will for evil to surrender voluntarily. When evil obeys goodness absolutely and without any reservations: that is a real victory.
Therefore, God requires us to go through such difficulties that even evil people will take pity on us. God is still searching for such sons and daughters whose determination to gain victory on this earth is such that they will induce the evil side to surrender before the good side. (41:115, February 14, 1971)
In order to build the ideal world, there should appear people on God’s side who are stronger than any individual, family, tribe, people or nation, stronger even than the entire fallen world. God and Satan are fighting over human beings, who stand in the midway position.
Even though a person may be on God’s side, he cannot remain if he can be broken when someone on Satan’s side strikes him. But if a person overcomes no matter how much he is oppressed, persecuted and driven to the point of death, then Satan himself will testify, “He is a person on God’s side,” and God also will acknowledge him. Sons and daughters should emerge who are victorious in this battle, overcoming Satan, the angels, and any person who comes against them. (54:36-37, March 10, 1972)
Father! We have gone through the exhausting historical age of indemnity, and a new age is before our eyes.
We see that all our enemies, who were once so powerful, who carried such authority when they took the offensive against us, approach the setting of their sun.
However, we should not wish them to quickly perish. We now realize that Heaven left them in their positions in order to save everything at once, to expand the domain of the Providence, and to establish the standard to divide good from evil in this age by which every sin can be liquidated.
Therefore, we will have to open a way for even them to live. As Jesus, while he was dying on the cross, asked for blessings on the Roman soldiers who nailed him to the cross, we pledge anew to take upon ourselves the mission of the Savior, who saves people in their actual situations. (75:244-45, January 5, 1975)
Sun Myung Moon
Situations When War Is Justified
And if God had not repelled some men by others, the earth would have been corrupted. Qur’an 2.251
War is an evil thing; but to submit to the dictation of other states is worse… Freedom, if we hold fast to it, will ultimately restore our losses, but submission will mean permanent loss of all that we value… To you who call yourselves men of peace, I say: You are not safe unless you have men of action on your side. Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War (Hellenism)
Let those fight in the way of God who sell the life of this world for the next. Whoso fights in the way of God, be he slain or be he victorious, on him we shall bestow a vast reward. How should you not fight for the cause of God, and of the feeble among men and women and children who are crying, “Our Lord! Bring us forth from out of this town whose people are oppressors! Give us from Thy presence some protecting friend! Give us from Thy presence some defender!” Those who believe do battle for the cause of God; and those who disbelieve do battle for the cause of idols. So fight the minions of the devil. Lo! The devil’s strategy is ever weak. Qur’an 4.74-76
Hear, O Israel; you are to pass over the Jordan this day, to go in to dispossess nations greater and mightier than yourselves, cities great and fortified up to heaven, a people great and tall… Know therefore this day that he who goes over before you as a devouring fire is the Lord your God; he will destroy them and subdue them before you; so you shall drive them out, and make them perish quickly, as the Lord has promised you. Do not say in your heart, after the Lord your God has thrust them out before you, “It is because of my righteousness that the Lord has brought me in to possess this land”; whereas it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is driving them out before you. Deuteronomy 9.1-4
When the Prophet assigned a leader to an expedition squadron, he would enjoin them… saying, “Fight in the name of Allah and in the way of Allah. Fight those who disbelieve in God. Do not use treacherous means, do not plunder and do not mutilate. Do not kill children or hermits and do not set fire to date palms or drown them with water. Do not cut down fruit-bearing trees and do not burn crops, for you never know when you might be in need of them. Do not slay animals whose meat is edible except what is necessary for you to eat. If you should meet an enemy to the Muslims, then invite them to one of three things; if they respond to you accordingly then accept them and refrain from any action. Call them to Islam… invite them to emigrate to the lands of Islam… or call them to pay the jizyah from their wealth and in a state of submission.” Hadith (Islam)
Revolution: Water and fire extinguish each other, behaving as two women who live together but whose wills conflict—such is the nature of revolution. “Faith is not reposed in it until the day of its completion” means that revolution must come first, after which public faith will be established. A civilized and enlightened attitude brings joy; great success makes it possible to put all things to rights. Upon the achievement of a necessary revolution, regret vanishes. The renovating activities of the celestial and terrestrial forces produce the progress of the four seasons. T’ang and Wu rebelled following Heaven’s decree, and the people responded to them. I Ching 49 (Confucianism)
King T’ang said, “Come, you multitudes of the people, listen all to my words. It is not I, the Little Child, who dare to undertake a rebellious enterprise; Heaven has given the charge to destroy the sovereign of Hsia for his many crimes. “Now, you multitudes, you are saying, ‘Our prince is not compassionate to us but is calling us away from our husbandry to attack and punish Hsia.’ I have indeed heard these your words. But the sovereign of Hsia is guilty and, as I fear God, I dare not but punish him. “Now you are saying, ‘What are the crimes of Hsia to us?’ The king of Hsia in every way exhausts the strength of his people and exercises oppression in the cities of Hsia. His people have all become idle and will not assist him. They are saying, ‘When wilt thou, O sun, expire? We will all perish with thee.’ Such is the course of the sovereign of Hsia. And now I must go punish him. I pray you assist me, the One Man, to carry out the punishment appointed by Heaven.” Book of History 4.1 (Confucianism)
Sun Myung Moon
Teachings of Sun Myung Moon
Not many people on this earth welcome an individual who pursues a different kind of goodness. When a good individual works to form a family of goodness, the surrounding people do not welcome him.
When that good family strives to expand into a tribe of goodness, the tribulations besetting his path become even more difficult. And when that good tribe tries to form a nation of goodness, certainly an even greater evil power will rise in rebellion to block its way.
Moreover, when that good nation pursues a world of goodness, the nations of the existing world, which is not good, will oppose it in every way possible. Evil tribes rose and fought against the way of the good tribe.
All nations opposed the good nation; none welcomed it, even though it had long been the hope of humanity. A nation of goodness must survive this confrontation with the evil nations and prevail in the battle of good versus evil. We know well that this is why history developed through this kind of struggle. (36:52-53, November 15, 1970)
It is an error brought about by ignorance of the fundamental providence of God to regard the cause of struggles and wars as mere conflicts of interests and contests between ideologies.
Humankind has suffered through a sinful history ever since the first human ancestors fell under the subjugation of Satan.
However, as long as God’s purpose of creation still stands, the purpose of this history must be to cut out ties with Satan and restore God’s kingdom.
If there were no wars or divisions in this fallen world, then the sovereignty of evil would continue forever and the world would never be restored. Therefore, God has worked His providence to restore the heavenly sovereignty by degrees.
He sends prophets and saints to the fallen world to found religions and raise the level of morality. He establishes governments with higher standards of goodness, which come to oppose and destroy regimes with lower standards of goodness.
To fulfill the providence of restoration, therefore, conflicts and wars are unavoidable… Although there have been times when evil seemed to prevail, in the end the relatively evil social and political forces declined and were absorbed by the more godly forces.
The wars which have shaped the rise and fall of nations are thus unavoidable during the course of the providence to re-establish the reign of good.
For example, in the Bible God ordered the Israelites to destroy the seven tribes of Canaan. When Saul disobeyed Him, leaving some of the Amalekites alive with their cattle, God severely punished him. (1 Sam. 15.18-23)
While on that occasion God commanded the Israelites to destroy the Gentiles, at another time, when the Israelites of the northern kingdom turned to evil, God delivered them into the hands of the Assyrians. (2 Kgs. 17.23)
We must understand that God’s only intention by these events was to obliterate the sovereignty of evil and restore the sovereignty of good. Therefore, fights between individuals within the same good sovereignty on the side of God are evil, because they can weaken and even cause the disintegration of the good sovereignty itself.
On the other hand, wars conducted by a good sovereignty to destroy an evil sovereignty are good in that they further the fulfillment of the providence of restoration. (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Eschatology 4.2)
Do you respect King David? Did he do a good deed when he killed Goliath?
Or was he no better than a common street fighter?
From God’s point of view, David did well. For by that one deed, he saved the foundation of Israel’s nationhood that God had labored for 3,000 years to build. (103:181- 82, February 25, 1979)
Sun Myung Moon