Although most Christians agree that war is sometimes necessary in self defense (see Are there any standards for determining whether a war is just?).
Only when flagrantly distorted and misapplied can the words of the New Testament be taken to imply that Christianity should be forcefully imposed on others. The gospel of Jesus Christ commands Christians to overcome evil with good; understand that love and forgiveness are essential to the establishment of God’s kingdom; be conscious of the distinction between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of the world; and be appropriately humble as sinners who have not only been forgiven but given the power to live a joyous life entirely through the instrumentality of God’s grace.
The New Testament requires Christians to be concerned for their enemies (Matthew 5:44; Luke 6:20-34; Acts 7:60; 1 Corinthians 13:1-3, 13; Ephesians 5:1-2); to shun self-righteousness (Matthew 7:3-5; John 8:3-11; Romans 5:8-11; Galatians 6:1); to repudiate the idols of ethnic pride and privilege (Matthew 8:5-13; Luke 10:30-37; 17:11-19; John 4:9); to refrain from judging other people’s motivations (Matthew 13:24-30); to realize that one’s responsibility to God is of a higher order than one’s responsibility to the state (Mark 12:13-17); and to forgive repentant sinners and forswear revenge against them. (Luke 23:34; Romans 12:14-21; Ephesians 4:31)
