Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War”

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Sun Tzu allegedly wrote a book which we know today as “The Art of War”. This book has been cited multiple times by politicians, businessmen, lawyers, military leaders, heads of state and even spouses. In brief, this book explains how to conquer an adversary in a war or battle with little or no actual physical engagement using stealth deception (theoretical, practical, etc.), manipulation and propaganda.

This book goes against the grain of Christianity for the simple reason that it provides the reader with knowledge of how to engage in and win a war through duplicity. And no matter what war you engage in, it leads to someone either directly or indirectly getting hurt (be it physical, mental or spiritual). And while Christianity does not explicitly condemn all manner of war, it most certainly does not advocate inciting unnecessary conflict with others unless commanded by God or otherwise in retaliation for a sin committed against someone (i.e. eye for an eye). With that being said, Jesus commanded his disciples whom he was sending to spread the Gospel in the book of Matthew as follows:

Matthew 10:16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and [a]harmless as doves.

So, what better way to gain the wisdom of serpents than to read a book like The Art of War? It is for just this reason why this book is recommended reading for every Christian. However, please keep in mind the warning issued by King Solomon:

Ecclesiastes 1:18 For in much wisdom is much grief; and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.

On a side note: Everyone who claims they read The Art of War and then goes onto tell others they are using tactics mentioned in the book have failed to understand the tenants of the book. You cannot win a battle using The Art of War by telling your opponents that you are using The Art of War. And if everyone on the battlefield is using The Art of War then you are almost certainly doomed to failure.

Here is a brief YouTube video on The Art of War (not created by or affiliated with our site in any way):