When nations feel insecure, they arm themselves. And today, nations feel more insecure than at any time in decades. In April 2026, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) reported that world military expenditure reached $2,887 billion in 2025 — the eleventh consecutive year of increases and the highest total ever recorded.
Military spending now consumes 2.5 percent of the entire global economy, the highest share since 2009. Spending in Europe jumped by 14 percent, and European NATO members increased their budgets faster than at any time since 1953. The United States, China, and Russia alone accounted for more than half of the world total, and SIPRI noted that the US budget approved for 2026 has already risen above $1 trillion.
World Military Spending (SIPRI, 2026):
- Total: $2,887 billion in 2025 — a new all-time high.
- Trend: The 11th consecutive year of increases.
- Burden: 2.5% of global GDP, the highest share since 2009.
- Europe: Up 14%, the fastest rise among European NATO members since 1953.
- Top three: The USA, China and Russia spent $1,480 billion — 51% of the global total.
Security Through Fear
Each nation sees its own weapons as defensive and its neighbor's weapons as a threat. So when one arms, others follow, and the cycle continues. SIPRI researchers describe "large-scale armament drives" as states respond to wars, uncertainty, and geopolitical upheaval. Meanwhile, the trillions spent on weapons are trillions not spent on health, education, clean water, or the fight against poverty.
— Ecclesiastes 8:9
The Bible's assessment of human rule is frank. Governments, even with the best of intentions, have never been able to free themselves from rivalry and mistrust. The record spending of 2025 is the latest evidence of that sad pattern.
A Government That Disarms the World
The Bible does not merely hope for disarmament; it describes a government that will bring it about on a global scale.
— Psalm 46:9
Unlike human arms-control treaties, which can be broken or abandoned, God's Kingdom will remove both the weapons and the hatred that drives people to use them. Its subjects will be taught peace rather than war.
— Isaiah 2:4
Resources Freed for Life
Imagine the earth's wealth, talent, and energy devoted entirely to feeding, healing, and beautifying the planet rather than preparing for destruction. That is the future the Bible describes. Diplomats and peace researchers are right to sound the alarm about the arms race. But history shows that humans cannot stop it. Only a government with the power to change hearts can bring an end to war — and turn the world's weapons into instruments of peace.