Anglican theology affirms the legitimacy of military service through the just war tradition, which has been central to Western Christian ethics since Augustine. The Thirty-Nine Articles (Article XXXVII) state that 'it is lawful for Christian men, at the commandment of the Magistrate, to wear weapons, and serve in the wars.' This represents an explicit confessional endorsement of military service under legitimate civil authority and within the constraints of just war criteria.

The Church of England has deep historical ties to national military service, including the presence of military chaplains and memorial liturgies (Remembrance Sunday). Anglican theology recognizes the tragic necessity of military force in a fallen world for the defense of the innocent and the restraint of evil, while insisting on the moral constraints of just war — legitimate authority, just cause, right intention, last resort, proportionality, and protection of non-combatants. Conscientious objection has also been recognized as a legitimate Christian option within Anglicanism, particularly by pacifist-leaning evangelical Anglicans.