To war or not to war?

So in light of the class reading on just war theory, I'm going to expand  a little bit on my thoughts.

I have always thought that Christians need to be in all noble spheres of life in order to show the love of Jesus whether this be in the business, entertainment, healthcare or education sector. Needless to say, I have always thought of military service as noble and an act of laying down one's life for his friends. However, after reading William Hays' stance on Violence and Just war, I had to rethink my stance. Even now, I 'm still not sure where I stand.

However, I understand that we are to follow the ways of Christ in all things. Not just for the parts that are easy but even for those that make us uncomfortable. In fact, I would say especially for those parts that make us uncomfortable because they are counter-cultural.

Moreover, I'm beginning to understand that a reliance on violence for defense really reflects the rebellion that the Israelites exhibited against God:

So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. ⁵ They said to him, "You are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead ^[a] us, such as all the other nations have."
 ⁶ But when they said, "Give us a king to lead us," this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. ⁷ And the LORD told him: "Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. ⁸ As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. ⁹ Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do."
 ¹⁰ Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking him for a king. ¹¹ He said, "This is what the king who will reign over you will do: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. ¹² Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. ¹³ He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. ¹⁴ He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. ¹⁵ He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. ¹⁶ Your menservants and maidservants and the best of your cattle ^[b] and donkeys he will take for his own use. ¹⁷ He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. ¹⁸ When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the LORD will not answer you in that day."
 ¹⁹ But the people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want a king over us. ²⁰ Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles."
 ²¹ When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the LORD. ²² The LORD answered, "Listen to them and give them a king." 

So I guess, it's no longer enough for us as Christians to trust that God will protect us or to say like Daniel did:

"If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. ¹⁸ But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."

Where does that leave us then. Are Christians in the military committing sin by being a part of military resistance. Well this is what Hays' suggests and as much as I don't want to, I agree with him. But what about the wars sanctioned by God in the OT. Should we look away from those as well...?

All these questions and no answers at least not until we see the face of God.
Sufficient for the day is its troubles...