When President Trump tells the Pentagon to dust off the old test tunnels in Nevada, you can almost hear the collective gasp echo from Washington to Geneva. After more than three decades of quiet on the nuclear front, the United States is preparing to “match Russia and China” by restarting nuclear weapons testing.

That’s not a small statement.

Why He’s Doing It?

President Trump has never been shy about showing strength. His message is pretty clear, if our rivals are flexing their nuclear muscles, America won’t be the country standing in the corner humming “Kumbaya.”

There’s a solid case for that mindset. Russia and China have been modernizing their arsenals at breakneck speed, and both have reportedly engaged in “subcritical” nuclear experiments that skirt the edges of treaty violations. Meanwhile, our own stockpile is getting old enough to qualify for Social Security.

From a purely strategic standpoint, Trump’s argument is that peace through strength still works. And frankly, that logic has served America pretty well since the Cold War. The horse is indeed “prepared against the day of battle,” as Proverbs 21:31 says.

The Other Side of the Blast Radius

But there’s another half to that verse: “safety is of the Lord.”

In other words, there’s a difference between preparing for battle and provoking one. Restarting nuclear testing — especially full-scale detonations — risks breaking a 30-year global norm that helped keep the world’s most dangerous weapons quiet. The moment America sets off a new nuke underground, Moscow and Beijing will feel free to do the same, only louder.

And let’s not forget what testing really means. It means potential radiation leaks. It means health risks for nearby communities. It means telling the rest of the world that treaties don’t matter much when the big powers get impatient.

If you’re old enough to remember the Cold War drills — hiding under desks and pretending that would save you from a nuclear blast — you probably don’t want to relive that tension.

Of course, a strong national defense is absolutely biblical. Scripture doesn’t call us to be weak; it calls us to be wise. Romans 13 reminds us that government bears the sword to protect the innocent and punish evil. But nowhere does it say the sword should be swung wildly just to remind the neighbors it’s sharp.

The Bible also praises peacemakers: “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God” (Matthew 5:9). That doesn’t mean naïve pacifism; it means understanding the awesome power we hold and choosing to wield it with restraint.

America’s strength should be a shield, not a showpiece.

The Bottom Line

President Trump’s move might well be a negotiating tactic: a loud, unmistakable signal to Russia and China that the U.S. won’t be outmatched. That’s the charitable reading, and perhaps the right one.

But it’s also a moral crossroads. Do we really need to explode a nuclear device to prove what the world already knows: that America has enough firepower to flatten the planet ten times over?

It’s one thing to test resolve. It’s another to test radiation levels.

There’s a line between confidence and recklessness. Let’s pray we stay on the right side of it. Because strength without wisdom isn’t security; it’s just noise in a dangerous world that’s already heard too many explosions.