[13] Describing its composition, Ryan Reed from Rolling Stone wrote that it "quietly builds its minimalist arrangement, incorporating finger snaps, echoing snares and snaking, reversed samples".
[17] He also opined that Keys "beseeches us to give up divisive language and hateful thoughts and embrace our fellow man" on the song.
[21] In her review of Here, Emily Macay from The Guardian was positive, writing that "Best of all are Holy War, which sorrows over the world’s skewed priorities as it showcases the gritty, gut-punch power of Keys’s voice at its best".
[9] Nick Levine from NME also described keys' vocals as gritty and felt that the song is a "heartfelt plea for tolerance and equality".
[22] Writing for Medium, Allison Gauss felt that on the song "Keys poses her most earnest questions with the hard-won self-assurance she brings to the entire album".
[23] Michael Gonik from Okayplayer called the song "powerful", adding that it is "aimed at heart" and "like so many of 2016's musical offerings, is poised to heal it".
[5] Katie Colombus from The Arts Desk wrote that the song "elicits a sense of being able to turn things around, for the better, substituting love and peace for war and unrest".
[24] Reviewing Here for Salon, David Masciotra called the song one of standout tracks on the album, writing that "The profound political commentary of the verses, referring to homophobia, religious violence, terrorism, and ethnic division, is met by the beautiful simplicity of the chorus".