Day 19 | Peace Definition

Read Philippians 3:12–4:9

What comes to mind when you think of peace? A nice rock garden with gentle string music in the background? The 30 seconds of quiet you spend sitting in your car between leaving home and starting your commute? These things aren’t bad in and of themselves, but they’re also not an all-encompassing image of God’s peace. So often, we think of peace as the absence of immediate conflict or responsibility. But God is actively engaged in spiritual conflict and always working. So what is biblical peace? It seems, from this passage and others, that God’s peace is a unity and confidence of mind.

In this passage, Paul is warning the Philippian church against internal conflict and worrying about suffering. And how does he choose to characterize God as the antithesis of these things? As the God of peace who gives peace. If Euodia and Syntyche had God’s peace, they wouldn’t be quarreling; they would agree in the Lord! If we had the peace of God, we wouldn’t worry over anything, we would rejoice and give thanks in everything! It is only through the peace of God that we can achieve these things.

Romans 16:19–20 helps clarify our view of God’s peace further. This same God of peace, who helps us—and even commands us—not to worry, will soon crush Satan! How does crushing coincide with peace? Because peace cannot coexist with conflict, they are antithetical. So in order to restore peace to creation, God must execute the final conflict. This God of peace will, because of His peace, execute final judgment on death, the devil, and all evil (Revelation 20).

Pray for 10 minutes