and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7 NKJV)

Has your life ever been marked by seasons of sleepless nights, tear-stained pillows, and a compulsive desire to eat all things chocolate? Then you have experienced a time when you needed to slip on what I refer to as peace shoes. The devil seeks to steal, kill, and destroy our peace.

The Roman soldier wore sandals with hobnails on the bottom that dug into the ground. During hand-to-hand combat, these sandals kept him stable. We can imagine swords clanging as two men fought.  Loose footing could have been deadly for either one.

Our battles aren’t against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual hosts of wickedness (Eph. 6:12). Therefore, stability is a necessity. When crises arise, do you feel calm? Perhaps you’re like me, and you feel shaken as an internal turmoil seeks to control your thoughts. That is when we need the peace that guards our hearts and minds.

During a Christian’s lifetime, we can reach three levels of peace. First, we are at peace with God as opposed to being an enemy of God. That occurs at the moment of salvation. If you are reading this devotional, you have probably reached that level.

The second level is the peace of God. Which our focal verse discusses. This is the tranquility we all long for. The peace of God comes through gracious prayer and a commitment to exclude anxious thoughts from our hearts (Phil. 4:6).

The final stage of peace goes one step further. Once we have the peace of God, we can have God Himself, the God of peace. This peace is marked by a thought life centered on the goodness of God.  The Apostle Paul offered himself as our example.

The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:9 NKJV)

Now we see why the devil opposes peace. He wants to put as much distance as possible between us and God. While he cannot steal our salvation, he will do everything to disrupt our lives on earth.

A good conflict always gives room for the devil. We give him heartburn when we glide through the potential anxious seasons in perfect peace. He hopes to trip us up making us unstable, but his plans can’t succeed when we wear our peace shoes.

Prayer is the channel through which peace flows.

Peace requires a gracious heart and much prayer. When thoughts threaten to shake us up, we must refuse to allow them to linger, and we concentrate on the truth of God. Then we pray some more asking God to guard our hearts and minds. Don’t go running into spiritual battles barefoot. Grab your peace shoes!

Lord, thank You for Your peace. One that the world cannot understand. Life is happening, and I feel unbalanced, but I know that You haven’t abandoned me. I thank You for staying by my side, and I know all I have to do is speak and You hear me. You comfort me. Amen.

DIG DEEPER

Read Colossians 3:15 NKJV:

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.

HIKING THE TRAIL

If we want a plentiful supply of peace available for the next battle, we must have a flourishing prayer life now. How can you spend more time in prayer today? What can you remove from your busy day to add that time?

RELATED RESOURCE

Have you had it with your emotions controlling you? Perhaps menopause or PMS isn’t the only culprit. Sometimes the enemy camouflages mood swings for emotional strongholds, the piece of real estate he occupies in our minds. Is it possible to be the boss of your thoughts and feelings rather than them being the boss of you? Learn more here.

Originally posted on May 31, 2021 @ 3:04 am