Philippians 4:9, Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
Speaking the Truth in Love
by Pastor Tommy Hill
It is the God of peace that we need when the day becomes dark. The Bible tells us that our peace comes from God, therefore without God, w have no peace. God ordained governments in order to secure this peace for us, but government has failed because it has excluded God. We search for peace in the world but we fail because we do not acknowledge the source of peace and we fail to recognize the enemy of peace. Consider what the Bible teaches us.
First there is the BATTLE WITH THE WORLD (1 John 2:15-17). The world is at enmity with God. The great enemy of God, Satan, works continuously to destroy all that God desires for us. He works behind the scenes. The Bible gives us a good description of Satan in the following two passages.
2 Corinthians 4:3-4 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
God wants us to trust in Him but He will not force us, we are given free will to choose, as we desire. Satan, the god of this world, attempts to disrupt and destroy all that is true concerning God and this results in the great battle with the world, the battle for our peace.
Then there is the BATTLE WITH THE FLESH. As Christians, we have peace in our hearts, yet the flesh (the old man) remains, causing a continual conflict within and, unless restrained, breaks forth into strife. The flesh is primarily concerned with pleasing self, therefore the battle rages for the Christian because the Christian is to prefer others before self. With the flesh (the old nature) being such a valiant warrior how to we begin to win this battle so we may obtain this peace from God? We must first acknowledge that the flesh is real and if our flesh exposes itself at times, it is because we are feeding its desires.
Just as the spirit must be fed nourishment from the Word of God, the flesh must be fed if it is to survive. Therefore, to restrain the flesh we must; Romans 13:14, “But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.” We cannot pretend to live for God and be successful if we continue to make provision (to feed) for the flesh. Galatians 6:7-8, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.”
Every day that we live without placing our complete trust in God, we lose another battle to the flesh and we forfeit the peace of God that comes from a close relationship with Him. God will not compete for our attention or affection. He will honor the path we choose to take. We have to remember that if we desire peace we must choose Him, for it is God who provides peace.
Part of the great issue with modern Christianity today is many profess to know Christ but do not possess Christ in their hearts (they have chosen to make provision for the flesh). There are others, who are Christians, who spend more time fighting with the flesh and losing because they do not acknowledge that the battle even exists. Let us remember that it was the Apostle Paul that described this warfare in Romans chapter 7. Paul said that he had this battle daily and he had to crucify his flesh daily in order to obtain the peace of God. Paul also provided for us an excellent source of help in the battle (read Ephesians 6:10-18). All good soldiers enter the battlefield with the proper equipment; it should be no different with the good Christian soldier, even when the battle is between our flesh and our spirit.
All is not lost; there is the BELIEVER’S VICTORY that is found in those born of God. I John 5:4 says, “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” We have victory through our faith. The more faith, the greater the victory. In times like we are facing this week we desperately need more faith as we pursue God’s peace. Romans 10:17 says that “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” So let us take up our Bibles and meditate upon God’s Word. This will strengthen our faith in these difficult days and help us find the peace of God. There is a battle for peace, but only for those who will not look to God for the answers.
“Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you (II Corinthians 13:11).
Let us “pray for peace,” and pray for our Christian brothers/sisters in Charleston, S.C., and the families of those who lost loved ones far too soon.
May we win the battle for peace in our hearts. God bless. Pastor Tommy Hill, Matthew 5:16.
Pastor Tommy Hill is the pastor of First Free Will Baptist Church in Hamlet. He is a Richmond County native. He can be reached at firstfwbchurchhamlet@gmail.com
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