The Peace that Guards
I was speed-reading through some epistles in the New Testament and Philippians 4:6-7 stopped me in my tracks:
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
A Guardian?
The phrase ‘peace will guard’ seemed odd to me at first sight. I don’t usually think of peace as active let alone as something that guards me; but according to this passage, the Peace of God is and does. Paul did not say the peace of God will soothe or comfort you (although that is certainly part of it). He said the peace of God, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. As I am reading this passage, I am picturing the Peace of God with military attire and weapons guarding the way to my heart and mind. I know it’s a bit out there but I believe it is the idea that Paul is conveying here. Now, I am no Greek scholar but I looked up the English definitions of the Greek words for guard, heart, and mind as used in this passage and this is what I found:
To guard (φρουρέω/phroureó): properly, to guard or to keep watch like a military sentinel; figuratively, to actively display whatever defensive and offensive means are necessary to guard.
Heart (καρδία, ας, ἡ/kardia): the inner man, the center and seat of spiritual life, "the soul or mind, as it is the fountain and seat of the thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes, endeavors".
Mind (νόημα, ατος, τό /noéma): that which thinks (thoughts and purposes).
The peace of God actively defends and protects (like a military sentinel) our inner man with its thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes, and endeavors. This Peace is from God, it is of God. It is not from the world though there are many counterfeit versions of it. It is the peace that surpasses human intellect or reason; a gift that we receive from our Father. Keep reading for an explanation of what the Peace of God is.
Guardian Against What?
The peace of God guards us against unbelief and distrust in the Lord resulting from stewing in and being consumed by anxiety. Anxiety (consuming fears or worries) is not just a joy-stealer. It is much more dangerous. It attacks our hearts to convince us that God forsook us, that he does not or cannot help us, that we have to seek to take control of the situation ourselves or else we are doomed, that no one, not even God understands us; the lies go on and on. It attacks our minds and infects our thoughts with lies about who God is, deceiving us into lusting after other gods and forsaking the only one who can save us.
Next week, I will dive a bit more into anxieties and why Jesus was so adamant that we must cast them on him. I invite you to check it out when it is published.
Guards How?
‘By prayer and supplication with thanksgiving’. We must pray and plead with God whenever we are burdened with care. We must lay down in all honesty before him whatever matter is weighing on our hearts and minds. We plead with him to help us (and trust that he knows best how to help us). As we lay all this down, we must also lift up grateful hearts. This is not asking us to be hypocritical about how we feel. Regardless of our emotions, God remains God; who is he and what he has done for us remains true. Even if in our flesh or for other reasons (e.g. medical reasons like chemical imbalances in our brain, ..), we do not see the truth, we can matter-of-factly, by the Spirit, thank him. Walking by the Spirit will always feel contrary to the flesh (Galatians 5:16-17).
As we lay down our anxieties in prayer with thanksgiving, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Peace reminds us or teaches us anew who God is. The Spirit of Truth, by his Sword, destroys bit by bit the walls of lies about God that were being built in our hearts and minds. He redirects our trust and confidence to the only One deserving of it. In remembering who God is, and most of all, our great Salvation in Christ Jesus, we are stilled and comforted.
You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you (Isaiah 26:3).
What If I Don’t Feel the Peace of God?
If you are wondering (as I am): what about when I pray but still feel anxious and not peaceful, am I still being guarded? 2 things:
1. The Peace of God is not primarily a feeling though it can include that. It manifests as a growing spiritual understanding and trust in who God is that stabilizes one's heart and mind in the face of anxieties and life’s circumstances. Consider the definition of the Greek word for Peace:
Peace (of God) (εἰρήνη, ης, ἡ /eiréné): conveys the idea of wholeness as a gift from God, quietness, and rest. In Philippians 4:6-7 specifically, the word falls under the definition of “the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is”.
This stabilization or tranquilization can be fast but it is usually progressive. It takes deeper and deeper roots as we endure in making our requests known to God in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. Anxiety will likely keep poking us with its arrows but the difference will be that we now have a shield, the shield of Faith in who God is, for protection. We must be intentional in raising the shield whenever we are attacked; better yet we must prepare our minds for action, and be sober-minded (1 Peter 1:13) so we can proactively raise it. In other words, do not wait to be consumed by anxiety before running to the Father. Run to him with every little root of anxiety that you know is growing. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one (Ephesians 6:16). Have you ever met a Christian who seems not to be phased by anything? Nothing seems to shake their Faith. Even amid tragedy they will grieve yet somehow go on peacefully and joyfully trusting God. This is someone who has been trained by the Holy Spirit over time to constantly cast their anxieties on him.
2. The Peace of God Is Christ. Beyond a feeling or an understanding, the Peace of God is a Person in whom we are hidden: Christ (Ephesians 4:14-18). If you have trusted in Christ, you have Peace with God. Regardless of how you feel and how much (or how little) of it you understand, you are being guarded by Christ. This is the good news. Ultimately the fiery darts of anxiety from your flesh or the devil will not defeat you because you are in Christ and he promises to finish the good work he has started in you.
Amen!
