The Fruit of the Spirit (Peace)

March 29, 2023

What exactly is peace?

Merriam Webster’s Dictionary describes peace as: a state of tranquility or quiet, freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions, and harmony in personal relations. The fact of the matter is true peace can only be found in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the absence of having any inner turmoil and the presence of completeness and wholeness.

In the World that we are living in today, every single one of us is going to deal with trials and tribulations. If you are a believer of Jesus Christ, you have someone in your corner that will provide you with a peace that surpasses the adversities that you will have to face. When you have complete trust and faith in the Lord you know that He will come through on His promises because you have seen Him do it time and time again.

For example in Romans 8:28 the Lord lets us know that, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Taking this promise at face value we know that no matter what we are going through or will ever go through in life it was strategically placed there for a purpose.

It may not feel like it when you’re going through it because of how turbulent the storms can get, but that is why the fruit of the spirit that we call peace is so significant. The Holy Spirit plays a vital role in developing this amazing attribute. Every believer of Jesus Christ has the remarkable gift of the Holy Spirit living on the inside of you. He is the One that will develop, shape, and mold you through the Word of God to have the mind and character of Christ.

The reason why this is so important is because it is only by the complete transformation and renewing of your mind that you can begin to exhibit the fruit of God’s Spirit. Peace is one of the fruits that can be the most difficult one to establish because there are so many things in the World that threaten your serenity. It is in those trying moments that you have to rely on the peace of God to guard your heart and mind.

Knowing all nine fruits of the Spirit will give you an understanding of what the Lord expects your character to look like. Peace is one of the nine fruits mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23 and is just as important as all of the other ones pointed out. As you begin to mature spiritually and develop that deep intimacy with the Lord, you will start to see your individual characteristics change including the development of your level of peace.

I am going to go over some verses of Scripture that will give you an idea of why the fruit of the Spirit peace is significant to your walk as a Christian.

Romans 8:5-6

“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”

Breaking down these powerful verses of Scripture we can see that the Apostle Paul is giving a distinct description of what it means to live in your flesh versus someone who is living a life led by the Spirit of God. The word used for peace is the Greek word eirēnē which means a state of tranquility, harmony among individuals, security, and a soul that is assured of salvation.

Going back to Merriam Webster’s definition of peace, the Lord’s peace fulfills and surpasses every narrative of tranquility depicted in the dictionary and so much more! Paul is disclosing to us that a carnal mind equals death, but why is that? The Lord is very clear in His Word that the wages of sin is death, Romans 6:23. When you are living your life to satisfy your flesh you are bound to get yourself in situations that is going to mess with your peace.

The enemy knows that blatant sin opens up doors that allow him to come in and wreak havoc in your life. He will do whatever he can to ensure that you have no peace in your life which will lead to stress, anxiety, pressure, and so many other adverse emotions. His hope is that you lose your faith in the Lord and His promises.

God tells us that He will give us perfect peace when our minds are stayed on Him because we trust in Him, Isaiah 26:3. That reiterates the Scripture that I am highlighting in Romans when Paul states “…but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” When you are abiding in God’s Word and being led by His Spirit, it is inevitable that you will bear His fruit.

The result is life abundantly and a peace that surpasses all understanding. You will be equipped to face the trials of life when they come because they definitely will it’s just a matter of time. The truth is every one of us is either coming out of a storm or going into one. The people that have the Lord’s peace established in their hearts and minds will prevail and the ones that don’t will find it difficult to make it through.

John 14:27

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

To put this verse of Scripture into perspective we have to take a look at the verse right before this one. John 14:26 states, But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”

John is letting us know that we should not fear anything that happens in our lives because we will have the Helper, the Holy Spirit that will bring the Lord’s Words to our remembrance. This includes this promise made by Jesus in this verse of Scripture that I am highlighting. He is telling us not to be afraid or troubled because He is leaving us with His peace to comfort us during difficult times.

The peace that the World has to offer us does not compare to the comfort that we are given by the Prince of Peace. People will go back on their word, backstab you, hurt you, and break your heart, but the peace that the Lord gives to us is stable and eternal. We can rest assured on every promise that He makes because He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, Hebrews 13:8. He does not and will not change.

That is why we need to have an understanding of the vital role that the Holy Spirit plays in our lives. He is our Helper leading us and guiding us into all truth as well as bringing every Word that the Lord has ever said back to our remembrance. When we are really going through the storms of life we need to have the Lord’s comforting Words to lean on.

If you compare going through trying times before you met the Lord Jesus Christ and then after, there is no comparison. When you were living in the World, you had no true peace which led to anxiety and ultimately fear of what would happen next. As a Christian you are given the gift of peace by Jesus Himself which is the type of peace that is completely indescribable, it exceeds all understanding.

John 16:33

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

The Lord does not sugar coat the fact that we are going to go through some things in life; there is really no escaping it. The thing is when we come across tribulation, we are promised to be given a peace that only Jesus can give to us. We can place our confidence in the fact that no matter what adversities we face in life, He will never leave us nor forsake us, Deuteronomy 31:6. He is the calm in the midst of the storm.

He died on the cross at Calvary and was made the perfect Sacrifice for every one of our sins past, present, and future. Colossians 2:15 states, “Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.” In other words there is no tactic formed from the pit of hell that we cannot overcome through the Name and power of Jesus Christ!

That is why John mentions in the verse of Scripture referenced up above “…I have overcome the world.” He overcame it all and declared “it is finished,” John 19:28-30. Unfortunately a lot of Christians have the misconception that because the Lord overcame the powers of the enemy that we won’t have to face him ourselves. That is so far from the truth.

In fact the moment that you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, that is when the real fight began. Before that there wasn’t as much turbulence that you were really facing because you were going in the same direction as the devil. As a believer of Jesus Christ you are now going in the other direction and are in fact in direct opposition to the devil and his kingdom.

You are going to come against spiritual warfare but the Lord is telling us, be of good cheer and don’t allow the battle to cripple your faith. He has triumphed and overcame everything. He has given us His peace that we can rest in when our backs are up against the wall and it seems like there is no way out!

It is the type of peace that is developed out of absolute trust that God is Who He says He is and He will make a way for you to escape every difficult circumstance no matter what, 1 Corinthians 10:13. It is vital that every believer of the Lord Jesus Christ work on the fruit of the spirit known as peace because it is one of the most important attributes needed to prosper.

Conclusion

True peace can only be found in the Lord Jesus Christ the Prince of Peace. It is no secret that the rain is going to fall on the just and the unjust, Matthew 5:45. What that means is that you are going to go through struggles and adversity in life. As Christians we have the gift of peace that has been given to us by the Lord.

This gift is vital to your walk as a believer of Jesus Christ because it will help you maintain that inner peace instead of allowing fear to creep in. Fear of what tomorrow is going to bring because of your circumstances. Establishing intimacy with the Lord is essential because what it will do is naturally develop trust and faith that He is going to have your back no matter what.

You will begin to see His promises being fulfilled in your life over and over again which will increase your faith as well as your overall level of peace. There is no greater feeling than knowing that you have a Heavenly Father that loves you unconditionally and wants you to live a life free from bondage, a life of abundance, and in complete and perfect peace.

Also, don’t forget to check out my other blogs:

The Fruit of the Spirit (Joy)

The Fruit of the Spirit (Love)

Overcoming the Spirit of Fear-Part 1

Overcoming the Spirit of Fear-Part 2

Power of Prayer (The Family Unit and Intercessory Prayer)

Power of Prayer (Praying in Your Heavenly Language)

Power of Prayer (Principles of Prayer)

Power of Prayer (Praying the Scriptures)

The Spiritual Laws of God-Poverty Part 1

The Spiritual Laws of God-Poverty Part 2

The Spiritual Laws of God-Restoration