The peace of God is not just a state of mind where you are free from troubling thoughts.  It's not just a condition of spiritual tranquility because you have accepted Christ as your Savior.  It is far more powerful in its potential application.   When Paul wrote these words to the church of Philippi, he wanted them to know that the peace of God holds a superior place above all knowledge, all natural perception, even the higher cognitive powers of the soul. And it has the power to keep the very inner workings of your mind and heart through Christ, who is your peace (Eph. 2:14).

     This word "keep" is actually a military term meaning to guard or protect against the invasion of hostile powers.  It also carries the meaning of watching over someone to preserve and protect them while in pursuit of a particular attainment-kind of like being on a quest with a armed staff.

     But what I like most about the peace of God is that it has the power to bring you into wholeness. Paul ended his first letter to the church of Thessalonica, and told them, "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit, and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thess. 5:23).  To preserve has the same implication as the word keep-to watch over carefully while undergoing a mission.  In other words, your entire spirit, soul, and body are under the watchful eye of your Father, the God of peace.  And his objective is to separate you completely from anything and everything that has hostile implications right up to and including the moment of Christ's coming.  Whatever the enemy throws at you spiritually, mentally, or physically, you have the right to peace; to know that all of heaven is guarding and protecting you against the invasion of hostile powers!

   Peter wrote in his second epistle, "Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God and our Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Pet. 1:2).  I love the way the Amplified Bible defines this word "peace."  It says it is, "perfect well being, all necessary good, all spiritual prosperity, freedom from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts."   The whole idea behind peace is that it promotes prosperity and well being.  It is the signet or seal that marks a well balanced, well proportioned, agreeable, harmonious condition derived from the power of God's protective armament-his mighty presence!

     Remember when the woman with the issue of blood came in the crowd and touched the hem of Jesus' garment?  The moment he recognized virtue going out of him, he turned in the press and said, "Who touched my clothes?"  The disciples didn't understand why he would say such a thing, since he was being pressed all around by the crowd.  But this woman touched a part of him that no one else had touched. She touched the virtue of peace, and it flowed out of him into her. Jesus spoke to her and said, "Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague" (Mark 5:34).  You've got to grasp what this means!  First of all, he calls her "daughter."  This implied that she had a right to be healed.  In another case of healing, where a woman who had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years and was gloriously set free, he referred to her as a daughter of Abraham.  This identified her as being an heir of the covenant blessing God gave Abraham, and healing was part of that blessing.  Here, you see the same thing.  Then he said, "Thy faith hath made thee whole-go in peace."  You could say it this way: "Your faith has touched the power of peace and it has  transferred prosperity and perfect well being into your body; now stay connected to it so that you remain wholly preserved against any further hostile invasion!"

      All throughout the gospels you find Jesus releasing the power of peace.  He used it to heal those oppressed by the enemy.  He spoke to hostile weather conditions by stilling the raging storm.  Peter told us that from the very beginning of Christ's ministry he came with a message of peace (Acts 10:36).  Every healing, every breakthrough, every financial blessing is a work of God's peace.  You have a right to it.  And more importantly, you can declare God's peace to any situation you are facing. When you release your faith in the peace of God you are establishing the overthrow; whether it is sin, sickness, or spiritual death!

     Use your scepter of righteousness and let the work of peace begin today! (Heb. 1:8; Isa. 32:17).