How to Have Peace: It’s a Fight
“So the land had peace for forty years, until Othniel son of Kenaz died.. . . That day Moab was made subject to Israel, and the land had peace for eighty years.” Judges 3: 11, 30.
This passage outlines the beginning of the “cycle of judges,” where Israel sins by worshiping idols, suffers oppression under foreign rulers, cries out for help, and is saved by a divinely raised judge, resulting in peace.
There Is A Price
There is a price to pay for peace, and that price is war. We cannot have peace, either inwardly, in our spirits, or outwardly in our circumstances, until we do battle with, and overcome our enemies. Our enemy is sin.
There is no peace with war, without battle, without fighting against our enemies. If we don’t do battle with and conquer our sin, we will be filled with inner turmoil and frustration. And our circumstances will war against us as well.
If you sow to the flesh, you will reap destruction, but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap life (Galatians 6: 7, 8). It’s wearing to constantly be fighting some temptation. We must stay strong in the Lord to do it. But as hard as it is, it’s a lot easier than living with turmoil and misery. And the Lord’s hand against our circumstances.
How to Have Peace: No Easy Road
There is no easy road. There’s only the hard road and the harder road. The broad path looks easy and comfortable (Mathew 7: 13-14). But it’s actually the hardest path of all.
And if we faithfully resist temptation, it will eventually flee (James 4: 7). And we will enjoy peace and freedom in that area where we were once in bondage.
As verse 30 implies when our sin is made subject to us, when it no longer has dominion over us, we will have peace, both is our spirit and in our circumstances. We will be filled with the Spirit of God, which is the Spirit of peace.
To read another post related to How to Have Peace: It’s a Fight, see When Afflictions Are Just What We Need.