Weapons of our Warfare -- PEACE

Weapons of Our Warfare

  OUR PEACE

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. II Cor. 10:3-4 

A day or two ago I was chatting with a lovely couple with whom I have had an ongoing relationship.  They were each telling me about the stress that had permeated their lives.  I spent some time with each listening to the reasons they each had for being stressed.  As they talked the issues through they each began to realize that the reasons they gave were in reality merely excuses for their having relinquished their self-control of their reactions to people and circumstances and choosing not to maintain the Peace that each believer has been given as a gift from the Prince of Peace.

Jesus has sent each us who follow Him to walk on the Earth in the same manner in which He had been sent by the Father.  He walked as the Prince of Peace.  He gave to His followers His gift of Peace.  Thus He empowered each of us to also walk as princes of Peace. Our personal Peace is our God given right as sons of the most high God.  His gifts are without repentance.  Thus, He will not take it back.  Moreover,  no one in all the universe has either the power or the authority to steal it from us.  If we lose our Peace it is because we voluntarily chose to give it up in response to Satan's deceptions.

Moreover, as princes of Peace we are empowered to speak and impart peace to situations and to other people.  When we are confronted with confusion and chaos often the most effective response is to speak peace into the situation.  This was demonstrated by Jesus when confronted by a violent storm.  Unlike the men around Him He did not relinquish His Peace; rather He spoke peace into the storm.  

A few years ago I was sitting at a round table in a restaurant with some friends.  As we were chatting and preparing to order our food a young woman arrived a bit late.  She took the only remaining seat, beside me.  As she was getting settled, I wanted her to feel included so I turned and asked her, "Hi, how are you, today?"

She did something most of us find unusual.  She gave an honest answer.  She said, "Well, I am beginning to have a Panic Attack  right now."  

I knew that Panic Attacks can become quite serious.  At times progressing to the point where medical attention is required for the person's survival.  But, I wanted to have lunch with my friends not with a group of the local paramedics.  I also knew that persons having a Panic Attack most often respond to words of reassurance with the perverse idea that if you believe reassurance is needed then there really is some thing to Panic About.  As the woman on the other side of me began pouring out motherly words of comfort and assurance, I was watching the young lady's eyes become more and more dilated and her respiration become more and more rapid and shallow.  I began listening for some instruction from Holy Spirit.  What could I, a stranger to this young lady, do ?

I turned to her and looked her in the eyes.  In a gentle but definitely instructional voice just loud enough to override the motherly assurances, I said, "Receive peace. My Peace I give to you."

Instantly, I was watching as her eyes ceased dilating and began to return to normal.  Her breathing slowed and she took a deep calming inhalation.  Within moments she had returned to normal and we were all chatting around the table as though nothing had happened out of the ordinary.

Often whether it is an individual "on the brink"  or a group caught up in argument, the simplest and most effective tool to set people free is to simply impart peace into them and their surrounding circumstances. 

His, thus yours,

  Stuart