How to Have the Peace of God
Many believers long for peace: not just peace with God, which we receive through faith in the gospel of Christ (Rom 5:1), but the peace of God—the kind of supernatural calm that keeps us steady even when the world is spinning. In Philippians 4:6-9, we see exactly how to pursue and achieve this peace, and it starts in the inner man.
Step 1: Replace Worry with Prayer
Paul begins in verse 6: “Be careful for nothing…” In other words, don’t be anxious or full of care. Why? Because if Christ is our life and death is gain, then fear loses its power. Instead of being consumed with worry, Paul instructs us to bring everything to God: “by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”
Prayer, however, is more than a spiritual checkbox; it’s an act of faith: coming to God because we have a want or need that only God can handle. Supplication is our earnest, humble request. And thanksgiving helps calibrate our perspective. Gratitude reminds us of God’s faithfulness and what He’s already given us by His grace, while also guarding our hearts from grumbling. While God hears our requests, the promise in this passage is not about getting everything we ask for—it’s about something far better: “the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
This peace is unlike any earthly calm. It doesn’t depend on circumstances. It’s the Spirit working in us to root our hearts in the gospel and God’s truth in order to trust in God’s goodness—even when life makes no sense (Gal 5:22, Rom 8:6). Whether in hardship or abundance, prayer is God’s means of replacing fear with peace.
Step 2: Renew Your Mind with Truth
Right after discussing prayer, Paul addresses what we should think about. He says in verse 8, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true…honest…just… pure… lovely… of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” The world bombards us with chaos, lies, and fear. But the path to peace includes actively replacing those inputs with God’s truth.
Spiritual transformation starts inward, first through salvation (Eph 1:13), then by renewing our minds with sound doctrine (Rom 12:1-2). When we fill our minds with fear, lust, or the corruption of the world, it feeds our anxiety and weakens our faith. But when we dwell on truth, God’s peace and comfort strengthen us.
Step 3: Walk in What You’ve Learned
This passage closes in verse 9 with a call to action: “Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.” Peace is not only found in knowing the truth—it’s found in living it out and applying it. When we walk in the truth of God, peace follows!
There may be moments when applying the truth feels hard, when the gap between belief and action is wide. That’s where prayer comes in again, helping to align our hearts with God’s Word. As we live by faith, walking in sound doctrine, the peace of God guards us, strengthens us, and transforms us.
The peace of God is not something reserved for a select few, but is accessible to all in Christ. It’s the result of trusting Christ, casting your cares on Him through prayer, renewing your mind with His Word, and walking in His truth. It’s not a promise of a life without trouble, but it is a promise of an inner calm that surpasses understanding. Let your heart and mind be kept through Christ Jesus, and let the God of peace be with you.
