5 Reasons Jesus Is Still the Prince of Peace

Romans 5:1 - Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:13-16 - But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.

Peace begins when we encounter Jesus as the One who reconciles us to God by His death on the cross. We are born into sin, separated from God, guilty as lawbreakers (Romans 3:23). We inherited the fallen nature of Adam (Romans 5:12), and were hostile, alienated, enemies of God (Romans 8:7, Colossians 1:21).  

Sinful man can never achieve peace with God in his own goodness. God’s standard of holiness and acceptable righteousness demanded death as payment for our sin. Jesus came, born of a virgin, thus escaping the sinful nature handed down by Adam. He lived a perfect, sinless life and was executed on a Roman cross – an innocent man condemned. He became our peace offering, and in Him, we are reconciled to God. His perfect life fulfilled the Law, His death paid our sin debt, and God affirmed His sacrifice as acceptable for the sins of the world by raising Him up from the grave. He now sits as the Prince of Peace on the right hand of God, interceding for us.

Picture this. You’ve been accused of a crime, and you’re guilty. You know you’re guilty, and so does everyone in the courtroom. You stand before the judge and the sentence is read. Just before they take you out the door in handcuffs, your defense attorney steps up and offers to take your punishment. Even though he’s innocent, the judge affirms him as an acceptable substitute to pay your debt to society. He goes to jail, and you go free. 

That illustration only goes so far, because while you might have received a “get out of jail free” card, the guilt of your crime still burdens your heart. Jesus doesn’t just take your punishment, however; he takes away the guilt and shame that came along with your sin. We are justified in Christ – we are truly, literally, made righteous as God placed our sin on the shoulders of His own Son. 

Our account is settled.

The balance is zero. 

We have peace with God.

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John 16:33 - These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.

Philippians 4:6-7 - Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Jesus warned His disciples that tribulation was coming. As citizens of the kingdom of heaven, we no longer belong to this world. We are simply passing through this world on our way to our eternal home. We experience trouble many times because the world hates the Light of Christ it sees within us. Just as Jesus was persecuted, we can expect to be rejected, mocked, and even killed. We also experience trouble simply because we live in a fallen world. Adam’s sin not only affected humanity, it also affected our physical world (Romans 8:19-21). Sickness, disease, pain, accidents, addictions, and betrayal are just as much evidence of the Fall as the depraved nature of men and our certain physical death (Romans 1).

A “world of troubles,” however, is viewed differently by the Christ-follower. Because we have peace with God, we have the peace of God available in all circumstances. We can face scary situations because we know that Jesus has overcome the world, and that our future is secure. When anxious thoughts come, scripture gives us the antidote: prayer. We take our fears to Jesus, the only One who can do anything about what frightens us. God promises to give us peace that “surpasses all comprehension” in exchange, and guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, the Prince of Peace.

John 14:27 - Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.

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Romans 14:19 - So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.

Ephesians 4:1-3 - Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

The world tries to create peace by offering a false unity between all philosophies, religions and ideologies. They tell us if we will accept everyone just as they are, we could have world peace. Unfortunately, while this sounds good, it is a deceptive lie. Jesus didn’t mince words when He dispelled the idea that the earth would be united peacefully under Him. In fact, instead of peace, He would bring division even between fathers and sons, mothers and daughters (Luke 12:51-53).

Truth can never be united with lies, because truth will expose lies.

Darkness can never be united with light, because light will always overcome darkness.

Sin can never be united with holiness, because holiness is without sin, by very definition.

Peace only comes when we are united in Christ. Unity among spiritual family members, our brothers and sisters in Christ, is possible, and even commanded, as we all submit to the Head, Christ, our Prince of Peace. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9). Peace is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). As we walk in the Spirit, there will be peace between the members of the body of Christ, the church.

Notice that we are to “be diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Because we live in unredeemed flesh, we will not naturally be unified, or live in peace. We must choose whether we will listen to the Spirit and pursue peace or follow our flesh. In Christ, as we all surrender to the Spirit of Christ and submit to the authority of God’s word, we can live at peace with one another. 

We can have peace in the family.

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Colossians 3:15 - Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.

The natural question arises out of the previous section, is “what happens when two believers disagree and cannot come to a peaceful solution?” How do we determine who’s right and who’s wrong? When do we just “give in” in order to “keep the peace?”

The word “rule” in Colossians 3:15 helps us understand how we can walk in peace with God and with others. The Greek word is brabeuō and means to “act as an umpire” or to “arbitrate or decide.” 

Have you ever made a decision and then felt the conviction of God’s Spirit that it just wasn’t the right one? There was a conviction in your heart, an uneasiness, or lack of peace. God’s Spirit speaks to us primarily through the Word of God, and as we walk in the Spirit, He will guide us into truth, and “bring to remembrance” what Christ has said (John 16:8-15). Jesus directs our steps and guides our decisions and behavior by the presence of, or lack of, peace. He “calls the game” so to speak, letting us know what is “in” or “out.” 

Jesus is the Word of God (John 1:1). The Spirit enlightens us to understand the truth of Scripture, and as we obey it, we experience the peace that rules our hearts. If Scripture doesn’t speak specifically about a certain topic or disagreement, the Spirit will always guide us to general wisdom from the Word that will lead to a peaceful outcome between those who are truly submitted and surrendered to Christ’s authority.

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Isaiah 9:7 - There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.

We began with Isaiah’s prophecy naming the Messiah as our Prince of Peace. In this same passage, God promises there will be no end to Jesus’ government of peace. Right now, we are experiencing the unfolding of God’s plan of redemption for His elect. We are already reconciled and at peace with God through salvation in Christ. We can experience the peace of God in the middle of our circumstances and anxious thoughts, and we can live at peace with our brothers and sisters in Christ. However, in this world, our peace is constantly under attack.

Our enemy, Satan, continually accuses us, reminding us of our past sins. He tempts us, enticing our flesh to participate in sin today. We are made of flesh, subject to emotional and mental struggles with fear and worry. Our selfish human nature often rears its head, causing division between believers. There are many things that “disturb the peace” in our lives today, but this will not always be the case. One day, Jesus will return. The mighty Prince of Peace will take His rightful place on the throne of our world, and we will begin to experience the eternal peace God promises.

In the meantime, what do we do? Scripture gives a simple prescription to “keep the peace.”

We Keep Our Eyes on the Prince of Peace

Isaiah 26:3 – You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.

The Hebrew word for “stayed” means to lean or rest on. We lean on Jesus. We rest in Him. We focus our minds and hearts on His promises. We trust that He can uphold us, and we show that trust by our willingness to obey Him. As we center our lives on following, obeying and pleasing Him, we will experience the perfect peace He promises.

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Author Sheila Alewine is a pastor’s wife, mother and grandmother. She and her husband lead Around The Corner Ministries, which serves to equip Christ-followers to share the gospel where they live, work and play. She has written several devotionals including Living In Light of the Manger (Advent), Just Pray: God’s Not Done With You Yet, Grace & Glory: 50 Days in the Purpose & Plan of God, as well as Going Around The Corner, a Bible study for small groups who desire to reach their communities for Christ. Sheila has a passion for God’s Word and shares what God is teaching her on her blog, The Way of The Word. Connect with her on her blog, Facebook, and Instagram.