Satan wants us to keep our focus off God and to think that it’s pointless believing His Word, so he’ll do everything he can to keep us upset. He loves it when we get into an argument just before church or before we try to minister to others in some way, so that we spend the entire time feeling guilty and uncomfortable. Therefore we must do whatever it takes to keep hold of our peace and refuse Satan his victory.

There’s power in peace! If the devil can’t get us upset, he has no power over us. He only gains control when we lose it. He keeps us upset so he can steal our peace, confuse us, and frustrate us. Don’t let him do it! Next time you get worked up about some issue, stop and ask yourself, ‘Is the devil at work here? If I give in to these emotions, what will the result be?’ When we’re stressed out, we lose our joy. Then we lose our strength, because ‘the joy of the Lord is your strength’ (Nehemiah 8:10 KJV). So it’s essential that we try to keep a tight hold on our peace.

James wrote, ‘The wisdom that is from above is…peaceable’ (James 3:17 NKJV). In The Message, Eugene Peterson paraphrases this Scripture: ‘Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterised by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings…You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other’ (v.17-18 MSG). Getting along with others can be hard work, but it’s worth it to have peace.

What Now?

Sometimes we get worked up because God’s stirring us tp action, but sometimes it’s because the devil’s trying to steal our peace. So it’s important to recognise the difference. Each time you get worked up, try checking in with God to see if it really is Him calling you to do something.