The Fruit of the Spirit: Peace

By Robb Brunansky

Published May 21, 2025

Over the past three articles, we have been studying the fruit of the Spirit. In this post, we come to the third item in Paul’s list: peace.

For more than half a century, peace has been little more than a buzzword in our society. However, despite the calls for peace – the marches, demonstrations, elections, bumper stickers, t-shirts, songs, and movies – true, lasting peace is elusive.

We should also think about the idea of peace as it relates to the inner life of mankind. Despite our society also being obsessed with inner peace, so many people seem to be unable to find peace. We are a people who suffer greatly from anxiety, stress, worry, and fear. The issues surrounding peace are very real and personal, and ultimately, very powerful in our lives.

As much as people seek peace, march for peace, or believe politicians who promise peace, the fact remains that peace is scarce. Even we who live in America, a nation characterized by peace in our government and social life, have millions of people with no inner peace. So, why is it that the world seeks peace but can never find it?

Paul gives the answer in Galatians 5:22: The world does not have peace, either politically or internally, because they do not have the Spirit of God. True and lasting peace is only produced by the Spirit.

Because of our cultural influences, we need to ask, “What is peace?”

Scripture presents peace as a major theme. In the Old Testament, the concept of peace is conveyed by the word shalom, which indicates completeness, satisfaction, rest, and quiet. Our Lord was very clear: the kind of peace He came to bring has little to do with international conflict prior to His return (Matthew 10:34, Matthew 24:6,8). Nor is this shalom a superficial peace. Christ came to bring peace, but He did not come to satisfy the world’s itch for utopia in this present age.

Biblical peace, then, can be defined as the supernatural experience of reconciliation, harmony, and freedom produced by the Spirit in all believers. To help us understand this definition, we need to talk about these three terms – reconciliation, harmony, and freedom – and then give four practical steps to enjoying the fruit of the Spirit, which is peace in our own lives.

First, peace is reconciliation with God.

Here, we have the fundamental problem – the root cause of all society’s unrest, conflict, and war: the world cannot be at peace with itself because it is at war with God, the Creator. Unbelievers are alienated from God and hostile toward Him (Colossians 1:21). Unbelievers are at war with the Lord (Romans 8:7). This hostility is why Paul characterized his ministry as a ministry of reconciliation with God (2 Corinthians 5:18-21).

The good news of the gospel, then, makes senses as reconciliation with God. Peace is the supernatural experience of reconciliation with our Lord (Romans 5:1). No matter what our relationships are outside of our relationship with God, if we are not reconciled to the Lord, we will never know peace. A heart without peace is often symptomatic of a heart at enmity with God or not reconciled to its Creator.

When we are reconciled with God, though, we experience His peace, which is a supernatural experience. Jesus told us that He gives us His peace (John 14:27). When Jesus gives, He freely, fully gives; and He gives what is His own – unlike the world, which never freely gives anything.

Second, peace is harmony with others.

Peace with God results in peace with others.

When we are reconciled to God through Christ and His cross as one new man, people who were at war are now at peace and united as one (Ephesians 2:14-16). No two people or groups are so hostile toward one another that Christ cannot overcome their hostility. If the Jews and the Gentiles are brought to reconciliation with one another through the cross, anyone can be reconciled through the cross.

Third, peace is freedom from fear.

Peace extends into our own hearts and experience within ourselves of the world around us. Internally, we are whole, at peace, and free from fear, worry, and anxiety. Isaiah vividly portrays this kind of tranquility and calmness of spirit, speaking of the Messianic reign (Isaiah 32:17-20). The day is coming when we will experience complete peace. However, by the Spirit, we experience it now in measure. That truth doesn’t mean we know it perfectly, but Christians that know God is at work, that Jesus is alive from the dead, and that He will right every wrong.

How, then, can we know this peace?

The idea of a practical section here might seem strange since this is the fruit of the Spirit, and not something we can produce by our own works. How can we do things to obtain this peace if it is the work of the Spirit in our lives? We can’t make the fruit grow in our life, but we can create conditions that are favorable for the Spirit’s work in us. In fact, we are commanded to do this throughout Scripture. Usually, fruit grows in a heart that is prepared for growth. So, how do we prepare our hearts to grow peace?

The first way is to pray with gratitude (Philippians 4:7-8). Paul says here that we are to pray with thanksgiving. When we are thankful for what God has done and is doing in our lives, our prayers make a difference. If we pray with gratitude, the Lord’s supernatural peace will defend our hearts and minds.

The second way is to emulate the mature (Psalm 37:37). The psalmist here describes a man who is blameless and upright. That man is called “the man of peace,” which means that peace defines him. We are to mark such a person, looking at him, evaluating him, and modeling our lives after him. This is why the church is so vital to find someone, who is generally more mature in an area that we may need growth in, to learn from them. If we struggle with a lack of peace in our lives, find someone who is having victory, learn from him, and follow his example.

The third way is to love God’s Word. So many verses speak to this truth. The Psalmist tells us that to have great peace, we must love the Word of God (Psalm 119:165). Heeding the wise words of God in Scripture adds peace to our lives (Proverbs 3:1-2). Many verses also show what happens to those who do not love the Word and violate it. Isaiah tells us there is no peace for the wicked (Isaiah 57:20-21). Solomon says the wicked are anxious and fearful (Proverbs 28:1).

The fourth way is to focus on the Spirit (Romans 8:6, Isaiah 26:3). Often, an absence of peace is a failure to understand or to appropriate our understanding of God’s nature. When our mind is fixed on who the Lord is as revealed in Jesus Christ on the pages of Scripture, that is when we experience life and peace through the Spirit of God.

Can we singlehandedly produce more peace in our lives? The answer is no. However, we can work on the soil of our heart to make it more prepared for the fruit of the Spirit to grow and mature. Through this spiritual tilling of our hearts, we can have the supernatural experience of reconciliation, harmony, and freedom that is produced by the Spirit in all believers.