The Way of Peace and the War Within

In the second week of Advent, we lit the candle of peace. Most of us hear that word and think of a feeling we wish we had more often—calm nerves, quiet hearts, a little less anxiety. But Scripture paints a richer picture.

Luke tells us about a priest named Zechariah who holds his newborn son, John, and sings a Spirit-filled prophecy. He speaks about the Messiah who is coming, the “sunrise from on high” who will “guide our feet into the way of peace” (Luke 1:78–79). Peace, in other words, is not only something we feel; it is a way we walk.

Matthew 18:7–9 brings that truth into sharp focus. Jesus shows us that the way of peace can never walk in step with the way of sin. The good news of Advent is that the Prince of Peace has come to us—and He invites us to turn from sin and walk with Him.

“Penitent” is a word we do not use every day. It simply means a person who turns from sin and returns to God in trust.

Peace belongs to the penitent because God takes sin seriously and invites us to turn back to Him. We do not earn peace by cleaning ourselves up. We receive peace as we come, again and again, to Jesus with open hands and honest hearts.

In Matthew 18:7 Jesus says, “Woe to the world for temptations to sin!” That word “woe” is both grief and warning: sorrow over what sin does, and a serious caution about where it leads.

God is not mildly annoyed by sin. He hates it because it spoils what He loves.

The Bible uses the word shalom to describe the world as it should be—creation, people, and God woven together in justice, joy, and delight. Shalom is more than a cease-fire; it is fullness, wholeness, and flourishing.

Sin is, at its core, shalom-breaking. It tears at relationships, destroys trust, feeds shame, and pulls us away from the God who made us for life with Him. That is why God takes sin so seriously: not because He is harsh, but because He is loving.

So when Jesus says “woe to the world,” it is both:

• A warning: judgment is real; sin has real consequences.
• A promise: sin’s days are numbered; God will not let it rule forever.

Peace cannot fully live side by side with sin that we refuse to face. Peace and unrepented sin are moving in opposite directions.

Jesus also says, “For it is necessary that temptations come” (Matthew 18:7). That’s a hard line. It does not mean God tempts us (James 1:13). Instead, it means:

• We live in a fallen world, so temptation is unavoidable.
• God is powerful enough to redeem even temptation, using it to expose our weakness and grow our dependence on Him.

Scripture tells us that the desires of the flesh and the desires of the Spirit are opposed to one another (Galatians 5:17). That inner tug-of-war is normal for a Christian, not a sign that God has abandoned us.

In Christ, temptation becomes a place where:

• Our faith is tested and refined (1 Peter 1:6–7).
• We learn a lifestyle of repentance—not a one-time moment, but a pattern of turning back to Jesus whenever we wander.

Advent peace is not the absence of struggle. It is the presence of Christ with us in the struggle, and the call to keep turning toward Him.

In Matthew 18:8–9, Jesus uses strong imagery:

“If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away… If your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away…”

He is not calling us to harm our bodies. Throughout His ministry, Jesus heals bodies. His point is about urgent, serious repentance: do whatever it takes to cut off what leads you away from Him.

The real battlefield, Jesus says, is not “out there” in the culture. It is inside our own hearts—our habits, desires, and loves. It is often easier to critique the world than to confess our own sin, easier to wage a “culture war” than to face what is happening in our own soul.

Jesus flips that pattern upside down:

• Start with your own eye.
• Start with your own hand.
• Start with your own heart.

Some practical ways this looks:

• Name your sin honestly. Repentance begins with truth, not hiding.
• Remove access and opportunity. If a pattern, device, rhythm, or relationship pulls you toward sin, take concrete steps to limit its grip.
• Pursue new desires by the Spirit. Put off the old, and put on the new (Ephesians 4:22–24). Replace old pathways with new habits of grace.
• Seek community and accountability. Sin thrives in secrecy but weakens in the light. Trusted brothers and sisters help us walk in peace.
• Return to Jesus’ finished work. Repentance is not self-punishment; it is coming back to the cross, where Christ already bore the punishment for our sin.

All of this would crush us if the story ended with “try harder.” But Advent announces something far better: Peace Himself has come to us.

Zechariah sings about the sunrise from on high who will guide our feet into the way of peace (Luke 1:78–79). A short time later, Simeon takes the infant Jesus in his arms and says:

“Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace… for my eyes have seen your salvation” (Luke 2:29–30).

Simeon did not achieve peace. He received it by receiving Jesus.

That is the heart of this message:

• For those exploring faith: You will not find lasting peace within yourself or in the paths our world offers. Peace is found in the person of Jesus—through confession of sin, trust in His death and resurrection, and surrender to His leadership.
• For believers: You do not outgrow your need to come to Christ. Peace is not a one-time moment; it is a lifelong pattern of returning to Him—bringing your anxiety, shame, anger, and weariness and letting Him speak peace over you again.

1. Come to Jesus for peace, not just for help.
Set aside a few quiet minutes this week to bring your specific worries and sins to Him in prayer. Ask Him to give you His peace, not a version you try to create on your own.

2. Name one area where you are “making peace” with sin.
Is there a habit you excuse, a grudge you keep feeding, or a secret pattern you hide? Confess it to God, and if appropriate, to a trusted believer.

3. Take one concrete step of “cutting off” access.
Maybe it is changing what you watch, where you go online, how you use your phone, or how you handle certain conversations. Choose one real, practical change.

4. Lean into community.
Ask someone you trust to pray for you and check in. Let them be part of how God leads you into the way of peace.

Advent reminds us that the Prince of Peace has stepped into real history—real time, real places, real people. He has come near to shalom-breakers like us, not to crush us, but to save us and lead us into the way of peace.

Peace does not belong to the people who perform the best. Peace belongs to the people who keep coming back to Jesus—turning from sin and trusting the One who is strong enough to carry them.

This Christmas, may the Spirit help us remove what destroys peace and receive the One who brings peace, again and again.