It is August 27, 1943 the time is 1927 or 7:27 pm the 305^th Bomber Group is just coming out of a bombing raid on Watton France and they are surrounded with flack. The B-17 “Moonbeam” is riding “tail end Charlie”. First, Joe Kosmicky, the belly gunner, is killed with a direct hit to the turret. The next burst took off the tip of the left wing and then came the bad one. It went into the bottom of the left inboard engine and burst before it came out of the top. The #2 engine caught fire and Bob Coffman, the co-pilot, looks outside to see the fire melting the aluminum covering right off the wing. The fire and flames were streaming clear back past the tail. Don Moore, the pilot, calls for his men to bail out. As the crew bails out Bob Coffman finds bullet holes in his parachute, Don Moore gives Bob his parachute expecting to use the backup for himself. After Bob bails out the left wing fell off putting the plane in a spin, with the pressure created in a spin Don Moore was never able to bail out. His crew called him Pappy Moore out of the sheer respect they had for him. His co-pilot described him as “cool as a cucumber” through all of this, his Bombardier called him a providential agent, and his Navigator tried to put in for D. F. C. when he returned from POW camp. As the Engineer, Warren Seyfried, was in POW camp he had a fellow answer his comments on what happened “Red, there are two ways to die. To die for nothing at all, or to die for life – for thousands of lives.” And Seyfried felt that is the way Don went. He was the way. Not just on the outside, but all the way through. He proved that.

This is how peace can work, even though Don gave his life for his men it was the peace that was in him that allowed him to keep the plane steady as his men bailed out.

Peace expresses the idea of wholeness, completeness, or tranquility in the soul that is unaffected by outward circumstance or pressures, it strongly suggests the rule of order in a place of chaos. When a person is dominated by peace, he has a calm, inner stability that results in the ability to conduct himself peacefully even in the midst of circumstances that would normally be very nerve-racking, traumatic, or upsetting.

When we finally give-up trying to discover all the answers to the “whys” in our lives and decide to trust a sovereign God, unexpected peace washes over us.

The Lord will give strength to His people; The Lord will bless His people with peace. (Psalm 29:11)

He will redeem my soul in peace from the battle which is against me, For they are many who strive with me. (Psalm 55:18)

Those who love Your law have great peace, And nothing causes them to stumble. (Psalm 119:165)

And the work of righteousness will be peace, And the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever. (Isaiah 32:17)

If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea. (Isaiah 48:18)

Isaiah references peace as being like a river.

• A river is never stagnant or still but powerful and constantly moving. To have peace like a river is to have security and tranquility of heart and mind while meeting many bumps and unexpected turns on life’s journey.
• Peace is submission to a trustworthy Authority, however any activity not under God’s authority will prove to be a source of turmoil and exhaustion.

When peace is in place in our life, it gives us the assurance needed to step out in faith and make the moves God is leading us to make.

And having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. (Eph. 6:15 NASB)

The shoes of a Roman soldier were vicious weapons.

• It started with a greave at the top of the knee and extended down to the upper portion of the foot.
• The shoe had spikes one to three inches long on the bottom to hold them in firmly in place, give them a grip to move forward and could also be used to kick or stomp on the enemy.

The enemy may try to disrupt us, distract us, and steal our attention by causing negative events to whirl around us, but these attempts will fail with the peace of God in us.

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.” (John 16:33)

Any time there is an absence of peace we first need to look in the mirror, be honest with our self and ask, have we violated any principle of God’s Word or disobeyed the will of God?

• If we trust our sovereign God and our supernatural peace is being disturbed we need to recognize that we are under siege.
• Satan loves to cast doubt using false gospels. He adds human effort and works, to the gospel of grace through faith.
• He is also called an angel of light and is very good at making lies look good as he mixes some of Gods truth in his lies.
• The devil will try to cause us to fall flat on our face through our spiritual walk and send us on a roller coaster that has us feeling up one day and down the next.

God’s plan is that our lives are dominated with prevailing and conquering peace, regardless of how hard the enemy or the daily affairs of life hit us. When this supernatural peace rules our hearts the devil cannot gain a foothold of our mind and emotions.

There are two different kinds of peace we can experience.

• First, is the peace with God, this is what we all experience when we first come to the lord for salvation.
• Second, is the peace of God, this is the weapon given to us to stand up against the enemy.

The peace of God protects us from everything the enemy may try to use to disturb our abundant life. It also allows us to continue moving forward in all walks of life. When we let the peace of God rule our life we allow Him to call the shots on all the decisions and emotions in our life.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7)

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which you were called in one body; and be thankful. (Colossians 3:15 NKJV)

Roman soldiers received orders to carry out difficult missions that led them to rocky and thorny places and to scale difficult barriers. The greave protected the soldier’s legs from being bruised, lacerated or broken in battle and the spiked shoe stabilized them and moved them forward.

God gives each of us assignments in life that can lead us through some challenging times. Like the greaves and shoes of the Roman soldier, peace protects us, helps us stand firm and allows us to walk forward.

• Without the protective peace of God it is possible for us to be mentally and emotionally bruised and battered through rough situations.
• When the peace of God is ruling our heart, mind, and emotions we can press our way through the toughest situations, successfully fulfilling our assignment.
• As we make it past the rough situations the enemy may try to abort our victory. But with the peace of God working in us we will prevail.
• It shields our mind and emotions from wounds and fears that can impair our faith.

As the three inch spikes on the bottom of the Roman’s shoes held them in place, so will the peace of God firmly plant our feet in the ground. In “Dressed to Kill” Rick Renner says:

“A person who has the peace of God actively functioning in his or her life is like a tall palm tree that is blown viciously by the winds of a hurricane. The fierce winds may bend the tree over, but when the storm passes, that palm tree pops right back up to its former position. Although the storm was severe, the roots of that tree held it in place.”

• When God speaks to us and gives us a personal Biblical promise the enemy will try to mentally assault us.
• Regardless of the attacks of the enemy the peace of God keeps us in place until the work of God in this area is complete.

Ephesians 6:14 says we are to stand firm. Standing firm is done through faith and as we seek to stand firm in faith the peace of God enables us to maintain our ground.

• Just as the roots of a palm tree hold it in place when a storm comes against it, God’s peace will hold us in our stance of faith against all the attacks of the enemy.
• We must learn how to plant our feet firmly in God’s Word and then by faith stand firm unmoved and unhindered by the devil’s threats and lies.
• Do we try to stand in faith? Do we try to stand for a miracle?

The three inch spikes on the Roman shoe allowed them to continue moving forward.

• With the peace of God ruling our life we can walk through the devises of the enemy and realize that even through the work of the enemy we have never had more joy.
• Stay alert to this truth: As we grow in our walk with God, spiritual confrontation will come to challenge our growth. Walking in the prevailing and conquering peace of God prevents the devil’s effectiveness

Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance. The Lord be with you all! (2 Thess. 3:16)

This is a joint partnership between us and God. By ourselves we could never keep Satan subdued but God is right there with us. Jesus completely destroyed Satan’s power through His death and resurrection. Our God-given mission is to reinforce that victory. With the God of peace on our side we are a whole lot bigger than the devil. Throw back your shoulders, hold your head up high, dig your heels down as deep as you can, and do as much damage to the enemy as you possibly can.

Prayers:

Lord, thank You for the peace you have placed in my life. This powerful spiritual weapon protects me from the assaults of life, enabling me to stand firm, even in the face of the occasional storms that try to blow into my life, and helps me continue moving forward. When adverse situation arise against me, help me remember to immediately release this divine force to safeguard my life. I pray this in Jesus’ name

I confess that God’s peace rules my mind and emotions, protecting me from the ups and downs of life. When storms are trying to rage against me and situations are hostile towards me, God’s peace covers and safeguard me from all harm, because divine peace is operating in me. This mighty and powerful piece of spiritual weaponry is mine to use day and night. Although the devil may try to kick, punch, pull, and distract me, that conquering peace empowers me to keep marching ahead, oblivious to the devil’s attempts to take me down! I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name.